As it gets colder outside, you may be curious about ways to teach your child how to put on a coat. There's no easier way to do this than what has been termed “The Montessori Coat Flip” method.
Kids love to be outside, no matter the weather, so this is an important skill to learn.
The good news is, it's actually a lot easier than you might be expecting.
In this article, you will learn how to teach the Montessori coat flip.
The importance of teaching self care
Self-care skills are vital to a child's physical and emotional well-being. If you are familiar with Montessori Practical Life activities, you already know this.
From handwashing to dishwashing, kids really enjoy being able to do things for themselves. The independence helps their emotional development immensly.
If you aren't familiar with Dr. Montessori and her methods, which can be applied to education, as well as parenting, it's definitely worth looking into.
If you are just here to learn how to teach a child to put on a jacket the Montessori way, that's great, too.
What age can the Montessori coat flip be learned
Children develop physically, mentally, and emotionally at different rates.
Many toddlers will be able to learn the coat flip around 18-months old, however, others may have difficulty with this method until around the age of 2 or even 3.
Montessori is a no-pressure method of learning.
So, if your child does not seem ready or able to do this, there is no need to force it – just wait a few months and introduce the lesson again.
How to teach the Montessori coat flip: 3 easy steps
When I mentioned that this might be easier than you thought, I meant it. You can teach this skill to your child in just three simple steps.
- Lay your child's coat on the floor with the inside facing up and the hood/neck of the coat at your child's feet or on a child-size table. (If your child does not yet have the balance and coordination to lift themselves from the floor while simultaneously performing this task.)
- Have her kneel or squat and put her arms into the corresponding sleeves.
- Ask her to stand up and swing the coat over the back of her head and slide her arms into the sleeves.
It's important to have a coat that fits your child well for this lesson.
I have found that fluffy winter coats are easier for toddler-age children and just about any coat works for preschoolers.
This method may be confusing to young children, as the coat is inside up and upside down in front of them.
Because of this, it might be helpful to demonstrate this for them first by putting on your own coat using this method.
The video below is a great demonstration of the Montessori coat flip.
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j
Saturday 25th of November 2023
Ah I didn't realise this was a Montessori method. I have to admit I strongly dislike it. It feels infantilising (I know they are toddlers but this seems a step too far) and most importantly for me is the hygiene. Laying your coat in the ground where people walk with shoes is pretty disgusting. Ideally they would only do this in the shoeless Montessori classroom or at home where floors are clean but kids pull off their coats all the time outside when they're getting hot on the playground for example. Also I just don't like the idea of them putting clothing in the ground unnecessarily in general. So I've discouraged them from this method which is popular even at non Montessori schools here in the UK.