Beau's Montessori Kitchen Shelf

I love taking a look at how others setup their practical-life environments at home. So I thought I'd share  how we setup Beau's kitchen shelf area. We keep a selection of essential kitchen items that we use daily at easy reach for Beau. 

The water canister is the perfect size for the top shelf (There is a ledge above it that stops it from falling down) and at the perfect height for Beau to access. Glasses are kept right next the the water canister. These shot glasses are a good size for a toddler's small hands and mouth, while still giving them the freedom and independence of using glass. The top shelf is lined with black non-slip material, to make the water canister extra sturdy. We keep a small, shallow, blue box beside his glasses containing cutlery - one fork, one spoon and one spreading knife.

On the next shelf we have a basket with a few cloths for moping up spills and wiping down his table (We have blue for the kitchen and white for the bathroom). His placemat, which he takes to his table before a meal or snack, you can find the DIY for his placemat here. His small apron for cooking is a new addition, handmade by my daughter. 

On the bottom shelf we keep one of each of his crockery pieces, while the rest of his bowls, cups and plates are kept on the bottom shelf of our cupboard.  His tea cup and saucer are for having tea (warm almond milk and agave nectar) which he loves! You can watch a video of Beau having tea with his big sister here. I am planning on setting up an activity for his practical life shelves so Beau can make his own tea. There is also a small plate and bowl, which he can take to his table when preparing a snack for himself.

Beau getting himself a glass of water.

I hope you enjoyed reading and that you get some inspiration for your own home environments!

Nikki xx

On Our Shelves at 8 Months

1- Ring Stacker from Beginning Montessori. Beau hasn't mastered this material yet, which should be expected at around 10 months, however he still enjoys pulling off the rings and banging them together, as well as observing the differences in size and colour. 

2- A couple of our favourite books with two ikea 'B' bookends. I've choosen books that are based in reality rather than fantasy. I also limit the number of books on the shelf to make easier to keep it ordered and not too overwhelming of a chose for Beau. The books are rotated weekly.

3- Object Permanence Box from Nienhuis Montessori. This is Beau's favourite at the moment. He has mastered the skill of moving the ball to the hole and letting it fall. This material is designed to help the child's sense of object permanence; the idea that once something can't be seen it has not disappeared forever. In doing so he develops focus and concentration, eye-hand co-ordination and fine motor skills through grasping and releasing.

4- Toy Hammering Block from Ikea. On the website it recommends this toy for children over 18 months however it is safe for him at 8 months as long as he's supervised. After observing an adult use the hammer to bang the pegs he too makes the same motion. 

5- Ball and Bell cylinder from Beginning Montessori.  Beau has enjoyed manipulating the bell cylinder since around 5 months old. The bars are easily grasped by his small fingers and he enjoys banging the cylinder into his opposite hand to make the bells rattle.   Ball Cylinder has been a great toy for developing his muscle strength in his arms as its quite heavy but easy to hold due to the size and distance between the bars. 

6- Handmade Puzzle Ball which was made using this great tutorial from Little Red Farm Montessori. We also added some bells to the centre so that it makes a noise when shaken. The way it is formed makes it easy for the child to hold grasp and pick up.

Nikki xx