So I heard about the Montessori Mirror on Instagram, learned all about it, and YES it’s a real thing! Here’s what you need to know + where to buy.
A tool to boost baby’s self-recognition and individuality — that encourages self-exploration, spatial awareness, and body movement too — that’s the MONTESSORI MIRROR!
“Help me do it by myself.”
A quote by Maria Montessori. Help children learn to build skills themselves.
In the Montessori philosophy, there are no limits to independent exploration and movement. Our children will be very independent and learn quickly, if we rely on the accompaniment, and leave them the space of freedom they need to engage with practical life.
Put baby beside the Montessori Mirror on the floor, and let baby independently explore.
How to use it? Where to buy it? We’ll cover everything you need to know — to adapt your Montessori Mirror to the different stages of growth from baby to toddler and beyond.
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Best Montessori Mirrors You Can Buy (Natural Materials + Perfect Size)
For busy parents, busy babies, and busy toddlers alike — it’s round the clock — ya hear?! Here is a 10-second quick guide to the top 6 Montessori mirrors that you can buy for babies and children. OK!
- (01) ECR4Kids Double-Sided Shatterproof Wooden Floor Mirror for Babies
- (02) Leea Toys Large Montessori Mirror & Built-In Pull-Up Bar
- (03) Childcraft Large Acrylic Montessori Mirror (Bi-Directional)
- (04) Jonti-Craft Wooden Montessori Mirror & Pull-Up Bar
- (05) Bush Acres Wooden Montessori Mirror, Shelf & Coat Hanger
- (06) Honorable Mention: Woodjoy Collection Wood-Framed Wall Mirror
(01) ECR4Kids Double-Sided Shatterproof Wooden Floor Mirror for Babies
This mirror is an option if you want an evolutionary complement to the baby. It allows its placement horizontally while they are small, and then reverses to a vertical position when they acquire more autonomy, which brings a lot of versatility and different resources for use.
The mirrors that come with legs and not with anchors, bring an additional advantage and is that you can move them more easily and adapt them to different spaces.
If you are a consumer of products made with respectful materials for both children and the environment, this Montessori mirror would be a great choice.
(02) Leea Toys Large Montessori Mirror & Built-In Pull-Up Bar
This mirror has a great peculiarity: it has a built-in wooden bar that can be placed at 4 heights with a screwed support. It allows babies to encourage the movement of standing up and leaning on the bar while observing their own reflection and the effort they make. It can be placed both horizontally and vertically screwed to the wall and the bar will allow to work the grip with the hands or propel with the feet.
A good choice to combine exploratory self-recognition and physical motor skills developmentally.
(03) Childcraft Large Acrylic Montessori Mirror (Bi-Directional)
This acrylic mirror with maple wood coating is large in size and can be placed both horizontally and vertically with anchoring legs that bring incorporated. It has “GreenGuard” gold certification eco-sustainable and unbreakable material guarantee to provide maximum safety for babies.
The mirrors that come with legs and not with anchors, bring an additional advantage and is that you can move them more easily and adapt them to different spaces.
(04) Jonti-Craft Wooden Montessori Mirror & Pull-Up Bar
This is a wall mirror that is installed flush with the floor, it can only be placed horizontally (with anchors and screws) as it comes with a bar with rounded edges (to avoid injury to babies) that will allow you to practice the movement of lifting and in turn, exercise the strength with the arms.
The bar is not adjustable to different levels, so I recommend this mirror if you are looking for fixed height options.
The dimensions of that mirror are 27.5 inches high x 48 inches wide x 3.5 inches deep and its total weight of 14 pounds.
(05) Bush Acres Wooden Montessori Mirror, Shelf & Coat Hanger
This acrylic mirror would be one of my favorites when we have older and autonomous children (about 3 years old) because, in addition to being a decorative option at the entrance of the room, it has a coat rack function, which promotes order through a logical sequence to enter the room and place clothes or backpack and serve as a complement to dress and observe.
The dimensions are Height: 25 Inches; Width: 20 Inches; Depth: 4.5 Inches and its installation is on the wall with anchors and screws, yet its shape is round and the coat rack area is horizontal under the mirror.
The coating is made of natural Baltic birch wood, and if you want to give it a personal touch, you can also paint it in the color of your choice.
(06) Honorable Mention: Woodjoy Collection Wood-Framed Wall Mirror
Not exactly a classic Montessori-type mirror, but the fun and functional shelf plus mirror combo found with Woodjoy is worth a peek.
What is a Montessori mirror? How to use it?
A Montessori mirror is a hallmark in any Montessori baby room and has a purpose that spans the entire period of the child’s absorbing mind.
In fact, it has more than one purpose, because what is accomplished with it varies according to sensitive periods. But at any stage of development, the mirror is a tool to support visual, motor, and cognitive maturation.
One of the main objectives of the Montessori mirror, especially during the first months of life, is to promote movement.
The Montessori mirror should be placed in a separate space from the bed (yes even if you’ve got a floor bed), preferably in an area set aside for activities, an area with a crawling mat or Montessori mat where the baby can be placed.
The mirror is placed horizontally next to a crawling mat or plays mat, following the line of the floor, so that it occupies the baby’s entire field of vision. By lying in front of the mirror, the baby has an open perspective of the whole room and as his vision improves, he uses the Montessori mirror to study all the corners, objects, and furniture in the bedroom. He also recognizes the parents’ faces reflected in the mirror (or those of other family members) and can observe their respective movements.
Call it a baby mirror. Call it a toddler mirror. It’s a mirror that has worthwhile use cases as your child grows bigger and more confident.
What are the benefits of a Montessori mirror (for babies and toddlers)?
- At an early age, it will help the child to understand that he is an independent being and individual to his mother.
- He will see his reflection in the mirror (be sure to buy an unbreakable mirror for safety sake, often that’s an acrylic sheet mirror made shatterproof). From a very early age and, therefore, he will be able to observe his own body and its capacity for movement, which will motivate him to keep moving more.
- At around 2-3 months, the interest in seeing the reflection, where he will sense changes in light and movement, will help him to try to raise his head when he is face down and this will help him to work on the tone of his neck and back.
- The stimulus of movement will develop his sense of laterality, which is very important for the cognitive and emotional development of children.
- The Montessori mirror is like a safe baby mirror toy that incorporates the bar that will help him when he starts to stand up and when he learns to take his first steps because he will be able to hold on and use it as an aid to achieving both purposes.
- It gives the child a global vision of the space he is in.
