View source for Category:Make your own

Ideas and resources for the "do-it-yourself" montessorian. Many activity and resource pages contain a "make your own" section.

Montessori has a long tradition of self-made materials - it is known that Dr. Montessori made some of the earliest ones, while others were created under her guidance by parents of children in Casa dei Bambini - a most excellent way for parents and other adults to be involved with the education of children. 

However, the  earliest preserved [http://blog.parents-choice.org/2012/08/a-guide-to-momas-century-of-the-child-exhibition-for-families/ Montessori items on display for the Century of the Child exhibit at MOMA New York],  were listed as having been "commissioned by Maria Montessori. 1920s" ... "Manufactured by Baroni e Marangon, Gonzaga, Italy", which leads to the conclusion that the commercial manufacture of Montessori items got established very early on. 

Interestingly, it is possible that the cleavage between more "traditional", recognized, capital-M schools and more innovative and generic ones also includes the strict reliance on "approved", commercial items for the former, and tolerance, or even outright preference for home-made ones in the later.

Whether non-traditional items have or not a place in the M/montessori school is likely an endless and fruitless debate. Also, home-made does not necessarily mean innovative, as "classic" resources can be made by anyone - this being one major "plus" of the Montessori method, however interpreted - all original patents are lapsed, and Dr. Montessori's designs are now public domain, as well as the generic term "montessori".