Montessori Homeschool Room Tour

"The prepared environment is key to allow your child to fulfill his full potential. It is up to the child to make choices and he will develop through his own interactions with his environment. But it's up to the adult to prepare the home, the classroom, and the activities. We will provide opportunities to the child. So we need to carefully observe in order to offer what is needed. The child is active and the adult is the observer but the adult must also be active in her spiritual preparation and in the way she cares for the environment."

- Carine Robin, The Montessori Family

Welcome to the Montessori Homeschool Room Tour! When I was a passionate new homeschooler, I spent a lot of time researching homeschool rooms and materials. They're always so beautiful and full of inspiration.

Now that we're further along in our homeschool journey, I'd like to take this opportunity to share our homeschooling room with you. More details about these items and what we're using them for can also be found in our curriculum resources.

Jump to:

• How to Homeschool Elementary
• Montessori Homeschool Room Tour
• Homemade Frosted Animal Crackers
• Conclusion for Montessori Homeschool Room Tour
• Montessori Homeschool Room Tour

Disclosure of Material Connection: Some of the links in the post are “affiliate links.” This means if you click on the link and purchase the item, I will receive an affiliate commission. Amazon links are not affiliate links. You can read my full affiliate disclosure.

Free Montessori Great Lessons Series

Do you want assistance with planning your year? We've put together a FREE series on the Great Lessons for elementary and family-style learning that will take the overwhelm out of the beginning of your school year and keep you moving with ease all the way to spring.

Explore the Montessori Great Lessons, the introduction to the Cosmic Curriculum, traditionally given to Elementary students near the beginning of the school year. This free 5-part weekly email series will help you tell the story of how our universe began all the way to the origins of language and numbers.

Montessori's Five Great Lessons provide children with a contextual understanding of who they are, where they come from, and their unique purpose or cosmic task. Sounds like a big undertaking, right? Well, it doesn't have to be.

Learn more about this elementary homeschool course.

Montessori Homeschool Room Tour

This homeschool room contains materials and lessons perfect for toddler, preschool/kindergarten, and elementary age ranges. It's a Montessori prepared environment for our four kids and we hope you find some inspiration from it as well.

Links are provided for items pictured and there's a handy printable list at the bottom of the post for your convenience. There are so many times I could've used that option when I was doing my own homeschool planning and research. I hope you find it useful.

Many of these materials are also mentioned in more detail throughout our blog posts and on our social media accounts so feel free to explore those places for more details as well.

Toddler Shelves

• Color Sorting Rainbow
• Montessori Spindle Boxes
• Magnetic Fishing Game {Similar}
• Pikler Triangle and 2 Ramps (middle of the room)

Our 1.5 y.o. son is really into gross motor activities right now and our almost 3 y.o. daughter is beginning more intentional lessons on some other shelves as well. Therefore, we keep a minimal selection of works on the toddler shelves right now. The color sorting rainbow is a favorite for all ages. Both the rainbow and the bag that holds the pom poms are great for practicing fine motor skills and developing the pincer grasp.

Montessori Number Rods and Spielgaben

• Montessori Number Rods
• Spielgaben

We usually informally introduce the Montessori number rods around age 2 for learning math concepts such as one-to-one correspondence. They continue to provide meaningful experiences throughout the preschool years.

Spielgaben is great for all ages. The balls in drawer 1 are even suitable for exploration with infants. As you can see, there are different playsets in each drawer and they're great for open-ended building, or for use with the included curriculum resources.

Sensorial and Geography Materials

• Brown Stairs
• Grapat Weekly Calendar
• Grapat Perpetual Calendar with Peg Dolls
• Pink Tower
• Knobless Cylinders (4 boxes total)
• Geometric Solids with 3-Part Cards and Sorting Extension
• Waseca Biomes Land Air Water Mat Bundle
• Mirus Toys Moon Phases Puzzle- Moon Calendar with 3-Part Cards (included)
• Constructive Triangles (5 boxes total)
• Mirus Toys Compass Rose Puzzle
• Geometric Cabinet with Control Chart, 3-Part Cards, and Form Cards (included)
• Waseca Biomes Landform Mat
• Mirus Toys Layers of the Earth Puzzle with Booklet, Diagram, and 3-Part Cards (included)
• Mirus Toys Layers of the Atmosphere Puzzle with Control Chart
• Waseca Biomes Continent Globe
• Waseca Biomes Biosphere Nesting Box
• Sandpaper Landform Cards (behind Biosphere Boxes)
• Treasures From Jennifer Montessori Continent Boxes

Save $15 on your first Waseca Biomes purchase here.

These shelves are perfect for kids around ages 2.5 and up. Depending on the contents of the continent boxes, younger children may enjoy them as well.

A lot of the items on these shelves are discussed further in our first, second, and fourth great lessons.

The Waseca Biomes Cabinet of the Continents is a color-coded cabinet that holds three-part cards for the biomes of every continent. Kids can explore geography topics using this cabinet as well as the Biomes of the World Mat hanging on the wall.

The cabinet has adjustable trays to accommodate primary and elementary cards.

Right now, these beautiful continent boxes contain schleich animals, printables, and postcards. When our youngest gets a bit older, we have a few other items we will add to them.

Homeschool Room Math Materials

• Clipboards and 4-Digit Equations printable (Save 16% off your first purchase from Montessorikiwi here)
• Golden Bead Materials and Numeral Cards
• Subtraction Strip Board, Box of Equations, and Subtraction Facts printable
• Subtraction Snake Game
• Division Bead Board
• Addition Snake Game
• Addition Strip Board, Box of Equations, and Addition Facts printable
• Multiplication Bead Board, Box of Equations, and Multiplication Facts printable
• Mirus Toys Multiplication Tables Petals
• Multiplication Snake Game
• Roman Numerals Time printables
• Mirus Toys Montessori Learning Clock
• Mirus Toys Montessori Geometry Board - Polygon Geoboard
• Montessori Large Bead Frame
• Treasures From Jennifer Multiplication Ring
• Mirus Toys Fraction Manipulation Board with Subtraction of Fractions Tickets (Save 16% off your first purchase from Montessorikiwi here)
• Mirus Toys Treasure Map (comes with Compass Rose Puzzle)

We do a fair amount of rotating on these shelves since they're being used for both primary and elementary math.

• March Madness Math Printable Pack with the Waseca Biomes Animals of the World Measuring Tape

Save $15 on your first Waseca Biomes purchase here.

• Montessori Teaching Clock

The order of materials for the math shelves is related to shelf configuration and size of the materials, not always necessarily the order of introduction.

Montessori Outlet and Alison's are the Montessori distributors I've purchased from most often over the years, especially for math materials.

You can see more of these materials in our fifth great lesson.

Montessori Fraction Materials

• Elementary Fraction Cabinet
• Montessori Fraction Materials

There are a lot of elementary geometry lessons to go with this beautiful fraction cabinet. As a result, we're collecting the fraction materials as we go and it's a lot of fun to learn the Montessori approach to geometry using these awesome fraction insets. We're using both wooden and metal insets and we use the free Cultivating Dharma geometry album (in our curriculum resources) for lessons specific to these materials.

Free Congruent, Similar, & Equivalent 5-Part Cards & Symbols

Grab your free 5-part cards and symbols for exploring congruent, similar, and equivalent figures. This printable activity was inspired by and can be used in conjunction with the free Montessori geometry album we use.

After giving the lesson on congruent, similar, and equivalent figures, kids can work with the 5-part cards as they cement their understanding. The associated symbol cards can be used in practice. The symbol card with text will be most helpful as children are learning the vocabulary. Afterward, they can progress to the cards without the text.

This free printable works well square insets, fraction circles, constructive triangles, or any other materials you use to demonstrate the concepts.

The March Madness Math Printable Pack is another resource we like for practice with fractions.

Montessori Bead Chains and Sumblox

• Skip Counting printable
• Colored Bead Squares
• Colored Bead Chains
• Thousand Bead Chain and Bead Chain Mat
• Sumblox

We are loving these right now. Our 4 y.o. especially loves the colored bead chains. He likes to make his own labels while skip counting, whereas our oldest likes to use the skip counting printable and the colored bead squares in her work.

The sumblox are fun for everyone. They're self-correcting and we can all build a mean tower - even our 1 y.o. gets into it. If your kids are practicing least common multiples or skip counting, the multiplication lessons work well to reinforce that content.

The thousand bead chain is a must-have for those of you not wanting to purchase an entire bead cabinet. You can see more of how we use the thousand bead chain and bead chain mat in our third great lesson.

• Montessori Bead Cabinet

If you're homeschooling elementary or plan to continue after kindergarten, the Montessori bead cabinet is a worthwhile investment. The bead cabinet is useful for primary and elementary learners.

Montessori Language and Science Area

• Waseca Biomes Reading Program
• Waseca Biomes Parts of the Biome Readers

Save $15 on your first Waseca Biomes purchase here.

Most of our Language materials come from Waseca Biomes and we're VERY happy with them. Our kids read in preschool and the Waseca Reading Program and supporting readers have been an invaluable resource to their individual journeys.

Waseca Biomes use the Orton-Gillingham approach to teaching literacy. It's hands-on, lots of fun, and empowers the child to be in charge of their own lessons and progress. It's also a powerful tool that can help you identify language difficulties that may arise while learning how to read.

We love that their materials integrate several subjects, including Geography and Science, so we're taking full advantage of our learning opportunities.

If you're wondering how our kids reach the top shelf, I have a Rogue plyo box in here that they push up to the shelf as needed. It's also great for working out. 🙂

Language Shelves

• Waseca Biomes South America Parts of the Biome Cards
• Waseca Biomes Biomes of the Continent Boxes
• Small Movable Alphabets (Red and Black) and Wooden Storage Box
• Waseca Biomes Cursive Boards
• Treasures From Jennifer Letter Tracing Board
• Sandpaper Uppercase Letters and Blends
• Large Movable Alphabet with Box

Save $15 on your first Waseca Biomes purchase here.

The Parts of the Biome Cards are the primary set and are perfect three-part cards for the preschool/kindergarten crowd. We've been learning about South America and it's easy to rotate the biomes of the continent boxes as you travel to new continents.

Our oldest is using the small movable alphabets for word study lessons and the cursive boards for handwriting practice. She really likes the stories that accompany the cursive boards.

We keep our upper case sandpaper letters and blends as well as the large movable alphabet on the bottom shelf and they're used by both our 4 y.o. and our 6 y.o. We use the same shop for all of our sandpaper letters and we find that they're much lighter and easier for kids to work with than other brands.

Additional literacy activities that align with Montessori and the Science of Reading include the Tap it - Map it - Zap it board (Orthographic Mapping) and the Phoneme Awareness Board (Fluency Board).

The poetry exercises are phenomenal! There are 14 different sets to work with so there are a large variety of topics you can cover depending on your child's interest.

The dinosaurs set pairs well with Montessori's second great lesson and the timeline of life. It also provides the perfect opening for teaching about pteranodons and other pterosaurs and whether or not they're actually dinosaurs at all.

The pyramids poetry set would tie in perfectly with the third great lesson for elementary as you explore ancient civilizations.

Homeschool Room Science Shelves

• Fossilicious Clock of Eras Three-Part Cards
• Mirus Toys Clock of Eras Puzzle with Control Chart (included)
• Mirus Toys Life Cycle Board with Butterfly Life Cycle Coins (1 set included with board)
• Mirus Toys Layers of the Rainforest Puzzle with Control Chart (included)
• Parts of the Redwood Three-Part Cards and Booklet printable (FREE)
• Mirus Toys Parts of a Tree Trunk/Dendrochronology Puzzle with Control Chart
• Mirus Toys Periodic Table Booklet
• Mirus Toys Periodic Table Puzzle with Tiles, Control Chart, & Companion Guide (included)

All of these materials are part of our current earth science and geography studies. The puzzles come with labels (in the bags) and control charts.

The periodic table puzzle has been coming in handy all year as we cover various topics that relate to chemistry. We love that our 4 y.o. and 6 y.o. can both enjoy working with the puzzle.

Our kids work with Mirus Toys materials for every subject area and they are just as beautiful as they are enjoyable to work with.

We also use the Waseca Biomes Tree of Life Bundle for exploring the kingdoms and animal classification. Save $15 on your first Waseca Biomes purchase here.

Geography, Grammar, and Math Mats

• South America Biome Mat Cards (comes with the continent biome mat)
• Waseca Biomes Continent Biome Mats (sold individually or as a set)
• Waseca Biomes Cosmic Story Mat
• Waseca Biomes Rock Cycle Mat
• Waseca Biomes Seasons Mat
• Waseca Biomes Water Cycle Mat
• Montessori Flannel Checkerboard Mat
• Plain Work Rugs {Similar}

Save $15 on your first Waseca Biomes purchase here.

All of these mats, with the exception of the seasons mat and the work rugs, were added for elementary. If you're a subscriber, you'll be seeing more of them as well.

We've shared more of how we use the Cosmic Story Mat in the first great lesson.

The continent biome mats are absolutely stunning and great materials for teaching geography specific to each continent. There are several presentations and activities for each mat to keep kids interested. We've had several Waseca Biomes mats for years and they're very durable in addition to being beautiful learning materials.

The Montessori flannel checkerboard mat is also lovely and very well made. It looks like it will last for years to come, just like the Waseca Biomes mats.

Grammar Materials

• Waseca Biomes Grammar Cabinet and Grammar Box Cards
• 3-D Grammar Symbols
• Waseca Biomes Grammar Symbols
• Waseca Biomes Grammar Stencil (kept in art and handwriting space)
• Detective Adjective Game (top drawer)

Save $15 on your first Waseca Biomes purchase here.

We use the Waseca Biomes Grammar Cabinet and grammar materials in addition to the free Cultivating Dharma albums for our elementary grammar lessons. In addition, we keep other language, handwriting, and grammar materials in our art space.

We remove the small extra article and the adverb from the 3-d symbols for our youngest, just as we do for the pink tower. If small pieces aren't out on display and within his reach, they're less enticing to him. The bottom drawer and wooden bin are empty.

You may notice in your own experiences that elementary learners like repetition through variety. Having printables, such as this March Madness Language Printable Pack, is a great way to keep things interesting.

Sprout Petra Pebble Table and Montessori Bead Cabinet

This pebble table is the perfect workspace for elementary kids and the beautiful blue crackle vase adds a nice art and sensory element.

Homeschool Room Art Nook and Storage Area

• Little Partners Easel
• Board Books
• More Sandpaper Letters
• Printer
• Storage for printables and completed work

Continent Stencils and Work Trays for the Mats

• Waseca Biomes Celebration Sun and Labels for use with the Seasons Mat
• Waseca Biomes Continent Stencils (sold individually or as a set)
• We Are Water Protectors
• Work Trays for Land Air Water Mat and Landform Mat
• Bilingual Spanish-English Nature Cards
• Work Trays for Water Cycle Mat and Rock Cycle Mat

Save $15 on your first Waseca Biomes purchase here.

Most materials in this area were added for the elementary years. You can catch more about them in our second great lesson and winter bucket list.

Our kids are also currently working on a timeline of life that we'll display on the wall above the shelf when it's complete.

Three-Part Cards, Continent Puzzles, & Continent Readers

• Animal Classification Cards (FREE)
• Montessori Zoology and Botany Puzzles and Cabinets
• Waseca Biomes Intro to the Biomes Three-Part Cards and Three-Part Card Tray Cabinet (also sold individually)
• Waseca Biomes Biome Stamps
• Map Legend Stamp
• Waseca Biomes Biome Puzzles (sold by individual continent or as a set)
• Waseca Biomes Continent Readers (sold individually or as a set)

Save $15 on your first Waseca Biomes purchase here.

We use the animal classification cards and puzzles for primary and elementary biology lessons.

The rest of the items are all excellent language, geography, and science materials by Waseca Biomes for preschool and up. All of the materials are gorgeous and the stamps are a lot of fun for stamping your passport as you travel the world.

Earth Science Theme Materials, Curriculum Resources, and Books

• Elementary Curriculum Resources
• Books about Homeschool Topics
• Mirus Toys Taxonomy Puzzle
• Sewing/Handwork Materials
• Sandpaper Numbers and Lowercase Letters
• Family and Kids Cooking Resources: Different Food Cultures

This built-in hutch makes a great homeschool area for our earth science theme materials and my books for homeschooling. We like to spread the love when it comes to creating opportunities for learning so this location works great for extending the fun to other areas of our home. Our kids are never too far from something that inspires curiosity or creativity.

• Mirus Toys Carbon Cycle Puzzle
• Mineral ID Kit - Streak Plate, Glass Plate, Magnet, Nail, Copper Square, & more
• Fossilicious Rock and Mineral Collection with Complete Curriculum (Igneous pictured)
• Fossilicious Paleontology for Kids Books and Fossil Set
• Schleich Prehistoric Animals Collection (Spinosaurus and Mosasaurus pictured)
• Creative Beast Studio Beasts of the Mesozoic Collection

The taxonomy puzzle and carbon cycle puzzle are beautiful pieces of art in addition to learning materials. The taxonomy puzzle is useful for many of our biology and history works, and the carbon cycle puzzle is also part of our Earth Day activities.

The rock and mineral collection is much larger than what you see pictured. We are currently studying igneous rocks and that is what is on display in the above images.

The Paleontology for Kids Book and Fossil Set by Fossilicious is very cool.

Word to the Wise: If you have a prehistoric animal tooth in your fossil set, you'll want to have the animal it belongs to or your kids will let you know you have work to do. I was quick enough to grab one up before we introduced this fossil set, and you better believe it was the first thing they wondered when they opened it.

"Does Schleich make a mosasaurus?" Well, yes. Yes, they do.

If you really want to up your prehistoric animal game, Creative Beast Studio's Beasts of the Mesozoic has incredible prehistoric animal action figures. The Diabloceratops eatoni and Baby Diabloceratops pictured above are from the Ceratopsian series and they're awesome to play with, not to mention gorgeous.

The points of articulation on each animal allow them to be poseable and much more life-like than their competitors. These action figures also come with cool collectible cards and stunning package art.

Trilobite from the 8-book Extinct series explores trilobites and the End Permian mass extinction further.

Collect all 8 books to learn all about the major mass extinctions.

Conclusion for Montessori Homeschool Room Tour

We hope you enjoyed our Montessori homeschool room tour. As you can see, you definitely don't need a homeschool room to home-educate a child. In fact, we like to create a few learning opportunities throughout our home. However, having a homeschool room is a convenient way to curate and arrange materials for your kids.

Several materials are stored away for rotation or if our child is working on different skills at the time. All in all, you're seeing most of our total homeschool inventory as it relates to hands-on materials. Most of the items not visible are math materials on rotation or printables, or practical life items specific to certain areas such as the kitchen.

If you're planning or organizing your homeschool space, we hope you found this useful. You can grab a printable list below for added convenience.