Honest recommendations from my own bookmarks bar
When you’re trying to bring Montessori into your home, the internet can feel like a lot. There’s gorgeous Instagram content that looks nothing like real life, conflicting advice about what’s “really” Montessori, and endless product recommendations that all start to blur together.
Over the past few years, a handful of blogs have become my go-to resources — the ones I actually open when I have a question, not the ones I follow out of habit. They’re written by Montessori-trained teachers, longtime parents, and writers who share the messy real-life version of all this, not just the curated version.
If you’re newer to Montessori or just looking for some fresh voices to follow, these 3 are worth your time. I’ve included a few specific posts from each that I’ve found especially helpful, plus what makes their style of parenting resonate with me.
1. The Kavanaugh Report — Nicole Kavanaugh
Find it at: thekavanaughreport.com
Nicole has been writing about Montessori at home since 2009, and she’s now a mom of five, which gives her a perspective most of us don’t have. She didn’t start out as a Montessori teacher — she started as a parent looking for answers, and her writing reflects that. It’s practical, real, and never feels like she’s performing perfection.
Her style is what I’d call “Montessori for actual humans.” She talks about the hard parts, shares thrift store finds alongside investment pieces, and treats parents as capable adults who can adapt principles to their own families.
Three posts worth bookmarking:
- A Guide to Choosing Shelves for Your Montessori Home — A genuinely useful breakdown of what makes a Montessori shelf work at each age, with specific recommendations from IKEA, Sprout, and others. Refreshingly non-precious about it.
- New to Montessori? Start Here — If you’re at the beginning of this journey, her “start here” page is one of the warmest, least overwhelming intros I’ve found.
- Anything in her Montessori Babies category — She has dedicated month-by-month posts from birth through toddlerhood, which is rare and incredibly practical.
She also co-hosts a podcast called Shelf Help with Amy Dorsch of Midwest Montessori, which is worth a listen if you prefer audio.
Why I keep coming back: Nicole’s voice feels like a friend who’s been doing this for a long time and still has patience to explain things. Nothing about her content feels gatekept.
2. Montessori in Real Life — Theresa
Find it at: montessoriinreallife.com
Theresa is a former Montessori toddler teacher (with a graduate degree in developmental psychology) who’s now a mom of two in the Pacific Northwest. The name of her blog is the whole pitch — this is Montessori as it actually plays out in a regular family home, not a curated showroom.
What I love about her writing is how grounded it is. She’ll write about routines and call them “rhythms” because real life isn’t minute-by-minute. She talks about Montessori on a budget. She admits when things are hard. The emphasis is always on the philosophy first, the materials second.
Three posts worth bookmarking:
- Close-Ended vs. Open-Ended Toys in Montessori — One of the clearest explanations I’ve read of why this distinction matters and how to think about it when choosing toys.
- Anything in her Favorite Things category — Her product recommendations are honest and developmentally specific, which is exactly the kind of curation that’s hard to find.
- Her posts on practical life with toddlers — Cooking, cleaning, dressing themselves. This is where Montessori actually changes daily life, and Theresa writes about it beautifully.
She also collaborates with Bridget on a series of digital monthly guides called The Montessori Guide if you want something more structured.
Why I keep coming back: Theresa writes the way I wish more parenting blogs did — with warmth, but without pressure. She gives you ideas, not orders.
3. The Montessori Notebook — Simone Davies
Find it at: themontessorinotebook.com
Simone is an AMI-trained Montessori educator with more than 20 years of experience, and she runs parent-child Montessori classes in Amsterdam. She’s also the author of The Montessori Toddler, which has become one of the most-recommended Montessori parenting books out there.
The Montessori Notebook is more polished and educational than some of the other blogs on this list — it reads almost like a free course in places. Simone also runs an excellent podcast and has a wonderful series of Montessori home tours featuring families from around the world (which gave me a lot of ideas I wouldn’t have come up with on my own).
Three posts worth bookmarking:
- Her IKEA picks for Montessori children — Specific, affordable, and updated over time. One of the most-shared posts in the Montessori community for good reason.
- A Montessori approach to toilet training — Calm, detailed, and refreshingly free of pressure or rigid timelines.
- Her summer series of Montessori home tours — Photo tours of real families’ homes around the world. Pure inspiration without feeling like you have to copy anything.
Why I keep coming back: Simone’s content is the closest thing to formal Montessori training that’s available for free. When I want depth, this is where I go.
A Note on Why These Five
There are dozens of Montessori blogs out there, and many of them are genuinely good. I picked these five because they each fill a different need — from beginner-friendly to deeply educational, from baby through elementary, from real-life messy to thoughtfully prepared.
What they all have in common is that they’re written by people who actually live this, not just sell it. None of them feel like marketing. All of them feel like real voices.
If you’re looking for more Natural Play Finds–style content on choosing toys that actually support development, you might also enjoy:
- What Makes a Toy ‘Montessori’? (And What Doesn’t)
- How to Rotate Toys the Montessori Way
- Montessori vs. Waldorf: What’s the Actual Difference?
Got a favorite Montessori blog that’s not on this list? I’d love to hear it — drop a note and I’ll check it out.
Disclosure: This post mentions blogs and resources I personally read. I have no affiliate relationship with any of the bloggers listed here — these are genuine recommendations, not sponsored mentions.
