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The other night I was up feeding my newborn, mindlessly scrolling Instagram to give myself something to do to stay awake. I came across this video reel of what the account user captioned “The perfect neutral Montessori toddler playroom.” It was a beautiful room… everything was clean and Pinterest-worthy, with neutral colors and toys, and a big plant by the beautiful bright window. Shelves were hung high on the walls with cute decorations and there was a pretty tan jute rug on the floor. Large cube-style shelves adorned the wall on one side, full of neutral cube boxes, books, and all the pretty wooden toys you could think of. I couldn’t help but think, “Wow, this is so pretty.” But it got me thinking… what exactly made that room a “Montessori” playroom?
The Montessori philosophy emphasizes more neutral colors in children’s spaces like the playroom I saw because it provides a more calming, less over-stimulating environment. It’s peaceful! It emphasizes natural materials like wood, cotton, etc. instead of plastic. So, creating a room with a neutral-colored palette and providing simple, wooden (or other natural-material) type playthings and toys does fit into the Montessori philosophy.
However, I’ll be honest, the word “Montessori” sometimes makes me cringe. The Montessori approach isn’t about design and interior decorating. It isn’t supposed to be a marketing strategy and a label to showcase expensive furniture and toys. Decorating a neutral room and having certain types of toys doesn’t make a space “Montessori,” and that’s kind of the direction it’s taken when it comes to social media. Instagram accounts will show off these beautifully decorated nurseries and kids’ rooms and call them “Montessori spaces” simply because they look pretty.
This philosophy is not about making a no-color-whatsoever (boring!) beautifully decorated space filled to the brim with basic toys and things that are pretty and aesthetically pleasing for adults. It’s about providing spaces that are pleasing to children and child-friendly.
It’s an approach that focuses on building independence and confidence in children. Montessori spaces are created simply and intentionally to foster independence. Again, neutral colors are often used, but soft colors are still important. Kiddos like color! Also, natural materials are used for things like furniture and playthings as opposed to plastic. Things like cotton baskets can be used for toys and small pieces and things like real plants provide greenery and something kids can care for. But stuffing a shelf full of boxes and heavy toys that children cannot see or reach is not “Montessori.” Adorning the walls with high shelves that children cannot benefit from is not “Montessori.” Instead, a small amount of developmentally appropriate playthings can be set out on a low shelf in a play area for kids to access by themselves… they can see the items and independently choose what to play with. Things are placed or hung low so children can reach them, such as by using a small dressing rack, hooks on a wall, or low shelves. Books are placed on low shelves so kids can easily get them. Ideas for other rooms can be that snacks and safe utensils are placed down low in a kitchen so children can choose what to eat and when. Things like floor beds are often used for independence, as young children can easily and safely get in and out of bed by themselves to play in a child-proofed, child-friendly bedroom. These are all things that are often included in Montessori spaces… rooms and environments that are simple, neutral (again, so as to not be overstimulating), child-friendly for independence, and to have things accessible for child-led choices and play.
I know a lot of moms cringe at the word “Montessori,” too, find the whole concept annoying, and I definitely understand. The word is way overused and used incorrectly. I worry that posts I write with the word “Montessori” in them may be avoided because other readers are turned off by the word. In the video I saw, the high cube shelves had boxes that hid most of the things and the toys and books were completely out of a child’s reach. Beautiful, wooden, expensive-looking toys also adorned high shelves, and even though they would be simple and fun for a child, they were seemingly for decoration purposes only. The rug was a rough jute, which is pretty for adults, but it’s not a comfortable or soft material that children would like to sit and play on. The plant was huge and the actual type of plant was not child or pet-friendly if ingested, which isn’t safe to have with children around (please do research on safe plants!). The room and the things were neutral-colored, yes, but there was also absolutely no color… definitely not super fun or inviting for a kiddo. All in all, the room itself was not really comfortable looking, wasn’t safe, wasn’t practical, wasn’t inviting for a child, and wasn’t set up in a way to foster independence and child-led play. It was simply just a super pretty room, not a Montessori room. See the difference?
Wow, I sound very critical and bitter, huh? (Haha!) I know the room was probably cleaned to perfection and created for the perfect social media video. I respect it! It was a beautiful room. But because of pictures and videos like that… ones that are incorrectly labeled “Montessori” rooms… that’s why people, especially mommas, see the word “Montessori” and cringe. That’s why I have a love/hate relationship with the word, too. I love trying to create spaces that are calming and child-friendly, but I hate how incorrectly the word is used. People probably think that “Montessori” means using no color, buying expensive and heavy wooden toys, and creating expensive beautifully decorated spaces that are impractical for the average family. All not true! It’s totally possible to easily create Montessori, or child-friendly, spaces for your kiddos that are practical, simple, fun, and inexpensive. (: The word “Montessori” is not an interior design concept and it’s not a marketing concept to buy impractical and expensive toys. It’s simply an approach to be mindful of children’s spaces and homes… to create spaces that are simple, minimal, peaceful, and child-friendly. Spaces with natural materials and neutral colors, but are still fun! Spaces where children can feel comfortable and where they can be independent. I always remind myself to just remember the words “minimal,” “natural,” and “child-friendly.”
I definitely recommend reading The Montessori Toddler and The Montessori Baby, by Simone Davies, too, to learn more about the philosophy… what “Montessori” is really about and how to create your own pleasing, comforting, and simple Montessori spaces for your toddlers and babies.
You can check out my post about all our favorite books, too, where I have those books highlighted and linked, along with some of my other favorite recommended books. More related posts are also linked at the bottom of this post… feel free to check those out, too!
Hopefully this all provides some clarity and solidarity if you also have a love/hate relationship with the word “Montessori,” too. I get it. (;
As always, thanks for reading!
Lots of love,
Anna
