*Disclaimer: This post may contain affiliate links At the beginning of our Montessori journey, I did what most people would do nowadays – I hopped online and sifted through all the pages Google found for “Montessori parenting philosophy pedagogy baby child upbringing.” As you can imagine, there is a lot of content out there now! I remember feeling a bit paralyzed by this paradox of choice; nonetheless, I kept clicking link after link. I recall that one of the first blogs I encountered was MOMtessori Life, which is run by AMS-certified-Montessori-teacher-turned-Stay-At-Home-Mom Angela Chang. I ..read more

*Disclaimer: This post may contain affiliate links DIY Dancer Mobile Hi! As you may have seen via my introductions on Instagram, Facebook and/or our email newsletter, I’m Lee Ann – the new lady behind Plenty of Trays! I’m here to serve you up my inaugural blog post – and I’m super excited! Today I would like to share with you a quick and easy DIY tutorial on how to make a Montessori Dancer Mobile. Whether you’re new to Montessori or a veteran pro, you have likely heard about the Montessori visual mobile series for young infants. This dancer mobile is the final one in that series. Like the oth ..read more

*Disclaimer: This post may contain affiliate links DIY Montessori Golden Beads Mat Phew! It’s been a loooong time since my last blog post. Let’s see if I still remember how to do this! I’m sharing with you how I made a quick and inexpensive Montessori golden beads addition/subtraction mat. I also use this mat with the stamp game but it’s not traditionally used this way because all the colors might become overwhelming to the child. It’s not a necessary material by any means but it really appeals to a child’s sense of order. It also helps to keep the beads organized and from rolling around. You ..read more

*Disclosure: this post may contain affiliate links. DIY Montessori Activity Gym I’m really excited about this post because the world of Montessori baby is really new to me. When I first learned about the Montessori Method I was pregnant with my third child but I was too busy setting things up for my 2 older children to think about the baby. When I was pregnant with my 4th, I decided that I really wanted to go Montessori style from day 1 with him. The first 2 things that I discovered were topponcinos and mobiles. I bought a topponcino and then when I received 2 mobiles from Sarah at The Prepar ..read more

*Disclosure: This post may contain affiliate links. Easy Peasy Montessori Sandpaper Numbers Alright, here’s what you need to know: I call them numbers, they also go by the name: sandpaper numerals. They come after your child has learned the number rods. They are super easy to make. I also use them as my cards with counters, which is why I made a ’10’ card. The counters only come later though. The ‘0’ card is presented after the spindle boxes. (Which is also easy to DIY!) Traditionally, these cards are made from wood and are green but I like to use what I have and not get too stuck on certain ..read more

*Disclosure: This post may contain affiliate links. It’s a Montessori Christmas Whether you like it or not, Christmas is coming. This past October (2019), I did a minimalist challenge to declutter the house, so the thought of acquiring new things just isn’t really appealing to me. I truly believe that having less means more; more joy, more peace, more time. So what I would really love to give my kids is just a big ol’ hug for Christmas but I don’t think they’d really like that! Since I can’t really avoid buying gifts, what I love doing is supporting other small businesses by buying from them ..read more

*Disclaimer: This post may contain affiliate links. Montessori Fabric Box If you are a looking for an easy sensorial tray, STOP! because you have now found it. I am almost hesitating to make a DIY tutorial for this fabric box because of it’s simplicity but it must be done! Simple does not mean less important or not worth doing. It means another great on your shelf sooner! This sensorial work is great way to encourage your child to ‘look’ with their hands. My boys especially love ‘looking’ at things with their hands and tongues! Make sure to start with a few very different types of fabric then ..read more

*Disclosure: This post may contain affiliate links. Montessori Gift Ideas for my 6 Year Old My son is turning 6 in September. Wait, what? My son is turning 6 in September. I’m not sure how that happened but it did and it’s time to celebrate! One of the top myths about Montessori is that it’s only for rich people. Yes, sending your child to a Montessori school is typically more expensive but applying the Montessori principles in your home or using the Montessori Method to homeschool your children doesn’t have to cost you an arm and a leg. Thankfully. I buy most of the things we use second-hand ..read more

*Disclosure: This post may contain affiliate links. 1, 2, skip a few, 100 Please tell me you used to do this as a child too! It was supposed to be a funny joke when someone asked if you could count to 100 and you really couldn’t.. Anyways! I have finally done it! I have finally finished this DIY hundred board. It seriously took me over 4 months to make it… wow… Honestly, looking back, unless you want to just make one with paper and cardboard, I would just buy this one. You can find some very inexpensive ones online. I’ll link to some at the bottom of this post in the Buy It Instead section. K ..read more

*Disclosure: this post may contain affiliate links. Flower (arranging) Power Heads up: this is not your typical flower arranging. This is flower arranging on the cheap and with a bit more creativity. For those of you who don’t know what the typical flower arranging tray looks like or for those who want to do that, here’s a link to a very complete tray. It’s very similar to this one but you would use real flowers. You would show your child how to cut the stems, place the flowers, and add water. I would love to be able to have fresh flowers in my home all the time, but that’s not in the budget ..read more