Creating Montessori Classrooms with areas for Quiet and active play

Written by: Rinka Bose D’Monte

Date: 15 September 2025

Montessori classrooms are very simple, calm and elegantly laid out. They are not just a space, which holds educational material inspired by Montessori philosophy. It is a well-curated and thoughtfully arranged educational environment where children feel secure, inspired and free to explore. While a classroom is divided into 5 different zones or sections, the primary division in any classroom is into separate areas for quite and active play. This allows then to work well individually or in groups, while the play space allows them to explore.

Why Separate Quiet and Play Areas Matter:

Montessori philosophy emphasizes freedom within limits and this helps children to choose the activity, which suits them the best. The classroom allows freedom but if there is no proper segregation of within one large space then it can become chaotic for reading, puzzles, sensory work and physical play. Therefore, we see a great advantage into creating and developing a large space with defined zones with interconnectivity for accommodating plays areas and quiet spaces. Here are some ideas for the same:

1. By minimizing distractions, children can focus better in the class

2. By encouraging self-directed activity, will allow for the idea of independence to grow

3. By supporting emotional regulation, a child learns to respect each other’s space.

Designing the Quiet Zone:

Children have lot of energy a primary level (toddlers) and their physical movement is as necessary as there quite moments with Montessori educational material. Reading, Writing, art and practical life work. Some of the ideas, which helps us at Atelier ARBO in designing the classrooms, are:

1. Location: Placing it in a corner or side of the classroom helps us to minimize the traffic flor and noise.

2. Furniture: Use of low shelves, cozy rugs, floor cushions, and child sized chairs

3. Lighting: By use of softer / warm lights at calm spaces helps create the right ambience needs for those peaceful moments.

4. Materials: Keeping books, art supplies, & Montessori Material neatly organized in trays and baskets will help.

5. Décor: Monotones, Light colour pallet and indoor plans can create just the right balance for the indoor space.

The quite zone can become the perfect self-learning and relaxing space for children.

Designing the Active Play Area:

While the quiet zone provides enough space for self-exploration, the active work zone needs to allow for easy movement and collaboration. This is when the child needs space to play with large blocks or engage in group activities which helps in gross motor skills.

Some of the ideas, which we like to consider in our designs, are:

1. Open space: By providing enough floor space for movement, activities like dance, yoga or large-scale puzzle or maps can be explored with ease.

2. Flexible Furniture: Small Wooden chairs which can be stored, tables which can be used individually or in a combined format and floor mats can be useful for creating various furniture arrangements.

3. Collaborative Workstations: By encouraging teamwork with low height tables and open shelves with educational material helps.

4. Gross motor materials: Also adding climbing structures, balancing boards, etc. allow for free body movement for children.

5. Boundaries: Usage of rugs or shelving units allows one to create dedicated spaces without making them enclosed. This helps to create an open plan layout which makes a larger space for children to explore.

Blending the Two Zones Seamlessly

While these two different zones are distinct, the classroom still feels cohesive, unified and harmonious. The beauty of doing the same lies in the blend and here are some of our ideas for doing the same:

1. By using indoor plants and low-level shelves, the transition between spaces within the classroom becomes seamless. So in one large classroom, the avoidance of partitions, walls and other’s helps in creating the right balance in the classroom.

2. Incorporation of Visual Cues – different coloured or textured flooring materials can help in creating the definition of a particular zone or activity space.

3. Maintaining a consistent aesthetic sensibility across both the zones with natural colours, wooden materials and uncluttered design can help in creating the essence of a beautiful Montessori classroom.

Respecting Montessori Principles

Montessori is beautiful educational philosophy and still holds good and we keep reminding ourselves while designing that the end goal is not to control but to offer freedom with well thought out structure. In real, children should be given the power and autonomy to choose what they would like to work with, this sense of independence is essential to develop thinking and choice rather than making them mass followers in life. Children from an early age can learn to understand their desires, interest and drive if given proper opportunity of space and environment.

The belief is well explored and expressed with Montessori philosophy of education, so intend to create clear boundaries with natural materials. The overall belief can achieve greater design results.