The Pikler pedagogy, like the Montessori method, encourages the growth of children by focusing on their natural curiosity and their own developmental capacities. Emmi Pikler, the pediatrician who created this system, believed that young children achieve their full developmental potential given plenty of space, freedom of movement, and comfortable clothing.
This ramp was developed by Pikler and is one of the components of her furniture design. Made of solid birch wood and finished with non-toxic water-based varnish, WoodandHearts’s Montessori Ramps can be easily stored and take up minimal space.
Thanks to these ramps, children learn to feel comfortable at a small height, orient themselves in a slightly elevated space, and develop their spatial awareness. With the help of such a ramp, the vestibular apparatus, muscles, and movement coordination are trained. During play, creative thinking and imagination will be involved.
What are Montessori Ramps like?
On the WoodandHearts webpage, you can choose from three sizes of climbing ramps: standard, small, and mini. The small and mini sizes are designed for children aged 8 months to 4 years. We do not recommend using them with older children, because the ramps would be too small for them, and no object in a Montessori environment should be so small that it limits a child's movements. The standard size ramps are longer and are designed for children from 2 to 8 years, who are bigger and more active. For safety, we advise parents to supervise children playing with these structures at all times.
The colors of the ramps are different so that you can choose a fitting color scheme for any bedroom design. WoodandHearts offers various soft and subtle colors as well as a bright and vivid rainbow set; we also have a natural wood appearance option.
How can the Montessori Ramps can be used?
The ramp can be used by itself as a climbing tool or together with any of the climbing furniture we manufacture. The double-sided ramp can be flipped on its smooth side to be used as a slide in conjunction with a Montessori triangle. Its opposite side has footholds that can be used for climbing. A tip for the little ones is to use it barefoot so that they have a good grip with their feet — socks usually slip and make the task difficult, and shoes, although flexible, are not as flexible as bare feet.