When it comes to getting started with Montessori at home, one of the biggest challenges is knowing exactly where to start…
How can you put those Montessori principles you’ve heard so much about into practice in your everyday life? And what about “preparing the environment”? How do you do that and, um, what does it even mean?
Then there’s Montessori activities, materials, and more to figure out…
If you’re new to Montessori, it’s easy to get so overwhelmed that you never even get started! Luckily, you don’t need to be an expert in Montessori for your child to benefit from it. By learning a bit about the basics of Montessori, you can get started raising a confident, curious, and independent toddler today.
Ready to get started? Keep reading to find out everything you need to know to get started with Montessori at home with your 20-24 month old!
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Preparing a Montessori Environment at Home | 20-24 Months
The prepared environment is a big part of Montessori. If that’s a new term for you, think about how your home environment can help support your child’s learning – and how it can hold them back.
In order to learn and grow, your child needs opportunities to safely explore the world around them. They need to be able to get involved in daily life and be independent (“I do it!”) They need freedom – with limits – and the ability to make choices throughout the day.
That’s why it’s important to set up a few child-friendly, accessible spaces for your toddler at home. You can learn all about creating the perfect Montessori toddler room for your little one in my new course. Or check out more ways to prepare an effective, Montessori-inspired environment below…
Floor Bed
If your child is still sleeping in a crib, it may be time to consider making the switch to a “big kid” floor bed. Because floor beds allow children to easily climb in and out of bed on their own, investing in one is a great way to promote accessibility, freedom of movement, and independence at home.
You can get started by simply placing a mattress on the floor, or you can look for a Montessori floor bed frame you love. Here are a few options…
Want to see more? Check out more floor beds here!
Weaning Table & Chair
A weaning table is an accessible, child-sized table that can help your toddler feel more comfortable during mealtimes while allowing them to practice independence and self-help skills. A child who resists sitting in a high chair may enjoy the greater amount of freedom and autonomy granted by a weaning table, helping make mealtimes less stressful for the whole family.
In between mealtimes, weaning tables also make great workspaces for children, easily accomodating puzzles, playdough, coloring, and more! Here are a few good options…
Montessori Shelf
A Montessori shelf is a low, open shelf that allows you to store your child’s favorite toys in an organized, accessible way. This can help your little one engage in more meaningful, focused play because they’re easily able to find what they’re looking for.
Using a Montessori shelf for toy storage can also help your child to learn how to put their toys away where they belong when they’re done playing! Here are a few options…
Kitchen Helper Tower
A kitchen helper tower (also called a learning tower) is basically a step stool equipped with a safety “cage” for toddlers. Most toddlers LOVE helping out with everyday tasks, like rinsing fruits and veggies, kneading dough, or wiping down the kitchen counter.
A kitchen helper tower can help your child get involved in daily life tasks, learn practical life skills, and develop independence. Here are some options…
Want more? Check out the best kitchen helper towers here!
Wardrobe or Clothing Rack
By this age, your child may be ready to start learning self-help skills, such as choosing some of their own clothing, practicing self-dressing, and maybe even hanging up their jacket or backpack at the end of the day. All with help as needed, of course!
A toddler-sized wardrobe or clothing rack can help you introduce these skills in a developmentally-appropriate, accessible way. If your child seems ready to start using a wardrobe or clothing rack, remember to limit clothing choices to reduce overwhelm, organize things in a way that makes sense to your child, and model self-dressing skills as needed. Here are some options…
Montessori Activity Ideas | 20-24 Months
As your child grows, it’s important to continue offering them opportunities to follow their interests, engage in hands-on exploration, and practice developmentally-appropriate skills through play.
Every child is different, so it’s a good idea to look to your child for ideas. What activities do they gravitate toward? What skills do they insist on practicing over and over again? Start there!
That being said, all children this age need to move around and develop gross motor skills. They need to use their fingers and hands to handle and explore objects, strengthening their fine motor skills. They need to experience language through face-to-face conversations, engaging stories, and silly songs. Additionally, they need plenty of opportunities to explore, experiment, make discoveries, solve problems, and be social.
By engaging in a variety of interesting, mostly self-guided activities, your child can practice all these skills and more! Here are a few Montessori-inspired activities your 20-24 month old might enjoy…
1 | Easel Painting
Around this age, many children become more interested in simple art activities, like coloring and painting. If you have space for one in your home, an easel can provide your little one with an extra fun way to develop creativity and fine motor skills through art.
2 | Puzzles
Working with puzzles is one of the best ways for toddlers to develop hand-eye coordination, spatial reasoning skills, and fine motor skills. By this age, your child may be ready to work with 4-6 piece puzzles with knobbed or chunky pieces. To keep your child interested, try to assess their skills honestly and choose puzzles that are challenging but not too difficult for them.
3 | Matching Games
Object-to-object matching is one of the earliest math skills you can work on with your toddler. To play, try presenting your child with a few unmatched pairs of objects on a tray or in a basket. Think socks, toy animals, colorful blocks, or picture cards. Then encourage your child to pair the socks, match the mommy elephant to the baby elephant, and so on!
Hint: Start with just a few objects (2-3 pairs) and slowly add more objects as needed to maintain the right level of difficulty for your child.
4 | Pouring, Scooping, & Transferring
Simple pouring, scooping, and transferring activities are a fun way for toddlers to build fine motor skills and concentration. Try starting with something simple, like scooping dry beans, and build up to more challenging tasks, like pouring water from a small pitcher. Useful tools to have on hand for these activities include spoons, child-sized tongs, cups, small pitchers, bowls, sponges, and large pipettes.
5 | Climbing
Around this age, you may notice that your child has a nearly insatiable need to climb. The kitchen counter, couch, bookshelves, or other furniture – it’s all fair game for your toddler! Climbing is an important gross motor skill for little ones to master, so it’s a good idea to offer your child safe opportunities to climb each and every day.
So, take a trip to the playground, invest in a Pikler triangle or other climber for your home, find tree stumps or rocks to climb outdoors, set up an indoor obstacle course, or just practice walking up and down the stairs. Don’t be afraid to get creative!
6 | Cooking
If you haven’t already introduced your little one to simple cooking projects, now is a great time. Your toddler can help with simple tasks in the kitchen, like washing fruits and veggies, pouring pre-measured ingredients, kneading dough, stirring and mixing, and more. Cooking is a good way to introduce basic math and science concepts, help your little one learn practical life skills, and have tons of fun together!
7 | Nature Walks
This is one of my favorite “anytime” activities to do with little ones. By simply taking a leisurely walk outdoors, your child is developing gross motor skills, practicing making scientific observations, learning more about the world around them, and – most importantly – spending quality time with you!
During your walk, try collecting natural objects, helping your little one take photos of the cool things you find on your walk, and using your senses to explore your surroundings. What do you see? Hear? Smell?
8 | Playdough with Tools
Playdough is a classic toddler activity for a reason. It’s easy to prep, fun to play with, and amazing for your little one’s fine motor development. While playdough is fun on its own, simple tools like rolling pins, offer children even more ways to explore and play.
9 | Heavy Work
If the term “heavy work” is new to you, heavy work activities are basically gross motor activities that offer children a specific type of sensory input (proprioceptive). For adults, the equivalent would be something like going on a jog, getting a massage, or swimming. Some children really crave these kinds of activities, so it’s worth trying a few out to gauge your child’s interest!
Here are a few examples of heavy work activities for toddlers:
- Swinging on a swing
- Tug of war
- Play wrestling
- Obstacle courses
- Climbing up the slide
- Tumbling
- Hanging from a bar or trapeze
- Pushing or pulling a wagon
- Jumping on a trampoline
10 | Opening & Closing
It’s fun for little ones to explore everyday objects like jars, boxes, and coin purses. So, offer your child several items they can practice opening and closing and let them get to work! This is a great way to help your child develop fine motor skills and learn how different objects work. (As per usual, be mindful of choking hazards and always supervise your child to prevent choking and other injuries.)
The Best Montessori Toys & Materials | 20-24 Months
When it comes to toys, less is definitely more. After working with little ones for more than 10 years, I truly believe that a small, carefully chosen collection of high-quality toys is a million times better than an overflowing toy box of flashy plastic toys.
So, it’s okay to let go of toys that are no longer serving your child. And it’s okay to limit your child’s toys to a few solid options. Limiting your child’s toys – and sticking to classic, passive toys – actually encourages more focused, creative play. Cool, right?
When you’re shopping for toys, look for materials that check off these boxes…
- Simple and passive – no batteries required
- Mix of open-ended toys (like blocks) and close-ended toys (like puzzles)
- Made with mostly natural materials, like wood or cloth
- Interesting and developmentally-appropriate – toys that meet your child where they’re at
Here are a few of the best toys for toddlers 20-24 months old…
Hint: When choosing toys for your little one, remember that no one knows your child better than you! Think about your child’s interests and skills. How can you “follow the child”?
Or check out these awesome toddler play kits from Lovevery…
If you want to take the guesswork out of toy shopping for your little one, this is a great option. These subscription play kits are designed by early learning experts to help you support your child’s development at every stage – and they’re a huge hit with little ones and parents.
You can learn more here!
Practical Life Ideas | 20-24 Months
One of the best things you can do for your little one is involve them in daily life! Helping with simple everyday tasks – like rinsing veggies or loading dirty laundry into the washing machine – provides toddlers with meaningful opportunities to spend time with the people they love and learn practical life skills.
So, whether you’re making dinner, watering your plants, or tidying up around the house, look for little ways to involve your toddler.
Here are some practical life activities to try at home with your 20-24 month old…
Care of self:
- Combing hair
- Brushing teeth
- Washing face
- Blowing nose with a tissue
- Using a fork and spoon
- Drinking from a cup
- Pouring water from a small pitcher
- Practice putting socks and shoes on and taking them off
- Practice putting jacket on
- Practice self-dressing tasks (zippers, buckles, velcro, etc.)
- Carrying own belongings in backpack
- Hanging up jacket or backpack on hook (with help)
Care of environment:
- Wiping up a spill with a cloth or sponge
- Watering plants with spray bottle or small watering can
- Helping with pet care (scooping kibble, pouring water, etc.)
- Practice sweeping with small broom and dustpan
- Putting dirty clothes in the hamper
- Loading dirty clothes into the washing machine
- Matching socks
RELATED: How to Introduce Montessori Practical Life to Your Toddler
Fine motor:
- Opening and closing jars
- Placing coins in a coin box
- Threading activities
- Scooping activities
- Pouring activities
- Transferring activities
In the kitchen:
- Peeling a banana or mandarin orange (with help)
- Cutting a banana (or other soft foods) with a spreader or butter knife
- Spreading topping on toast or crackers
- Rinsing fruits and veggies
- Tearing herbs or greens
- Whisking eggs
- Measuring and pouring ingredients (with help)
- Helping stir ingredients together
- Beginning to season food with salt or spices
- Scooping cereal into bowl
- Pouring milk from small pitcher into cereal bowl
You got this!
Honestly, there’s no magic Montessori wand or secret formula to help you get started.
At the end of the day, the best thing you can do is treat your child with respect, follow their lead, support their growing independence, and try to involve them in everyday life.
(I bet you’re already a lot more Montessori than you thought!)
Here are a few more things you can do – in your own time, in your own way – to practice Montessori at home with your little one:
- Set up your home environment in a child-friendly, accessible way to encourage independence and self-help skills
- Offer a variety of simple activities at home to help your little one learn through hands-on play and exploration
- Limit toys and try to choose engaging materials that encourage active, focused play
Have fun!
♥ Meg
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