How to Make a Montessori Toy Shelf

When children are given the opportunity to choose their activity, they feel empowered and gain more confidence in their skills. The materials in a Montessori toy shelf aid this type of independent learning. A Montessori shelf is perfect for any home because it’s easy to make and can be customized with your child’s favorite toys or activities. 

What is a Montessori toy shelf? A Montessori toy shelf is a place for your child to play with their favorite toys and games. Having one in your home is important because it teaches your child a new way of organizing their toys, which helps them learn more about the world around them and how it works.

This article will show you how to create one yourself step-by-step, so keep reading.

Materials

Step 1: Lightly Mark Where You’ll Drill the Three Holes on the 5′ Board

To begin, you’ll need to locate the centre of your board. Use a tape measure to find the exact width of your board, and then use a pencil to mark that measurement at 2 1/2 inches in from each edge on both sides of your board (4 marks total).

Using an awl or nail set (you can also use a hammer if you don’t have one), make small indentations in the wood at these points, so you know where to drill holes later on. These indentations should be about ¼-inch deep.

Step 2: Drill the Three Holes

You can use a drilling gun to poke holes in the marked parts on the board. Ensure that the holes are equal and have the exact number of shapes to help when you will be fixing them together.

when using a drilling gun, be sure to stay safe and ensure that you where the necessary safety googles to prevent sharp objects from entering your eyes.

Step 3: Remove the 5′ Board You Just Drilled and Run a Line of Wood Glue on the Top Edge of Your Side Piece

After drilling a hole into the 5′ board, remove it from your workbench and set it aside for later.

Run a line of wood glue along the top edge of one of your side pieces. The wood glue is meant to stick the boards together in place.

Step 5: Fill the Holes With Wood Filler and Let Dry

You can use a putty knife to fill these holes and, ensure that the wood filler gets into them when it’s dry, sand down any edges or uneven patches.

 Step 6: Sand Edges as Needed

Sand the edges, if needed. Suppose you used wood filler to fill gaps and holes and sand smooth to ensure a clean finish. 

Use a sanding block for flat surfaces and a hand sander for curved areas. Don’t forget to wear safety goggles.

Use fine-grit sandpaper for large surfaces and medium-grit (150) for smaller ones. Coarse grit can be used as well, but it’s not necessary unless there are still visible imperfections after using the finer grades of sandpaper. 

If that’s the case, feel free to use it. Just make sure you don’t go too rough since your shelf may not need it.

Benefits of a Toy Montessori Shelf

The most important benefit of a toy Montessori shelf is that it can help children learn to clean up after themselves. 

If you put the toys on the shelf, the child knows where to find them and will be more likely to put them back when they’re done playing with them. 

This is especially helpful if you have multiple children who are all learning how to put away their toys independently. 

A toy Montessori shelf also saves space by keeping toys off the floor or other places where they might get lost or damaged by sharp objects like scissors or pencils. 

Finally, a toy Montessori shelf helps children learn organization skills by making it easy for them to find what they’re looking for at any time.

Toys to Keep on the Montessori Toy Shelf

When picking toys for your child’s Montessori toy shelf, you can’t go wrong with Montessori-approved toys. 

These are the kinds of toys that help your child develop fine motor skills, hand-eye coordination, and cognitive skills while playing. They’re also safe, durable, and colorful.

Tinkertoys 

This classic activity is an excellent way for children to learn about shapes and colors as they build towers or other creations.

Shape Sorter 

This toy helps kids learn how to sort objects by shape or color skill they’ll need later on in life when they’re doing their taxes!

Wooden Blocks 

Kids love stacking things up. Blocks introduce concepts like gravity (how high will the tower go?), balance (which block should go next?), and symmetry (can I make this side match?).

Montessori baby

Kids love baby toys, especially girls, this is a must-toy to have on the top shelf if you have a daughter because this is how they start knowing how to care for fellow human beings and friends.

You can also include a friendly teddy bear to add to her collection of baby toys so that they have a variety to choose from.

Summary

You may have discovered that the realm of Montessori materials doesn’t have too many options when it comes to crafts. It’s a pretty traditional approach, and shelves are no exception. If you want some new shelf ideas on the cutting edge of crafting, try combining well-established techniques with materials you can find in any hardware store. You might be pleasantly surprised at how easy it is to create beautiful and functional shelves.

FAQs

What makes a Montessori shelf? A shelf should be able to give the children access to whatever they need by being low enough to their reach to be considered a Montessori.

Can a child have too many books? Children should have enough books that they can manage and benefit from. Once you have books all over, chances are the kids will use them and throw them anywhere once they are done.