I feel like Teddy was just born yesterday and I was just sharing our playroom space with his movement area. The movement area is a prepared space for Montessori babies. But, in reality, Teddy is a busy 13-month-old now. He doesn't need or want a small prepared space, or cozy corner. His needs have changed and with it so has his play space.
To responding to his changing needs, I switched up our entire playroom recently. Instead of a small defined area meant to help keep him safe, my changes prioritized his need for more movement, materials, and practical life work.
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Movement
As he started to walk, I knew that he would need more room to move. I arranged the space to maximize open areas. He needs room to run, to roam, to push, to spin, to throw, and to climb. While the movement area allowed for a lot of baby movement, Teddy is ready to take those skills to the next level and put them to use throughout the entire house!
Making sure his play space is open was my biggest priority. I essentially flipped the shelves in the space to create a smaller space for Gus (almost 4) in the corner where the movement area once was. The rest of the playroom is now open and flexible for Teddy. I can add bigger gross motor toys, like our Pikler Triangle, or floor cushion for extra movement opportunities.
Materials
While I expect that movement will be really really important for Teddy, his materials will still be an important part of his day. These include the Montessori friendly toys he is using on a daily basis. I removed the baby shelf, and gave Teddy one of our larger shelves to work with in our playroom. This gives him plenty of space for a few fun materials.
I still keep the limited materials organized, and make sure they are meeting his interests and needs. I rotate based on any observations I make about what he might be interested in right now.
Practical Life
I kept our practical life shelf in the room unchanged. This is still the main way that Gus and Teddy will access practical cleaning materials. At this point, Teddy is still just pulling stuff off the shelf or exploring sensorially. But, I expect over the next couple of months his interest in practical life work to become much more purposeful! I wanted the space to be ready, and for Gus to still have this important access.
Have you had to say goodbye to your baby movement area as your baby transitioned into toddlerhood?
