“An ideal Montessori environment looks and feels like a combination of a home, a library, a science laboratory, and an art studio.”
– Letty Rising
Recently, I shared a look at our homeschool space for our four kids and as promised, I’d like to share an updated look at our Art and Handwriting space as well.
I’ve been thinking a lot the last few weeks about the quote listed above. We are in a bit of a transition right now as we plan and prepare for our oldest to start Lower Elementary in the fall. We’re currently adding a few things here and there but this post will still serve as a great snapshot of our Montessori space and materials for the primary years (3 – 6).
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.
Our Current Montessori Art and Handwriting Space
Our kids are doing most of their Art and Handwriting work in the living area right now but we have some additional Art supplies including an easel, sandpaper letters, and a variety of paper in the homeschool space I shared previously.
If you’ve been with us awhile, you’ll notice we have a larger work table now and that’s a recent addition. Not only were we outgrowing the previous table as our youngest daughter participates more, but our oldest daughter is engaging in some bigger project-type work that requires considerably more time and space than in previous years. This table is beautiful, it will grow with our children, and we’re loving it already. I found out about this gem and the sweet discount that came with it at The Kavanaugh Report’s Elementary Must-Haves.
Our last look at our Montessori Art and Handwriting Space (here) was when our kids were 4 and 2.5. We’re still using the same Ikea Alex Drawer Unit to house our materials. If it ain’t broke… It’s really durable and our kids grab the individual trays they want or push the entire cabinet around to wherever they’re working. When they’re done they can push it back to the nook where it lives.
Our kids use their Art and Handwriting materials every single day. Here’s a look at what’s inside now:
Drawer 1
- Washi tape, separated by pattern
- Safety Scissors
- Stabilo Paintbrushes
- Stockmar Watercolor Paints
- Lyra Waldorf and Skin Tone Colored Pencils
- Stabilo 3-in-1 Crayons
I would highly recommend all of these items for multi-age environments. They’re all perfect for small hands and the paints, pencils, and 3-in-1 crayons last a long time. No broken crayons or pencils, peeled crayon paper mess, or lost crayons. The washi tape is great for decorating everything and they also use it to hang their completed work.
I keep a replacement pack of the pencils and replace the colors as they’re used up. Also, I keep a few duplicate colors of the crayons in the tray and an extra tray in the drawer in case anyone wants to work separately. When using the Stockmar watercolors, I don’t provide a separate paint set for each child. Our kids each pick a few colors and they share the palette they’ve created. That works well for us.
Drawer 2
- Watercolor paper
- Variety of construction paper
- Different Differenter (affiliate)
- Feelings and Dealings: Color My Emotions
- Little Engineer Construction Trucks Coloring Book
We rotate these out based on the season and their interests. Different Differenter is brand new and part of our Anti-Bias Multicultural Education Curriculum resources. If you’re not familiar with it and would like to learn more about Anti-Bias Education, this course by ABAR teacher-educator Britt Hawthorne is a great place to start.
Drawer 3
- Metal Insets
Our oldest two love taking these all out, lining them up on top of the drawer unit and making unique designs using a combination of the insets and frames. Very cool!
Drawer 4
- Inset Holder
- Inset Paper
- Additional Pencil Holder
- Spare Tray for Completed or In-Progress Work
Drawer 5
- Eraser
- Chalk
- Lined Chalkboard
- Bead Stamps
Still keeping the stamp pad for the bead stamps separate now that our youngest daughter is using some of the drawers in this unit.
Drawer 6
We have three boards altogether now and we like having them for art projects and to protect the surfaces in our home.
On the Shelf
- Draw.Write.Now. Handwriting Course for Kids
- Kids Handwriting Story Notebook
Draw.Write.Now. is a great way for our oldest 2 kids to extend their continent studies and art experiences at the same time. They love these books and they love having their own uniquely designed story notebook with a compatible layout for Art followed by Handwriting. We keep these items on a shelf near their work table and out of reach of our 1 y.o. daughter. Draw.Write.Now. is Charlotte Mason inspired but the self-correcting content makes them a great choice for us as well. These, along with our Waseca Reading Program Blacklines that correlate with our kids progression through the reading program, comprise our handwriting resources.
Some Additional Info
We did try out a couple of other options last year, but there was not a persistent interest in the Learning Without Tears or The Good and the Beautiful Level K so we did not continue. Special thanks to Christie from One Blessed Mess for The Good & The Beautiful Handwriting Book. She’s a sweet homeschooling mom of five little ones and I won the book in one of her giveaways last year.
We did not try Waseca’s Language Works but I think we’re going to stick with what we’re using for now as it seems to be a good fit for our family.
Our kids also really enjoy using their books as inspiration for their artwork. If you’re interested in what they’re currently enjoying, here they are:
For more of our Art selections, check out our shop’s Art list.
So that’s about it. Our journaling supplies are the same from our last post as well as the materials we rotate. Our kids have been using the Spielgaben and Nature Inspiration Cards a lot lately for creating. Artwork tends to accumulate on top of the unit, inside the unit, and around our home so I usually do a weekly collection and sort of what’s not already hanging.
If you’re looking to create a simple and functional Montessori Art and Handwriting space for your little ones, we hope we have provided some inspiration and useful tips.
Plan Your Minimal Montessori Space
- Montessori Minimalist Homeschool Planning: A How-To Guide
- Montessori Homeschool Space for FOUR Kids 5 & Under
More Montessori Art
Thanks for stopping by!
- Kristin
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