Children's Space - Kitchen nook
11/16/2016
A sneak peek into the children's space ...
Today, I will show you their kitchen nook. When we were designing our kitchen, we had our children in mind: our goal was to make their space child-friendly, comfortable, safe and inviting - a place where they would want to be. To encourage independence, the furniture has to be appropriately sized, where a child is able to have meals or do work or play at a table and chair correctly sized for him/her. A child should also be able to reach from low shelves, choose from a drawer, get dishes and cups from a cupboard, etc. A step-stool for food prep or to reach into a refrigerator is also advisable.
In their kitchen-nook children have:
- child-size table and chairs (see below);
- a small step-stool;
- low hooks for children's aprons;
- an area for a broom, a bucket with a brush and a dustpan;
- 6 Cube Organizer with fabric drawers for storage;
- a pretend-play kitchen set consisting of a wooden Fridge and a Stove (made from a child safe materials with non-toxic finishes).
These table and chairs are the next step furniture after the weaning table and chair set. (The weaning set is still in Adrian's room). This round solid hardwood maple table is 36" in diameter and 22" high. The four chairs are made from solid pine and are 14" high. The pinewood is softer and lighter than maple, so the chairs are not too heavy for a child to move around. 14” chair will fit a child comfortably from 3 years of age (although Adrian has been using it since he was 2 years old) until about 9-10 years of age. Please note that a table should be 7-8” higher than the chair's seat height.
So, we have a 14” chair height + 8= 22” table hight.
See a Table/Chair Height Guide here - although our table/chairs set are not by Community Playthings, they are a trusted source of Montessori furniture.
A low hook for Adrian's Baking and Apples and Pears Apron.
For a Montessori high chair, we chose Tripp Trapp High Chair for each of our children, since the chair had met so many of my expectations:
- made from wood
- *highly adjustable seat and footplate positions ("Montessori" infants start using high chairs as early as 6 months! Also, this chair can be adjusted to be used even by an adult - I tried!)
- the tray is removable so that the chair can be completely pulled up to a family dining table, promoting family social interaction
- Adrian was able to climb on it independently at around 19 months
- cushion accessories offer a child comfort
- aesthetically pleasing with a simple classic Scandinavian design
- comes in a variety of colors and cushion combinations
- can be purchased with a removable Babyset, which will enable the chair to be used when a child can sit up unaided (from 6-9 months) by providing a perfect side and back support.
Each Julia and Adrian are still using Tripp Trapp High Chair in Natural. We love these chairs as they grow with your child, from infant to college! (I am sitting comfortably on Julia's seat when she is not using it:) These chairs are made from cultivated beechwood, and I can assure, seven years later, Julia's chair stood the test of time - it is a strong, solid and durable product.
Watering Plants Activity (with Terrycloth aprons) and Window Washing Activity.
Julia's Flower apron
A low shelf with herbs children are growing, and a wild orchid my Mom brought from Malaysia. An outdoor thermometer to monitor temperature.
I hope you enjoyed our sneak peek into children's kitchen nook. You can read about Adrian's infant space here and our learning space here.