The Montessori method is a form of education developed in the twentieth century by Dr. Maria Montessori, whose main objective is to give children freedom of exploration, allowing them to interact with everything in their environment, in a safe way, which ultimately stimulates their growth, development and independence.
To achieve these goals, one of the most important parts of the Montessori method is to create a safe environment, which must start in the room. Unlike ordinary baby rooms, the Montessori room has simple storage, a very small bed and furniture at the child’s height, allowing the child to constantly stimulate and feel free to play, concentrate or sleep, without having to. the constant help of an adult to reach objects, for example.
- In addition to the bedroom and home.
- The Montessori method can also be applied at school.
- With some Montessori schools already looking to encourage children to learn according to the concepts developed by Dr.
- Maria Montessori and other collaborators.
If the idea of a piece inspired by the Montessori method is quite simple, sometimes it is difficult to find inspiration and creativity. Thus, to facilitate the task of designing and building such a piece, there are fundamental principles:
The cots are usually very tall, so the child depends on his parents to be able to reach his own bed. Thus, ideally the bed is at a low level, preferably resting on the floor so that, if the child falls out of bed at night, there is no risk of injury.
A good option to make a Montessori bed is to place the mattress directly on the floor or use a futon or tatami, for example. This allows the child to get out of bed when he wakes up, explores the room and plays. It is also recommended to always use pillows to limit space and avoid accidental falls.
The decoration of the room can be done in the same way as usual, however, it is preferable that the furniture is suitable for children, that is, they are smaller to facilitate their access. In addition, normal-sized furniture can create anxiety in children who feel very small and vulnerable, even inside their room.
Thus, some tips are to use small and low chairs and tables, hang artwork and mirrors in the eyes of the child and use shelves of only 2 or 3 height levels. To store toys, the best options are small boxes or lidless chests.
Strong and bright colors are ideal to encourage the child to play, however, in the bedroom, it is important to choose more neutral colors and pastel tones that promote peace and relaxation. Some shades to paint the room include sky blue, light pink or beige, for example.
Gradually, you can add elements with more colors and patterns to the room as the child grows and is curious to see brighter colors.
In addition to the colors of the room, you should also avoid the accumulation of objects, choosing to have a cleaner appearance. One option to free up more space is to use furniture and objects with more than one function. For example, the toy box can have a lid and serve as a stool, and can be stored under the table to save space.
Wood is a material that helps to retain heat and is pleasant to the touch, so it should be used whenever possible, on furniture and objects, but also on the floor, so that the child can walk barefoot without suffering large temperature changes.
Since the child will have complete freedom to explore the room, safety is a key point when thinking about the room. Therefore, some important points to ensure safety are:
It is also recommended not to use objects that may break, with glass or porcelain, as they may leave sharp pieces on the ground. Therefore, mirrors, while it is important for the child to know them, should always be out of reach, at least until the child is old enough to recognize the danger of breaking the mirror.
The benefits of this method are mainly related to the child’s development, helping him to:
In addition, the Montessori Room is a very safe space that allows the child to create a greater sense of confidence and calm, avoiding feelings of anxiety and low self-esteem, common for growth.