Ultimate Ikea shopping list for your Montessori needs

What to buy that is Montessori Friendly at Ikea?

In my Facebook group, not a week goes by without a post about Montessori-friendly items at Ikea.

Ikea is sure family-friendly. It is also budget-friendly and most of the furniture is made of natural material and often untreated wood.

Their design is very child friendly and I suspect that they must have a Montessori teacher in their design team!

It would definitely be my dream job if I was not a Montessori teacher.

From the children’s furniture to the baskets and trays and all the child-sized tools for practical life, Ikea is one of the best places to shop for your Montessori home.

So follow me in Ikea and watch what I have picked out for you.

Also, download The Ultimate Ikea Shopping List for your Montessori needs by subscribing to my newsletter with the link below.

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Child-sized tables 0:25

Shelves 1:03

Flexible storage units 2:15

Highchairs 3:55

Clothes storage units 5:47

Floor bed 4:36

Kitchen accessories 6:26

Trays and Baskets 7:58

Mirrors 8:38

Reading corner 9:18

Art area 10:11

Toys 14:00

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My favourites:


Shelving units:

Tables:

You will need a child’s table for snack time, to use it as a weaning table or for crafts.

  • The last set is cheap and therefore, you will not feel guilty to trim it to size and to buy it again a year later – https://bit.ly/2J1QMy5
  • For a better quality table, choose this one – https://bit.ly/2JJlQ7h
  • And the assorted chairs – https://bit.ly/2Mcckx9
  • We like the Flisat table with two Trofast trays to store Legos and play dough accessories. Many families have hacked this table into a light table. I don’t use the assorted stool as I prefer my children to have a chair with a backrest – https://bit.ly/2qymbkt

Other great furniture:

  • Child’s armchair. A small warning: it doesn’t wash that well! – https://bit.ly/2PREqzX
  • A rocking chair for children – https://bit.ly/2Phgnuo
  • A very luxurious armchair for children – https://bit.ly/2PemjVl
  • A practical footstool. We use it to store my daughter’s knitting projects and our remote controls. It is useful as an extra seat and a footstool but also the perfect storage space for dressing up accessories, soft toys, balls or building sets – https://bit.ly/2F7KgZv
  • This rattan pouffe has been featured in many Montessori houses as the perfect support for babies who want to push themselves up – https://bit.ly/2qxMyqN

Toys storage:

You may want to use a proper toy storage.

In the kitchen

Eating:

Preparing food

Trays, baskets and mats

Stools to promote independence

Care of the environment

In the bathroom

Dressing up skills

Book display

Art area

Sleeping

  • Choose a cotbed that you can open to one side
    https://bit.ly/2QrcnnG
  • Foam mattress for cot. We have also used a cot mattress for the movement area when our children were babies
    https://bit.ly/2LJCmYA
  • The Kura bed can be used for a floor bed too https://bit.ly/2zYojb2. Leave the mattress within the frame on the floor to have an protection on all sides.
    This toddler bed is perfect for when your child is more independent. If you don’t add the legs, you can also use it as a floor bed https://bit.ly/2DugVa0
  • LED night light – safe as you don’t need a plug and your child can turn it on and off himself
    https://bit.ly/2OwKatR

Specifically for babies

  • If you are not against it, a real sheepskin
    https://bit.ly/2vYK4qV
  • And a fake sheepskin – https://bit.ly/2yX3605
  • A baby gym. You can remove the toys, have only one at a time or replace with a more Montessori friendly toy. It is also sturdy enough for when your baby wants to stand up and hold onto something – https://bit.ly/2qzSHTy
  • A stacking toys. It is supposed to represent a lighthouse but to make it more logical for a baby, I remove the two top pieces. https://bit.ly/2PeFG0v

Learning materials and toys

Decoration

Realistic prints:

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About the Author Carine Robin

Carine Robin has a Master’s Degree in Psychology, specialising in child psychology. She worked for various social services in her home country of Belgium, before moving to Ireland in 2006. It was there that she started working in a nursery and discovered Montessori education. After having her first child, her passion for the philosophy grew and she qualified as a Montessori teacher and managed a preschool. Carine has been running a Montessori based parents and toddler group and coaching families for 9 years. She now also runs an online group for over 14000 parents, sharing her knowledge and passion with people from around the world. In 2018, Carine realised families needed more support and launched her popular online parenting courses and monthly subscription boxes, full of personally designed Montessori materials.

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