• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
Happy Homeschool Adventures
  • Elementary
  • Preschool
  • Kitchen
  • Nature
menu icon
go to homepage
  • Elementary
  • Preschool
  • Kitchen
  • Nature
  • Connect

    • Email
    • Pinterest
    • Twitter
  • subscribe
    search icon
    Homepage link
    • Elementary
    • Preschool
    • Kitchen
    • Nature
  • Connect

    • Email
    • Pinterest
    • Twitter
  • ×

    Home » Preschool

    Practical Life: Care of Self and the Montessori Bathroom

    26 shares
    • Facebook
    • Twitter
    Montessori Child Washing Hands Using Sink Adapter

    "Everything you do for me, you take away from me."

    - Maria Montessori

    With all the activity and excitement surrounding the holiday season, it's been nice for us to take a step back this month and enjoy the slow, meaningful play that is essential to the Montessori learning environment. 

    Since we're focusing in on Practical Life this month, I thought I'd share a preschooler's child-friendly wash area in a Montessori bathroom.

    Supporting independence in Practical Life activities, such as dressing, washing, and grooming, is a very important step in a child's overall education.

    Contents hide
    1 The Prepared Environment
    2 The Montessori Bathroom Sink Area
    3 Additional Montessori Bathroom Essentials
    4 Tips for Any Montessori Bathroom Space
    5 In Summary
    6 More on the Prepared Environment
    7 PIN FOR LATER

    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.

    The Prepared Environment

    The prepared environment is something that we focus on a lot as parents and educators.  We try to ensure that we are providing suitable surroundings for our children to learn and grow in independence, in accordance with their constantly evolving developmental needs and interests.

    Child Washing Hands in Montessori Bathroom

    The Montessori Bathroom Sink Area

    Some Montessori learning environments designate separate spaces as wash areas for their preschoolers, while others focus on making child-friendly adaptations to what is already existing.  We found it preferable to adapt what was already a pretty open and accessible space for our almost three-year-old who likes to work with water.

    Stepstool in sink area

    Our daughter is just tall enough to reach the light switches now as she enter the bathroom, so we keep this awesome Little Partners step stool at the sink for her to use as needed.  It is adjustable, attractive, durable, sturdy, and holds up to 250 lbs. so it can be used around the home by vertically challenged adults, like me, as well.  It is also the only stool I found during my comparison shopping that has a lip on three sides.  This is helpful for when our daughter is really focused on her work at the sink and not so much where her feet are on the stool. 

    Little Partners is a great company for step stools, easels, and learning towers.  We have all three and they provide, in my opinion, the highest quality products on the market.

    Child Washing at Sink

    Our daughter is able to reach and operate the sink's faucet independently using a faucet extender that is BPA, PVC, and phthalate free.  She really likes animals so the duck handle entices her to use the faucet independently.  We also provide hand towels and soap on bamboo trays since they are second nature to Montessori kids.

    Additional Montessori Bathroom Essentials

    A few additional items around our bathroom that our daughter uses and that make this space friendly to self-sufficient preschoolers:  low-hanging hooks for bath towel/robe, Babybjorn potty chair, a few books, child's wooden brush, and non-skid mats for getting in and out of the tub independently.

    Tips for Any Montessori Bathroom Space

    Of course, each home or learning environment has its own unique arrangement. Also, each preschooler is on their own journey at their own pace. You may find you need more or less of these types of adaptations for your preschooler.  We have found that making just these few adjustments is really not that complicated and it makes a world of difference for our preschooler in her journey towards independence and confidence in Practical Life skills.  

    Taking stock of what you already have around your home is the most cost-effective and eco-friendly way to get started. We have found that many changes we made around our home didn't require spending money. However, it may require some creativity.

    In Summary

    We hope this is helpful to those of you who may be making some changes in order to create a prepared environment for your preschooler. These types of adaptations can make all the difference in setting your little ones up for success with self-care activities. We hope you all are enjoying some Practical Life work this month as well.

    More on the Prepared Environment

    • Toilet Awareness: Using Montessori Philosophy to Create a Potty Learning Routine
    • Practical Life: Care of the Environment
    • Montessori Homeschool Space for FOUR Kids 5 & Under
    • Montessori Art and Handwriting Space

    Thanks for stopping by!

    - Kristin

    PIN FOR LATER

    Want to create a Montessori bathroom space suitable for your toddler or preschooler to use independently? This will set them up for success. #MontessoriPracticalLife #MontessoriBathroom #montessori #homeschool

    More Preschool & Kindergarten

    • Montessori preschool and kindergarten literacy shelves in a homeschool room
      Preschool & Kindergarten Homeschool Room
    • Montessori Geometric Solids on a Mat
      How To Use The Montessori Geometric Solids
    • kids working with art materials at a large table. There is an art cabinet next to the table and pictures hanging on a nearby window.
      Home Art Studio Setup for Kids
    • Montessori Math Concrete to Abstract using the Montessori Stamp Game
      Montessori Math: Concrete to Abstract

    Reader Interactions

    Leave a Reply Cancel reply

    Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

    Recipe Rating




    Primary Sidebar

    Our Land Acknowledgement

    We reside on the ancestral lands of the Kalapuya and Luckiamute Tribes as well as the Confederated Tribes of Grand Ronde and the Confederated Tribes of the Siletz Indians.  The land was ceded in the Ratified Indian Treaty #282 on January 22, 1855.  The languages of the Indigenous peoples of this area are Kalapuya and Chinuk Wawa.


    montessori mom and two children

    About Kristin

    Hello! I'm a Montessori homeschooler of 4 living in the beautiful Pacific Northwest. We're nature lovers and environmental minimalists sharing our experience in guiding our little ones from the back of the boat.

    Learn more about me →


    Free Montessori Courses

    optin for preschool and kindergarten homeschool course

    Pre-K & Kindergarten Homeschooling


    optin for Great Lessons series

    Elementary Great Lessons Series


    Visit Our Shop!

    sample of HHA storefront on Bookshop

    HHA on Bookshop.org

    Footer

    About

    • Privacy Policy
    • Disclosure

    Newsletter

    • Join Us! for emails and updates

    Copyright © 2023 · Happy Homeschool Adventures

    26 shares