Montessori your play space in 5 easy steps!
A Montessori inspired play area encourages children to use their imagination through active play with open-ended toys. And if you love the modern minimalist aesthetic, the theory behind concentration on one toy or object at a time can really help declutter and organize your space. This email contains 5 easy steps toward decluttering your play space for a bright, minimalist modern aesthetic.
Step 1:
Remove Passive Toys
It can be hard for you, let alone your kiddos to part with any beloved toys. But focus on removing passive toys (usually the plastic ones with flashing lights and sounds) because they encourage toddlers to sit back and watch.
In step 3, we'll replace these with engaging active toys that will inspire imaginative and interactive play.
Step 2:
Choose A Color Palette
Most playrooms use a brightly colored rainbow palette which is super fun and upbeat. If you want something slightly more sophisticated, try a refined palette of just a few soft pastel colors. Cool colors (like blues and purples) will have a calming effect. Warm colors (likes oranges and yellows) will have an energizing effect. Stay away from really bright saturated colors as they can tend to be overwhelming and overstimulating.
Check out my Pinterest Playroom board for more color palette inspiration!
Step 3:
Refresh Toys
Now that you have a color scheme in mind, it's time to refresh those toys. Tip: Using a neutral backdrop (like grey walls and white shelves) allows you to swap out the color palette as your kiddos get older so you're not stuck with the same theme forever.
The toys (and wall art) are going to bring color and vibrancy to the space. If you already have wooden toys and you're up for a DIY challenge, you can repaint them! Otherwise, I recommend checking out these shops:
Bannor Toys makes everything from blocks to teether toys to rattles and they're all heirloom quality. Plus they make gorgeous muted tones!
Pottery Barn Kids sells the bunny set featured above and I can personally say that the whack-a-ball makes my 5 month old giggle everytime!
Grimms has the classic bright colored rainbow stacker and a monochrome collection.
Etsy has A TON of handmade wooden rainbow stackers, cameras, and object toys and you'll be supporting a small shop!
Melissa & Doug has an amazing XL wooden toy train that brings a nice pop of light blue to your space.
Step 4:
Organize and Display Toys
Now it's time to artfully display each toy on the shelf. Beware of overcrowding! Remember, we want toddlers to focus and explore one object/toy at a time, so consider displaying one toy per shelf. Now of course, you're going to have more toys than shelves, so I recommend grouping toys and storing them in tasteful bins and/or drawers.
Some of my favorite toy shelves:
This Aspect Modular set from Crate & Barrel is bomb! You can rearrange and repurpose as your child gets older.
The Cameron Storage set from Pottery Barn gives you even more options for hiding and displaying books and toys.
The IKEA Kallax is pretty standard if you don't want to get too pricey, but in my opinion, it's a bit overdone. I'd opt for something with a bit more visual interest.
Step 5:
Accessorize (minimally!)
To pull the space together, we need more than just the focal point of the book/toy shelf (although that's a great start!). Based on your color palette, choose a few key accents that will bring the space together. I recommend one or two from the following categories.
Accessories:
Accent Piece: An accent furniture piece like a pouf or a chair in one of the colors from your room. For example, I love the mint pouf from Crate & Barrel.
Wall Art: Playroom wall art or posters will tie all of the colors together! You can find great prints in a variety of color schemes on Etsy -- and I'd be happy to make you something custom from my shop's Toddler Art section.
A Rug: If you have a small play space or it's adjacent to another room (like a dining room) a colorful rug can help define the space's boundaries and bring an instant pop of color and fun.
Tips & Tricks
Get started without buying anything new!
Hide the ugly: If you have a toy your toddler absolutely loves, don't feel bad about not keeping it on the shelf. Make it a hide-and-seek game for special occasions.
Organize books by color: This is a super easy trick to instantly tame the chaos. Pick the books with binding that matches you color palette and arrange lightest to darkest. Hide the rest and you'll have instant cohesion!
Add a blanket: After so recently being in newborn land, you're sure to have an extra blanket around in your theme color. Use it as a throw over a chair, folded in a lower shelf or hanging just over the edge of a bin to bring a pop of color to the space.
There you have it! For more great Montessori Playroom Inspiration, follow me on at pinterest.com/goodnightfox