Learning tower means independence

If I moved tomorrow and had to choose one thing to take with us for the little hands, then that would be his learning tower. And why that instead of his little table? Because the learning tower offers the little hands self-confidence and independence and has truly made life easier even for me. But let’s take things from the beginning and let me answer your potential questions one by one.

What is the learning tower?

The learning tower is a safe piece of furniture, a type of stool let’s say, which is designed to bring our child up to our height. With the help of a learning tower, our child can reach the kitchen counter and observe, participate, and help himself to anything he needs.

Where can it be used?

• At the kitchen. The kitchen counter and the sink are full of stimuli, but they’re too high up. We spend a considerable amount of time there, and that certainly piques our children’s interest.
• In the bathroom. For their personal hygiene.

And how can it be used?

In the kitchen

• Washing. Fruits, vegetables, dishes.
• Squeezing juice.
• Cooking. Mixing ingredients, kneading dough, weighing ingredients, and so much more.
• Setting the table.
• Peeling and cutting vegetables.

In the bathroom

• Washing their hands or face.
• Brushing their teeth.
• Drying their hands.

In general

• Arts and crafts. They can do creative things next to us, in many ways.
• Observation. Looking outside through the window, observing what we’re doing while standing next to us.
• Puppet show. We’ve actually used our own learning tower for a puppet show by covering it with a piece of cloth and creating a small “window,” and he climbs up to that puppet show “window” to act.
• Painting. We spread a large piece of paper on the back of the tower and painted. There’s also the blackboard learning tower from MatzikMav for more options for creativity and games.
• Reading. The little hands often use the learning tower’s step to read a book.

What does Maria Montessori have to say about it?

Maria Montessori, despite being a doctor, worked with children for years and created an innovative for her time method of education, which is considered now one of the most famous and timeless methods of education. Montessori, after years of observation and work, created a children’s home (Casa di Bambini) in which children could move and participate freely like adults, since, she claimed, this is what they truly needed. With freedom and limits, with independence and responsibility (exactly what the learning tower stands for), children create and learn in a unique way and an integral relationship between themselves, the adults, and their environment.

All these values are achieved in the kitchen with the learning tower in a unique way. The learning tower was created by Montessori herself and her unique philosophy of education.

What are the benefits of using a learning tower?

For the child

• Independence. “Through independence, the child learns to be responsible, so that they can take care of themselves, the people around them, and their environment.” (Montessori at home with the toddler, Simone Davies, Metechmio publications) With the aid of the learning tower, they can do more and become active members of the family.
• Self-confidence. When the child sees they can do things by themselves, their self-confidence grows.
• Creative time. The best opportunity to spend quality time with them is in the kitchen with the aid of the learning tower. We can pick out vegetables together, separate them by colour, weigh the ingredients, and wash them. Of course, they can do many things by themselves as well, like washing the fruits, squeezing some juice, and mixing ingredients.
• Encourages learning. A result of creative time.
• Exposure to new foods. The learning tower is an incredible opportunity for the little hands to participate in the kitchen and try new ingredients. In general, it’s clear that their active participation in the process of preparing food will make them feel different for the meal that will follow. The more the child can see, touch, and explore the ingredients used in cooking, the higher the chances they’ll decide to try what’s on their plates. (For children refusing their food, read more here and here.)

For ourselves

• We have our own space as well. Using the tower, I finally had my hands free, since I used to cook while holding the little hands or while he was in his baby pouch. I could also move freely in the kitchen since before we had bought it if he wasn’t in my arms, he was around my feet or emptying our cupboards.  
• It gives us some height as well! Truth be told, we also need some extra height to reach the top shelves in the kitchen or another part of the house. Guess what I’m using as well!
• Safety. Children want to be next to us quickly, and either we or they often seek solutions like a kitchen chair or the counter itself. Neither is as safe as the learning tower. Using it alleviates our anxiety that the child may slip and fall.

What should be kept in mind when buying it?

• Stability. Children will often try to lean forward to grab something or will make sudden and vigorous movements. That means the learning tower must be stable, and that’s one of the criteria when getting one.
• Adjustable height. A must-have feature and a great advantage of the learning tower is that it grows with your child. As your child grows taller, the step on which they stand will need to be lowered. This is very important to reduce the risks of the learning tower, and it’s also quite practical when used by a child.
• Total height. The tower’s top shouldn’t be higher than the child’s tummy, and it also shouldn’t be taller than the counter or table where you’ll use it.
• Weight. It’s good to choose a tower light enough to be carried from room to room without an issue by yourself, but your child should also be able to easily move it. Our tower from MatzikMav can easily be moved anywhere with one hand, that’s how light it is!
• Safety. Last but not least, a tower’s safety is the beginning and the end. High quality, safe ingredients, with no sharp points or slippery surfaces.

What’s the recommended age to use it?

In general, using a learning tower is recommended from the age of 18 months. We however got ours when he was about 13–14 months old when the little hands couldn’t walk or climb. He liked being out there and he was standing upward, observing what he couldn’t even reach earlier. He walked at 16 months old, and he climbed on it by himself at 17 months old. I know children that have been using it since they were 10 months old, though. In those cases, their mother would cover up the open side of the tower with a piece of cloth, for greater security.  

Remember that every child is different and has their own growth and development rates and that the learning tower should always be used while under your watchful eyes. What’s certain is that the child will at least be able to stand up by themselves. I should note that he’s 2.5 years old now, and he’s still using it. I think that we’ll be using it until he’s 4–5 years old.

In summary

The learning tower is more than a piece of furniture. Both children and parents love using it, and everyone’s a “winner!” The little hands use it throughout the day to cook, sit on it and read, wash his teeth, or turn on light switches around the house. I honestly don’t know how we’d be able to live without it. Do you understand now why it would be the first thing I’d take with me?

Το περιεχόμενο αυτού του blog αποτελεί πνευματική ιδιοκτησία της εταιρίας LITTLE HANDS BLW. Συνεπώς, ΑΠΑΓΟΡΕΥΕΤΑΙ κάθε αναδημοσίευση, αντιγραφή ή τροποποίηση του χωρίς την έγγραφη συγκατάθεση της εταιρίας. Εάν ενδιαφέρεστε για το περιεχόμενο του blog, μπορείτε να επικοινωνήσετε μαζί μας για να συζητήσουμε πως θα μπορούσαμε να συνεργαστούμε.