December 11, 2019
Preparing Your Environment for Independence with Washi Tape
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Montessori Home,
Let's talk about my new favorite hack for preparing our home environment for independence! Washi tape! A simple little roll of paper tape is helping to give my children more independence than ever before by providing a visual clue of what my children can and cannot use within the environment. This has been especially important in our multi-children, non-readers environment.
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Basically, what I'm doing is labeling items with the washi tape! In our house, Gus is fox and Nora is flamingos (Henry has globes but as a reader he doesn't really need a visual clue.) I place the washi tape on something that they need help remember which is theres. This way they can use the item without needing to ask which is theres or even with any adult led direction. I use this tape specifically because it comes in a variety of patterns and it comes off surfaces cleanly.
So, a couple examples. One, Gus and Nora have very different hair types so use different hair products. By labeling small pumps with their washi tape, they know exactly who can use what in the shower and undertake the process more independently. Another example is their chapstick. A simple label helps them remember which tube is theirs and avoids sharing during cold and flu season!
The possibilities for labeling things are pretty endless, but could include:
The possibilities for labeling things are pretty endless, but could include:
- different types of craft materials that a child might have access too
- certain tools (like kitchen knives) that only one child might be able to use
- identical cups/water bottles/anything where germs could be shared
- lotions/medicine
Have you used this trick? What sorts of uses have you come up with?
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