When you’re trying to get started with Montessori at home, things can get overwhelming – fast.
There’s a lot of info out there, and it can be hard to make sense of it all when you’re short on time. Luckily, introducing Montessori to your toddler doesn’t have to be hard or complicated. So, if you’re feeling lost right now, don’t worry!
This lil guide will help walk you through everything you need to know to get started with Montessori with your 16-19 month old. From the best Montessori toys and materials for toddlers to fun activity ideas, simple ways to prepare the environment, ideas to help you introduce practical life activities to your little one, and more.
Let’s get started!
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5 Simple Montessori Parenting Guidelines to Keep in Mind
1 | Be respectful
Treat your child like a person, not an object. Speak and act respectfully toward your child. When you have to do something that affects your little one – like picking them up for a diaper change – let them know what you’re doing first. Treating your child with respect will help you build a strong, positive relationship with your little one from an early age.
2 | Slow down
Little ones thrive when they’re given time to slow down and just be. So, give your child the opportunity to get lost in an experience or activity without having to constantly rush onto the next thing. Do what you can to embrace a slower and simpler lifestyle.
3 | Follow the child
Follow your child’s lead. Encourage them to follow their interests, offering support and resources to help them guide their own learning. Trust your little one to do their job – exploring, learning, and growing – in their own time, in their own way.
4 | Guide your child
Think of yourself as your child’s guide, not their boss or servant. Find ways to work with your child to help them solve their problems and achieve their goals, rather than simply telling them what to do, or – worse – doing everything for them!
5 | Involve your child in daily life
Daily life offers so many meaningful opportunities for you to spend quality time with your little one and teach them a variety of practical life skills. So, find ways to include your child in everyday activities – from helping put the groceries away to loading the dirty laundry into the washing machine.
Preparing a Montessori Environment at Home | 16-19 Months
One of the best ways to support your toddler’s development is to set up your home in a way that promotes freedom, accessibility, independence, and exploration. This is called preparing the environment, and it’s a critical component of Montessori.
There are a million different ways to adapt your home environment for your little one based on your space and budget constraints, as well as your toddler’s unique needs. So, as long as you’re keeping those Montessori values in mind – freedom, accessibility, and independence – you can’t go wrong!
Here are the best Montessori-inspired ideas for your home for your 16-19 month old…
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Floor bed
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Weaning table & chair
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Montessori shelf
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Kitchen helper tower
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Pikler triangle
Floor Bed
If you haven’t already, making the switch from a crib to a floor bed is a great next step for you and your little one! Basically, floor beds are low “big kid” beds that make it easy for children to climb in and out of bed on their own. Because your child isn’t reliant on you to get in or out of bed, floor beds can help promote freedom, accessibility, independence, and healthy sleep habits.
You can find a simple, wooden floor bed frame – like the ones below – or even just use a mattress on the floor if your budget is tight. Here are some of the best Montessori floor beds for toddlers, if you’d like more ideas!
Weaning Table & Chair
A weaning table is simply a small child-sized table that – like a floor bed – allows your toddler to be more independent. Many families choose to have their little ones sit at a weaning table, rather than a highchair, during mealtimes in order to encourage independence and engagement during meals.
Weaning tables are also highly versatile – your little one might enjoy working with puzzles, playdough, or other quiet activities at their weaning table, too! You can find high-quality weaning table and chair sets on Etsy or Sprout Kids.
Montessori Shelf
It can be challenging for children to engage in meaningful, focused play when all their toys are crammed into an overstuffed toybox. A simple low shelf, usually referred to as a Montessori shelf, is a great solution. The low, open shelving keeps your child’s toys visible and accessible, making it much easier for your little one to get to work – aka play!
(If you’re looking for a beautiful, high-quality toy shelf for your toddler, Sprout Kids is one of the best places to find the right Montessori furniture for your little one.)
Kitchen Helper Tower
One of the best – and easiest – ways to involve your toddler in everyday life is to invest in a kitchen helper tower. Most 16-19 month olds LOVE helping out with simple jobs in the kitchen, like rinsing veggies, kneading dough, or wiping down the counters. A kitchen helper tower can allow your child to safely access hard-to-reach spaces (like your kitchen island) and get involved!
Pikler Triangle
Think of a Pikler triangle as your child’s first climber. While most climbing toys are designed for older children, Pikler triangles are safe and fun for children as young as 6 months or as old as 5 years! So, your 16-19 month old can easily get years of use out of this toy while gaining coordination, confidence, and gross motor skills through play.
(For more fun, look for Pikler triangle accessories, like slides, ramps, or toddler-friendly climbing walls…)
Montessori Activity Ideas | 16-19 Months
Your little one is likely beginning to do more things on their own and showing more signs of independence. They may attempt more challenging gross motor activities, like climbing or jumping, and are probably starting to talk more, too!
Fine motor activities, like coloring, playing with playdough, and building with blocks, might also become more appealing to your child during this stage. Finally, you might notice your toddler engaging in simple pretend play games – like feeding a baby doll – or copying the things they see Mama and Daddy do every day.
At home, you can help support your child’s development by trying out a variety of age-appropriate activities with your little one. Here are a few Montessori activity ideas to try at home with your 16-19 month old…
1 | Sensory Balls
A basket filled with sensory balls is simple to prepare and exciting for little ones to explore! Sensory balls help toddlers develop hand-eye coordination, fine and gross motor skills, spatial awareness, and more. There are tons of ways to play, too – from independent, open-ended exploration to more social, cooperative games, like rolling the ball back and forth.
2 | Coloring
If they haven’t already, your little one might start showing interest in simple art activities – like coloring – around 16-19 months. No need for anything fancy right now! Try offering your toddler a plain old piece of paper and a single non-toxic crayon to get started.
(Here are some more easy Montessori art activities to try if your child already loves coloring and is ready for something new!)
3 | Simple Puzzles
Puzzles are a great, no-prep activity that can help your little one build spatial awareness, fine motor skills, problem-solving skills, and more. Look for simple, knobbed puzzles with 3-4 pieces to set your 16-19 month old up for success. (This handmade, geometric puzzle is a great option!)
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 building up to more challenging tasks, like pouring water from a small pitcher.
5 | Busy Boards
If your toddler is fascinated by latches, locks, or light switches, a busy board might be right up their alley. Busy boards are interesting sensory toys that allow little ones to investigate how everyday objects work. You can create a DIY busy board for your toddler or find the perfect busy board (like this LED light board or this classic option) for your child online.
With busy boards, simple is best. Too many bells and whistles can be distracting for little ones. The homemade latch board pictured below is a great example of a clean and simple busy board!
6 | Playdough
Playdough is a classic sensory activity that can help your toddler strengthen and refine their fine motor skills. You can offer your little one simple playdough tools, add loose parts to the mix, or just focus on squishing and manipulating the dough. There are tons of ways to play!
For more fun, invite your little one to help measure, pour, and mix ingredients to make your own DIY playdough at home.
7 | Climbing
Toddlers don’t just love to climb – they NEED to climb. That being said, you may not want your little one scaling the kitchen counters! So, make sure to offer your little one safe opportunities to climb on a regular basis. Here are a few ideas…
- Go to the playground and play on the toddler climber
- Practice going up and down the stairs
- Create a simple obstacle course with furniture, cushions, and whatever else you have at home!
- Try an indoor climber, like a Pikler triangle
- Climb up large rocks or tree stumps outside
- Enroll in a toddler-friendly movement class
8 | Treasure Baskets
Treasure baskets are a great independent play activity for little ones. Simply fill a basket with a few interesting, child-safe objects from around the house. Anything from metal whisks to cardboard toilet paper rolls is fair game! You can learn more about creating a treasure basket at home here.
9 | Pretend Play
By 16-19 months, you may notice your child beginning to engage in simple pretend play games, like “cooking” a meal in their play kitchen or tucking a baby doll into bed. This is an exciting developmental milestone for little ones! You can encourage this type of play at home by making simple materials – like a baby doll, wooden toy phone, or play food – accessible to your toddler and modeling how to use them.
(By the way, pretend play props should be relevant to your child’s everyday life, not based in fantasy. Your child wants to copy what they see happening around them – cooking, grocery shopping, and so on. Let them!)
10 | Books
When in doubt, reading a book is always a good idea! Create a literacy-rich environment at home by reading to your little one every day and keeping high-quality board books accessible throughout your home. This is a great way to help your child expand their vocabulary and build language skills, like listening and speaking.
The Best Montessori Toys & Materials | 16-19 Months
So, when you’re shopping for toys for your 16-19 month old, look for materials that check off these boxes…
- Simple and classic – no batteries required
- Mix of open-ended toys (like play scarves or blocks) and close-ended toys (like puzzles)
- Made with natural materials, like wood or cloth
- Developmentally-appropriate – these toys should help your little one practice age-appropriate skills, like sensory exploration, fine and gross motor skills, hand-eye coordination, and more
Here are a few of the best toys for toddlers 16-19 months old…
Hint: When choosing toys for your 16-19 month old, 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 the 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 playkits 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 | 16-19 Months
So, whether you’re making dinner, watering your plants, or tidying up around the house, look for little ways to involve your toddler. (Want some help getting started? Join the free 5 Day Practical Life Challenge to learn more!)
Here are some practical life activities to try at home with your 16-19 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 off
- Practice putting jacket on
- 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 clean socks
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 fruit 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
Start small + keep it simple
So, start by determining the single easiest thing you can do NOW to move forward, and then go from there…
- Can you involve your toddler in a simple practical life activity – like helping mix the salad for dinner or wiping up a milk spill?
- Can you comb through a few of your little one’s toys – and set aside a few excess toys to donate?
- Can you find a simple way to make your home more accessible for your child – like hanging up a low command hook for your child’s jacket or investing in a kitchen helper tower for your little one?
- Can you practice parenting the Montessori way – being patient with yourself as you work toward raising your toddler with respect, curiosity, and trust?
You got this!
♥ Meg
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