Maria Montessori was the first to modify kindergarten classroom furniture by changing the traditional large and heavy desks for furniture adapted to suit the strength and height of younger children.
Before, schoolteachers were irritated at the sound of scraping chairs when preschoolers were dismissed, so chairs were hooked to desks to prevent the chair from ever being dragged away. This severely restricted the students’ movement, and seeing this, Maria pushed for classroom reform. She replaced these rigid chair-desk structures with lighter furniture that preschoolers could independently carry. This made the students feel comfortable and and responsible as they picked up their chairs and cleaned up when class was over.
María Montessori revolutionized the classrooms in many other significant ways. She did small things such as setting up low, accessible shelves containing school supplies, and introducing new activities during school such as sweeping, cleaning, and other chores. These changes made the students feel responsible and independent. These slight details subconsciously boosted the morale and confidence of the students and positively influenced their personal qualitites. WoodandHearts furniture is also made with the goal to provide children with a sense of freedom and responsibility.
What materials are used to produce Montessori furniture?
An essential idea of Montessori furniture is environmental friendliness, since there is nothing more harmonious and aesthetically pleasing than nature. In a Montessori environment, furniture is made of wood, curtains are made of cotton or linen, and carpets are made of natural fabrics. WoodandHearts is committed to producing the furniture component of this environment,
WoodandHearts has all of its production operations based in Ukraine. We use natural high-quality birchwood and cover our wooden products with a non-toxic lacquer that does not cause skin irritation and respiratory issues. For our colorful products, we use a safe, water-based paint that also poses no danger to a child who would try to bite the paint.
What are the ideal colors for Montessori furniture?
Psychologists say that color has a considerable effect on a person's emotional state. This fact is especially important to remember in relation to children, since they are more sensitive than adults and are more affected by external stimuli. Therefore, the color of a child’s room and furniture should be selected with consideration.
Some of our furniture is painted in soft, pleasant colors: white, gray, or pastel colors; other sets come in brighter rainbow colors. There are many color variations to choose from on the WoodandHearts web page.