Notes on craft, pedagogy & play
Essays and guides on Montessori philosophy, classroom design, and the craft behind our materials.
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Presents for one, two and three year olds: one thing instead of ten
At one they climb and put things in, at two they want to do what we do, at three they want a place of their own. Wooden presents by age, what the makers say about them, how to agree with the family and what to prepare before the present goes under the tree.
Faborino Editorial21 October 20265 min read
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Home Setup
Indoor climbing frames: triangle, frame, cube or wall bars
A climbing frame with more than ten shapes, a cube with a tunnel, wall bars and the mat that goes underneath. How they differ, from when the makers recommend them and which rules from the instructions apply at home.
21 October 20265 min read
Home Setup
The Pikler triangle: as high as they can climb on their own
When it is dark at five and the playground is soaked, climbing moves into the living room. A Pikler triangle gives a child a place where they may climb as high as they get on their own. Who Emmi Pikler was, when to offer a triangle, five things to look at when choosing and the makers' own rules.
20 October 20267 min read
Home Setup
The learning tower: a child at the worktop, not under it
A kitchen is built for adults, and from a two year old's height the worktop is just an edge above their head. A learning tower lifts them to the height we work at. When to offer one, five things to look at when choosing, the makers' own rules and the first jobs at the worktop.
19 October 20266 min read
Home Setup
September mornings are not won at twenty to eight
Nursery starts in the first week of September, and those first mornings are decided by what is ready at home, not by how willing the child is to co-operate. Most morning battles are a problem of height, of order, or of a skill nobody has shown slowly. Four small changes that fit into a week.
20 August 20266 min read
Materials
The Pink Tower: Why Almost Every Montessori Classroom Starts Here
The Pink Tower is one of the best-known Montessori materials and often misunderstood. Discover what it really teaches, how to present it correctly, and why precision matters more than colour.
15 April 202610 min read
Home Setup
Montessori Toys by Age: What a Child Can Do from Birth to Six
Maria Montessori observed that children pass through specific 'sensitive periods': windows when learning a particular skill happens almost effortlessly. This guide maps every stage from birth to age six to the materials that meet each window and warns you about the 'Montessori toys' that miss the point entirely.
15 April 202614 min read
Pedagogy
Montessori Materials: How to Tell the Real Thing from an Imitation
Not all 'Montessori toys' are created equal. Learn what distinguishes authentic Montessori materials from mass-produced alternatives, and discover the five curriculum areas every prepared environment needs.
15 March 20266 min read
Materials
Golden Bead Material: How Montessori Children Actually Understand Math
Most adults learned math abstractly first: memorising tables before understanding what the numbers meant. The Golden Bead Material reverses that. Discover how Maria Montessori built the decimal system from objects a child can touch, weigh, and exchange.
15 February 202612 min read
Home Setup
Montessori at Home: A Practical Setup Guide for Real Families
A practical, parent-first guide to setting up a Montessori home: from the prepared environment principles to the shelf, the bedroom, the kitchen, and the first materials worth buying. Three starter packages so any family can start.
15 January 202610 min read