"Everything you do for me, you take away from me."

Maria Montessori

The key aspect of Montessori inspired environment is independence. Set up an environment with self-explanatory materials and activities that are within the child's reach. After an initial presentation by an adult, these materials can be approached independently for set up, use, and clean by the child. Here are a few tips:

✨Present materials in the order of difficulty from left to right, choosing only one object per shelf space for a clean look and easy clean-up.

✨Let your child pick their workspace. Some activities can be done on a rug or mat, and some can be done only at the table (like pouring, playdough, and painting). 

✨Rotate the activities based on your child's interest. If your child is driven to an activity, let them practice the skills until they move on. Introduce an additional challenge to the activity, like a smaller spoon for transfer or a funnel for pouring.