I gave my kid access to the refrigerator. The bottom row belongs to my Toddler. The problem is with running water, Initially I planned to buy ikea play kitchen. As kids outgrow play kitchen soon, I don't want to waste my money, so i ask my kid to pull a chair or a step stool to reach the faucet. Now I m planning to buy a soap dispenser with sponge for cleaning the utensils n a small soap dispenser for washing hands/face.
Having a refrigerator the kids can reach is always so helpful! I agree, the ikea kitchen is only for a small stage, my oldest is already starting to outgrow it. Glad you found a solution that works well for your home!
We got ours used, I wonder if ours might not work correctly, even on that setting it doesn’t really suck anything up. I do see that it has suction, but ours isn’t strong enough to really vacuum. Would be awesome if it did though!
The set came together beautifully. Would you be able to tell me if there is a varnish on the wooden frame of the fridge? I'm currently working on a similar project for my 3 little girls.
I loved this in depth look at your new kitchen! How are your fruits holding up in the cabinet? Do you only put that day's fruits there too? I put ours in a little drawer but I find they ripen too quickly there. Especially the bananas-they often don't even make it until that afternoon's snack 😭
Thank you! They are not holding up well lol. The bananas are back in a bowl on the counter. Snacks are a constant struggle and I'm still working through what works best for us.
Thanks for the detailed video. Did you set up spaces as your kids grew interested in the kitchen or did creating those spaces cause your kids to be interested? The reason why I'm asking: our 2 year old is a very independent toddler and loves to help wherever she can but has zero interest in joining me in the kitchen. All the kitchen is for her, is frustration (she is very impatient about food, even if she just had a big meal). So it really would be interesting for me to hear how you first got your kids involved. Another question would be regarding the water source. We never had a functional kitchen but the handwashing station (I believe it's from dream on me) and all that caused was lots of splashing all over the place. So I'm reluctant to try again (she always has access to one bathroom sink with a step stool though - at least there any flooding is easy to take care of). Any tips on how to get a child to be careful with water in these situations (I think she thinks it's all like water play 🤷♀️ )? Last question would be trash - do you have a problem with all kinds of things ending up in the trash? Our daughter understands the concept of what is trash but secretly will throw her toys and other things - we had this issue of her throwing away her toys for over a year, so it doesn't seem to be just a phase. Thank you
Hi! Thanks for the comment! Yes, this have changed a lot since my kids were younger. My oldest son didn’t have much interest in the kitchen either, not until he was closer to 3. Follow your child! Don’t feel like your kids have to be doing a certain thing in the kitchen, do what is best for you and your child! As for water, yes, there was a time when my kids just splashed when they saw water. We didn’t have the functional kitchen at the time, but I’d often find my oldest son turning on the sink water to play. That let me know that he wanted more water play. So I set up water play for him almost daily! I explained water play is ok in one are, but the other area was for hand washing (or teeth brushing, etc). I think setting clear boundaries and sticking to them is key. It’s ok to remove the child if they aren’t using the space appropriately. But observing their needs and following the child to provide another option for them to fulfill that need to splash/ play in the water! For the trash, we haven’t run into that, but I’d just follow what I said above. Clear boundaries. It’s ok to remove it for a while if you need to. And set up a bin where they can put items. You could even put it in the trash and show them trash goes in the trash can and other items can go in the bin. Maybe make a game to practice what items go in which bin! I try to think of ways to make learning fun and find ways I can say “yes” because toddlers hear “no” so often during the day. Hope this helps! Sounds like you are doing an amazing job and are very caring!
@@TaraWilloughby Thank you very much. It's really great to read this answer and see that others are facing similar challenges. It's my favorite thing about Montessori - to follow the child. Her love for water play is also what keeps us from progressing with potty learning - she has zero problems with having a pee accident and just loves to say "oh no wet" 😆 so we definitely need to work on when wet is fun and when we don't want to be wet 😉 I'll try setting up a "trash game" - great idea,, sounds like fun 😁 thanks for the ideas.
Montessori is all about freedom within limits. Set the limits that work for your life, and give freedom where you can. It will look different for every family!
Question 😅 what are the things called your boys were standing in in the begging of your video so they were able to reach the counter and not be able to fall out. I’ve been looking for something like this for my daughter but I have no clue what it’s called
Hello! I have a 33-month-old son and a functional Ikea kitchen, but how can I stop him from playing and taking the kitchen more seriously? He only wants to play with the water
In a Montessori toddler classroom, the shelves and environment are set up for the child to access and explore. While they are given lessons, children are free to explore and play freely. In general, the rule is if they aren’t hurting themselves or others, the adult simply sits back and observes. It sounds like your child has an interest to explore water! If you aren’t comfortable with them exploring water play with their functional kitchen, I would remove the functional kitchen and offer water play in a way you are comfortable with. Children are meant to explore their environment. This is how they figure out how the world works and create new neural paths in their brains! My son spent lots of time exploring how the water worked in the functional kitchen when he was first introduced. Eventually it was no longer new and he began to use it more as a sink than for water play.
This paint was the grey chalk paint from Annie Sloan. It just happened to match perfectly! It’s been about a year and held up great! I sealed it with their wax.
Hi! Love your kitchen set up for the kids. I have been trying to find the cabinet you have from Hearth and Hand, but can’t seem to find it anywhere. Could you leave a link for us and anyone else wanting to find it? I would really appreciate it!!
Hi! It looks like it is sold out, but here is the link if it comes back in stock. www.target.com/p/toy-refrigerator-hearth-hand-8482-with-magnolia/-/A-53642287
I’ve seen people add brackets to the pump and screw it down. Check out @mariaandmontessori. I believe she did this to hers. I’m not sure how old your daughter is, but many children will want to explore the space before using it properly. I allow some time for the this, and continue to model how it is used. Eventually they will get bored and the newness of exploring will wear off and they will begin to use the functions!
introduction is painfully long.... information could've been filmed in 3 minutes and/or more filming the items while youre talking and not just your face talking. Thank you and hope this comment helps.
I’m so excited to finally be sharing this series with you guys! Let me know what other spaces you are looking forward to seeing!
I’ve been doing this for years, it’s so nice to see it has grown into a community❤️. Great tips
That is so great that you’ve been doing this with your kids! I’m happy to see more people finding ways to give their kids independence in their home!
I’m so excited for this series! I have a 4 and 1 year old and I’m trying to make our home more Montessori.
Thank you for your support! I'm excited too!
I gave my kid access to the refrigerator. The bottom row belongs to my Toddler. The problem is with running water, Initially I planned to buy ikea play kitchen. As kids outgrow play kitchen soon, I don't want to waste my money, so i ask my kid to pull a chair or a step stool to reach the faucet.
Now I m planning to buy a soap dispenser with sponge for cleaning the utensils n a small soap dispenser for washing hands/face.
Having a refrigerator the kids can reach is always so helpful! I agree, the ikea kitchen is only for a small stage, my oldest is already starting to outgrow it. Glad you found a solution that works well for your home!
The dyson can really suck dirt. There is another switch by the lower back. The dirt goes to the dispenser at the bottom.
We got ours used, I wonder if ours might not work correctly, even on that setting it doesn’t really suck anything up. I do see that it has suction, but ours isn’t strong enough to really vacuum. Would be awesome if it did though!
The set came together beautifully. Would you be able to tell me if there is a varnish on the wooden frame of the fridge? I'm currently working on a similar project for my 3 little girls.
I didn’t add a varnish, but I can’t tell if there is a varnish on it as is. It doesn’t get wet, so it’s held up pretty well!
I loved this in depth look at your new kitchen! How are your fruits holding up in the cabinet? Do you only put that day's fruits there too? I put ours in a little drawer but I find they ripen too quickly there. Especially the bananas-they often don't even make it until that afternoon's snack 😭
Thank you! They are not holding up well lol. The bananas are back in a bowl on the counter. Snacks are a constant struggle and I'm still working through what works best for us.
I love it! Great setup! That water pump is genius. Can you add a tube connection? That way you won't have to refill it over and over.
Thank you! I think it’s definitely a possibility! The location we have ours in doesn’t allow for that, but it would be a great idea!
Thanks for the detailed video.
Did you set up spaces as your kids grew interested in the kitchen or did creating those spaces cause your kids to be interested?
The reason why I'm asking: our 2 year old is a very independent toddler and loves to help wherever she can but has zero interest in joining me in the kitchen. All the kitchen is for her, is frustration (she is very impatient about food, even if she just had a big meal). So it really would be interesting for me to hear how you first got your kids involved.
Another question would be regarding the water source. We never had a functional kitchen but the handwashing station (I believe it's from dream on me) and all that caused was lots of splashing all over the place. So I'm reluctant to try again (she always has access to one bathroom sink with a step stool though - at least there any flooding is easy to take care of). Any tips on how to get a child to be careful with water in these situations (I think she thinks it's all like water play 🤷♀️ )?
Last question would be trash - do you have a problem with all kinds of things ending up in the trash? Our daughter understands the concept of what is trash but secretly will throw her toys and other things - we had this issue of her throwing away her toys for over a year, so it doesn't seem to be just a phase.
Thank you
Hi! Thanks for the comment! Yes, this have changed a lot since my kids were younger. My oldest son didn’t have much interest in the kitchen either, not until he was closer to 3. Follow your child! Don’t feel like your kids have to be doing a certain thing in the kitchen, do what is best for you and your child!
As for water, yes, there was a time when my kids just splashed when they saw water. We didn’t have the functional kitchen at the time, but I’d often find my oldest son turning on the sink water to play. That let me know that he wanted more water play. So I set up water play for him almost daily! I explained water play is ok in one are, but the other area was for hand washing (or teeth brushing, etc). I think setting clear boundaries and sticking to them is key. It’s ok to remove the child if they aren’t using the space appropriately. But observing their needs and following the child to provide another option for them to fulfill that need to splash/ play in the water!
For the trash, we haven’t run into that, but I’d just follow what I said above. Clear boundaries. It’s ok to remove it for a while if you need to. And set up a bin where they can put items. You could even put it in the trash and show them trash goes in the trash can and other items can go in the bin. Maybe make a game to practice what items go in which bin! I try to think of ways to make learning fun and find ways I can say “yes” because toddlers hear “no” so often during the day.
Hope this helps! Sounds like you are doing an amazing job and are very caring!
@@TaraWilloughby Thank you very much. It's really great to read this answer and see that others are facing similar challenges.
It's my favorite thing about Montessori - to follow the child. Her love for water play is also what keeps us from progressing with potty learning - she has zero problems with having a pee accident and just loves to say "oh no wet" 😆 so we definitely need to work on when wet is fun and when we don't want to be wet 😉
I'll try setting up a "trash game" - great idea,, sounds like fun 😁 thanks for the ideas.
The only thing you have to get is the milk for them and then clean up all the mess being independent at that age makes. Which to me equals more work.
Montessori is all about freedom within limits. Set the limits that work for your life, and give freedom where you can. It will look different for every family!
Question 😅 what are the things called your boys were standing in in the begging of your video so they were able to reach the counter and not be able to fall out. I’ve been looking for something like this for my daughter but I have no clue what it’s called
It’s called a learning tower! I have a video on my channel talking about them and reviewing which one is best for your family :)
What about the skincare fridge for your boys?
It ended up breaking and I decided not to replace it.
Hi thank for detailing this. Looking forward to setting this up. I didn't see the hearth and hand link for the cabinet could you please include that?
I found it no worries 👍
I believe it is discontinued :(. But I have seen it on second hand websites!
Hello! I have a 33-month-old son and a functional Ikea kitchen, but how can I stop him from playing and taking the kitchen more seriously? He only wants to play with the water
In a Montessori toddler classroom, the shelves and environment are set up for the child to access and explore. While they are given lessons, children are free to explore and play freely. In general, the rule is if they aren’t hurting themselves or others, the adult simply sits back and observes. It sounds like your child has an interest to explore water! If you aren’t comfortable with them exploring water play with their functional kitchen, I would remove the functional kitchen and offer water play in a way you are comfortable with. Children are meant to explore their environment. This is how they figure out how the world works and create new neural paths in their brains! My son spent lots of time exploring how the water worked in the functional kitchen when he was first introduced. Eventually it was no longer new and he began to use it more as a sink than for water play.
LOVE!!!
Where did you get the cabinet beside the play kitchen? Cute idea!!
It is from Hearth and Hand from Target, but unfortunately they discontinued making it :(
Love the dish drainer ,where can I buy oNE !?
I just added it to my Amazon storefront under "Kitchen" a.co/5PYF1wl
Thank you !
Hi! How did you go about matching paint to the Hearth and Hand fridge? Was painting the IKEA play kitchen difficult? Did it hold up? Thanks!
This paint was the grey chalk paint from Annie Sloan. It just happened to match perfectly! It’s been about a year and held up great! I sealed it with their wax.
Can you please send a link to the cabinet. I heard you said you got it at Target but I cant find it and I need one🥺
Hey! Its the Hearth and Hand play refrigerator. Unfortunately they discontinued it, so I can't link it :(.
@@TaraWilloughbyI even looked at facebook marketplace I so love your set up.
❤!!!! Amazing
How did you paint the ikea kitchen to match hearth and hand cabinet - what type of paint?
It is the Annie Sloan chalk paint in Paris Grey! It just happened to match perfectly :)
Hi! Where can I get one of those jugs for the milk?
They have them on the Montessori Services website: www.montessoriservices.com/glass-pitcher-with-lid
I can’t find the cabinet are you able to link it for me please
It is discontinued :(. It was by the brand Hearth and Hand at target.
What size is the ikea bin you put in the hole on the kitchen!
It is the smallest TROFAST storage bin. 11x7x4
Hi! Love your kitchen set up for the kids. I have been trying to find the cabinet you have from Hearth and Hand, but can’t seem to find it anywhere. Could you leave a link for us and anyone else wanting to find it? I would really appreciate it!!
Hi! It looks like it is sold out, but here is the link if it comes back in stock. www.target.com/p/toy-refrigerator-hearth-hand-8482-with-magnolia/-/A-53642287
my daughter keeps pulling the water pump out. Any tips anyone?
I’ve seen people add brackets to the pump and screw it down. Check out @mariaandmontessori. I believe she did this to hers. I’m not sure how old your daughter is, but many children will want to explore the space before using it properly. I allow some time for the this, and continue to model how it is used. Eventually they will get bored and the newness of exploring will wear off and they will begin to use the functions!
Great ideas. How old are your boys now? Looking forward to this series.
Thank you! They are 2 & 4 :)
I really don't have the room for all of this
You don’t need any of it! All the “stuff” is just extra! Use what you have!
introduction is painfully long.... information could've been filmed in 3 minutes and/or more filming the items while youre talking and not just your face talking. Thank you and hope this comment helps.
Thanks for the heads up