A Quick Tour of Our Montessori Entryway
As a Montessori household, we created a handful of kid-friendly spaces in our bedroom, kitchen, and living room. More formally referred to as “prepared environments” (a term coined by Montessori founder Dr. Maria Montessori), these areas are meant to foster a child’s independence by keeping items accessible to them and, by extension, organized with the toddler in mind so they don’t need to rely on Mom and Dad to micromanage household activities.
One space that needed a toddler-friendly upgrade was our entryway. Here’s a look at how we turned our small front door space into a Montessori entryway:
Placed coat hooks at Lee’s level.
We picked up these Command Designer Removable Hooks from the pharmacy and installed them at Lee’s height. This way he can hang his coat and backpack on his own.
Installed a stool for Lee to sit in while we put on shoes.
Given that we live in New York City, we have a no-shoes home. We also do not want Lee to wander onto the living room carpet with his wet snow boots or muddy sneakers as he waits for us to get ready to go out, too. To corral Lee a bit, we placed a stool for him in the entryway. Creating this designated waiting area space makes putting on and taking off shoes a part of our coming-and-going routine.
We ordered the ECR4Kids Bentwood Multipurpose Cube from Amazon. We particularly like that it can store Lee’s shoes underneath and hold his basket of winter gear, too. (Note: It is a little narrow so older kids may need a stool with open sides, particularly if they’re learning how to put on their shoes themselves.)
Added a basket for seasonal accessories.
Currently, Lee’s basket has a hat, mittens, and a cloth mask for the winter months. We plan on rotating out his cold-weather accessories for sunglasses, a baseball hat, and sunscreen once temperatures start going back up.
While we don’t have the space for it, here are other items you may be able to include in your Montessori-inspired entryway:
A mirror - Just like adults usually do an appearance spot-check before heading out the door, children can do the same. It’s also helpful to encourage them to wipe their noses with a tissue when coming in from the cold.
A doormat - This can visually cordon off the dressing area to help your toddler recognize that this is where we put on and take off our shoes and jacket.
Extra baskets - Spare containers or bins to place alternate pairs of shoes (like slippers or inclement weather gear) may come in handy to keep the area organized.
Interested in building out more Montessori spaces within your home? Check out our blog post on Lee’s Montessori-inspired wardrobe.