Close-Ended vs. Open-Ended Toys in Montessori

A question I get asked frequently is why purchase toys that are “one and done”, or in other words, have one way to use them. I call these “close-ended materials”. This is in contrast to open-ended materials which can be used in any number of ways. Montessori classrooms and homes are primarily comprised of close-ended materials. Why? I think there is a common misconception that young children always prefer open-ended toys. I have found that children enjoy close-ended as much if not more, and create open-ended play with anything they have. It isn’t an “either/or” situation. Close-ended materials give children a sense of purpose, order, and satisfaction of accomplishment. Open-ended toys give children a space for creativity and freedom. There are reasons for each and for both. My goal here is to explain, in more detail than anyone asked for, why. :)

Close-Ended Materials

With close-ended materials, there is one specific purpose and way to use them. These types of materials are more always found in a Montessori classroom and home. Close-ended include materials such as knobbed cylinders, a puzzle, tracing, object to picture matching, or one-to-one correspondence. Often a lesson is given before the child interacts with the material.

Benefits of close-ended materials

• Purpose - Young children love nothing more than having a purpose, and close-ended materials provide just that. There is a clear purpose to each material, which gives children a sense of ownership and accomplishment.

• Challenge - These types of materials can be chosen to provide just the right level of challenge for a child. There is something so satisfying for children (and adults) when working through a problem that is tough but not out of reach.

• Mastery - With that purpose and challenge comes the satisfaction of completing the work. Children feel the sense of “I did it” when they master it, particularly for the first time. They can then even go on to teach a younger child how to use the material.

• Concentration - As children work though these materials and challenges, there is often a look of “in the zone”. When children are deep in concentration in this work, they often want to repeat over and over even after mastering.

• Self-correction - Many close-ended materials allow for self-correction, meaning they indicate when something is wrong, rather than an adult telling them so. For example, with knobbed cylinders, if one cylinder is placed incorrectly, the last cylinder won’t fit, and they will know to try a different way.

• Order - Young children crave order, as order gives them a sense of security in a world that feels so big. Close-ended materials give them this sense of order, which is attractive and inviting to them.

• Specific Skills - Each material aims at teaching or honing a specific skill, whether that’s size discrimination, shapes, writing, or colors. By isolating one skill at a time, children can really focus and master that skill.

• Sequencing - Often, close-ended materials involve multiple steps, which helps young children learn how to sequence steps and plan ahead. They memorize a specific order to the steps, and gradually add on more steps with age and experience.

• Cleaning Up - Part of the sequencing involves taking a tray off the shelf and putting it back on after. Even toddlers get practice with the full cycle of an activity: Taking the tray off the shelf, putting the material on a work mat, using the work, putting it back on the tray, and back on the shelf. These are wonderful habits to develop.

It’s important to note that just because a material is close-ended, doesn’t mean that it will always be used in the way intended. If no one or nothng is getting hurt, there is typically no problem with the material being used creatively. D prefers to pin poke inside the lines than on the dotted lines, and S might stack instead of nest blocks. Lots of “close-ended” materials end up being used in an open-ended way!

Photo by Megan Hooks Photography

Open-Ended Toys

That being said, most homes, including Montessori homes, also include plenty of open-ended materials, or toys. Examples of open-ended toys include magnatiles, objects from nature, art supplies, dolls, and cars. With these materials, there is no reason for us to show them how to play. These are often especially enjoyed more by children 2.5 and up, as they begin to play pretend, and tend to get more fun with age.

There are also a number of benefits of open-ended play:

• Creativity and Imagination - There are endless ways to use these materials. Children can come up with their own ideas of how to play with them and make up stories to go along with them. There are no limits.

• No Rules - Especially after a period of structure, such as school, open-ended toys can be a lovely reprieve and calming for children who just want to play without any rules or expectations. Without a right or wrong, this play can feel freeing.

• Processing events and stories - Open-ended toys and pretend play in general is such a great way for children to work through events, friendships, and new situations. It is also a way to retell stories or make up their own.

• Independent Play - Often this type of toy is the best for long periods of play while we get our own tasks done. With room for creativity, mess, and imaginative play, children can really get lost in their own little world with this kind of play.

Both types of toys can be wonderful for problem solving, finding calm, language, and social skills. Both kinds of toys are valuable and enjoyed by children. Balance is key!

Organization Tips from Nicole of Polished Playhouse

Do you have those accounts on Instagram that you just look forward to every day? Nicole’s account, Polished Playhouse, is that for me. Every space, organization hack, and post she shares provides such inspiration. Books on photo ledges? Brilliant. Paint in a soap dispenser? Genius. What I love most about her ideas is that they are practical and purposeful for parents, while following the child’s need for independence and order. I was so grateful when she agreed to do this interview, as I know she will inspire so many of you too. This interview was also perfect timing as I followed her tips for our new play and art spaces! Find even more inspiration from Nicole on her website, Polished Playhouse.

Hi Nicole! I am so excited to learn more from you. Could you tell us a little bit about yourself and your family?

Our family lives in Maryland outside of Washington, DC. I have two sons Jonah who just turned four and Shiloh who is almost three months. I am originally from Grand Rapids, Michigan and my husband is from Sierra Leone. We lived in Washington, DC for eight years before moving in 2018 for more space and peace from city living! Aside from Polished Playhouse I work for the DC government in school accountability. With my work, I observe PS - 12th grade classrooms and write reports based on what I observe in the areas of classroom environment and quality of instruction.

What inspired you to start The Polished Playhouse?

I started my career in education as a preschool teacher. I was inspired to start Polished Playhouse after having my son Jonah. I did a lot of home learning activities with him and wanted to create a space to document our activities and share with other parents. I quickly learned that kids toys, crafts, and just stuff could get overwhelming very quickly. So, I started to share ways that I was keeping everything organized and together. 

I would like to copy and paste your playroom in my home! How do you think about the way you design your space? 

I like things to be function and aesthetically pleasing but making a space function is always top of mind. We limit the amount of toys we have out at one time and always make sure everything has a place. I always try to center my son’s interest in the spaces that I create for him. Right now he is really in to building so I made sure there was a lot of floor space for him to build. He’s had phases where he’s really been into art or sensory play and I build the space around making room for those materials first. Our current space was also built around creating a separate space for Shiloh. The shelves are on opposite sides of the room and have materials more appropriate for him.

What are your top three playroom essentials? (toys/materials)

1. A large shelving unit to hold/display toys. We use the Kallax unit from IKEA. It is both durable and affordable and makes it easy to display toys directly on the shelf or in bins. 

2. Open ended toys like blocks and magnetic tiles. Having open ended toys limits the amount of extra materials you have to buy. You can use the same things over and over for a variety of different activities. 

3. A variety bins/baskets to keep everything organized. Our playroom motto has always been “everything has a place,” this has helped us to keep everything organized. 

Everything in your playroom is beautifully organized. What are your best organization tips when it comes to toys and books? 

1. Everything needs a place. If you don’t have space for something, consider an alternative that you can store. In our last house I really wanted a play kitchen but we just didn’t have space. Instead we used bowls, toy pots and pans, and wooden play food that we could easily store.

2. Use storage solutions that children can see through or in to. I use a mix of wire baskets, transparent containers and shallow wicker baskets. If children can’t see what’s on the shelf and are looking for a particular toy or activity, they will just dump everything out until they find it. This leads to less meaningful play. 

3. For books we use low wall shelves and display only a few at a time. This has allowed Jonah to select his own books and utilizes vertical storage and frees up more space in your storage unit for toys.

What expectations do you have of Jonah? Does he help with the tidying as he plays or at the end of the day?

Yes, he is expected to tidy up after he plays. Having the organized baskets helps him to know where everything goes. Sometimes he works really hard on building something with blocks or magnetic tiles and we let him keep his structure up to continue building the next day. Other than that we put everything away each night. He’s always been very big on order. So thankfully we really don’t have to prompt him much to clean up. 

Is your playroom shared by your two children or do you have two different spaces for each of them? Do you think this will change with time? 

We currently have a shared space. Our hope is to keep it this way. I love the idea of them being able to play together eventually and for Jonah to model for Shiloh how to use different materials. 

As Shiloh becomes more mobile, do you plan to re-organize your playroom? If so, what will that look like?

My biggest worry with the shared space will be choking hazards for Shiloh as he becomes more mobile. Our plan is to remove any small toys/parts and have them in a separate space just for Jonah. As he becomes more mobile and his interests emerge I may have to do some reorganizing based on what he likes. We also currently have our art supplies at child level. Eventually we hope Shiloh will be able to access them independently like Jonah. But, we may have to store them away until he also learns to use them independently.

What tips do you have for making the playroom baby-safe? 

1. Limit small parts that baby could put in their mouth. 

2. Cover all outlets with baby proof covers. 

3. Place paint and other art supplies out of reach.

4. Anchor all large furniture pieces to the wall. 

What advice do you have for parents who are trying to create or re-organize a playroom for two or more young children?  

You have to start by decluttering! Most parents of young children have too many toys. With birthday parties, holidays, and other milestones it can all get overwhelming really fast. I suggest getting rid of (or donating) toys that are broken, unused, or that don’t interest your children. After you’ve done that you can create a system to cycle through toys so that you only have a few out at a time. I also always encourage parents to get their children involved to help maintain their space as well. 

Anything else you’d like to add or recommend? 

Things will get messy. There is no way around it but having systems in place to quickly get everything back in order will lead to much less stress and more meaningful play for everyone. 

Thank you, Nicole! Read more from and about Nicole on her website, Polished Playhouse, or on Instagram, at Polished Playhouse.

Nicole has been such an inspiration for me as I begin to organize the kids’ open-ended toys and art supplies at our new house. I can’t wait to put her brilliant tips and hacks into action!