Let’s talk now about the physical aspect of the work child environment. I don’t know if you already have one at home, but it’s important that the child can have a ‘work’ space, I say ‘work’ here because it’s not just about playing with toys, of course he can also do that in this same environment but he can also work through activities on his concentration for example or his motor skills, the goal is that he can learn in his dedicated space where he can be autonomous.
So I don’t know if you’ve ever seen a Montessori class? But this is how it looks like:
What you have to remember is :
• ORDER: each activity is on a tray that the child can carry to the table or on a carpet. Each activity has a dedicated place so the child knows where to find it and where to put it back, each activity is the subject of a presentation by the adult.
• CLEAN: as seen in the photo nothing is hung on the wall so as not to distract the child and so that the environment always seems clear to him/her and soothes his/her interior.
• LEVEL: at the height of the child, the shelves are at the height of the child so that he can be independent in his environment.
So just keep in mind that the environment must be tidy and organized, adapted to the size of the child and his strength, so that he can access his activities independently without the intervention of the adult. The order gives the possibility to the child to choose because he knows how to find his way between the proposed activities. Free access to materials and activities strengthens their ability to choose according to their current needs; he no longer chooses « randomly », he can make a deliberate choice which responds to his inner need.
No BIG budget needed, no need for a big space, a small shelf is enough, a table adapted to the size of the child so that he can work on his activities. And you can create your own activities to put on trays based on your children’s interests and ages.
Try to change your activity trays regularly to attract the child’s attention and best meet their needs.
Always encourage your child to put away their activity.
Hope it helps you to understand what you need to support your little one ;-).