When my son turned 18 months, I watched him try to carry a full cup of water across our kitchen. He walked slowly, tongue sticking out in concentration, water sloshing dangerously close to the rim. He made it three steps before everything spilled. Instead of helping him, I handed him a towel. He looked confused for a moment, then carefully wiped up the water, refilled his cup, and tried again.
That moment captured everything I’d learned about Montessori’s Infant Community: these aren’t babies anymore, but they’re not quite preschoolers either. They’re in this remarkable in-between stage where their desire to do things “by myself!” far exceeds their ability, and our job is to create an environment where they can safely practice until desire and ability finally meet.
Montessori Infant Community at a Glance
The Infant Community (sometimes called Toddler Community) serves children from approximately 18 months to 3 years old. This program bridges the gap between the Nido (infant program) and the Children’s House, supporting the child’s explosive growth in language, movement, and independence.
- Age Range: 18 months to 3 years (sometimes starts at 15-16 months)
- Core Focus: Independence, language development, coordination, toilet learning
- Learning Style: Hands-on practical life activities, sensorial exploration
- Environment: Child-sized everything – furniture, sinks, toilets
- Key Milestone: “I do it myself!” becomes possible
- Average Cost: $10,000-$16,000 per year (varies by location and schedule)
Why This Age Is So Special (and Challenging)
Dr. Montessori observed that more learning happens between birth and age 3 than at any other time in life. But the period from 18 months to 3 years is particularly remarkable.
The Sensorial curriculum fosters concentration and visual discrimination through precise materials like the Pink Tower.
Your child’s vocabulary explodes from a handful of words to hundreds, then thousands. They go from wobbly toddling to running, climbing, and dancing. They transition from needing help with everything to insisting “No! Me do it!” at every opportunity. They develop a sense of order so strong that a toy out of place can trigger a meltdown.
This is also the age of tantrums, boundary testing, and exhausting independence battles. Traditional childcare often treats this as a phase to survive. Montessori sees it as a phase to support. The “terrible twos” aren’t terrible. They’re a child desperately trying to do things for themselves in a world designed for adults.
What’s Happening Developmentally
Between 18 months and 3 years, children are developing:
- Language: From two-word phrases to complete sentences with proper grammar
- Movement: Refining gross motor skills (running, jumping) and fine motor skills (using utensils, turning pages)
- Independence: Wanting to do tasks themselves, even when they can’t quite manage yet
- Order: Developing a strong sense of routine and where things belong
- Social Awareness: Beginning to notice and interact with peers
- Self-Care: Learning to dress, feed themselves, and use the toilet independently
What the Infant Community Environment Looks Like
Step into an Infant Community and the first thing you notice is the scale. Everything is child-sized. Not toy-sized, but real equipment made small enough for toddlers to use independently.
The Prepared Environment provides a beautiful, accessible space designed to foster a young child’s independence.
Tables come up to a toddler’s waist. Chairs are sturdy but light enough for them to move. Sinks are low with step stools if needed. Toilets are child-height with real working plumbing. Shelves display materials at eye level, each activity in its own basket or tray. Everything has a place, and that place never changes.
The atmosphere is calm, with soft natural lighting and muted colors. You won’t see bright plastic toys or cartoon characters. Instead, you’ll find beautiful wooden materials, real glass pitchers (yes, really), ceramic bowls, metal spoons, fabric for washing, and fresh flowers in small vases.
Why Real Materials Matter
When my son’s teacher first showed me the glass pitchers, I was skeptical. Toddlers with glass? But here’s what I learned: children rise to our expectations. When we give them plastic because we expect them to break things, they handle materials carelessly. When we give them real glass and show them how to carry it carefully with two hands, they concentrate deeply and move with purpose.
Real materials also provide authentic feedback. A glass pitcher makes a sound when set down too hard. A real broom actually sweeps dirt. A ceramic bowl has weight and substance. Children learn cause and effect through genuine experience, not pretend play.
A Day in the Infant Community
Unlike preschool with its rigid schedule of activities, the Infant Community follows a predictable rhythm that gives children security while allowing flexibility based on their needs.
This activity uses food objects with Color Tablets to develop the sense of sight and introduce precise language (naming colors and food)
Typical Daily Rhythm (Half-Day Program)
8:00-8:30am: Arrival
Children arrive with parents, hang up their coat (with help at first, then independently), put away belongings in their cubby, and say goodbye. Some children need extra cuddle time. That’s okay. The guide welcomes each child warmly and helps them transition.
8:30-10:30am: Work Period
Children choose activities from the shelves. This might include pouring water from pitcher to pitcher, washing dishes, sweeping, folding cloths, working with puzzles, or caring for plants. The guide gives individual presentations when a child is ready. Some children work for 5 minutes before moving on. Others spend 30 minutes deeply focused on one activity.
10:30-11:00am: Snack Time
Children wash hands, serve themselves snack (with help as needed), eat together at small tables, and clean up their dishes. This is social time, with conversation and practicing table manners.
11:00-11:30am: Outdoor Time
Gross motor development through climbing, running, digging, and exploring nature. Children practice putting on coats and shoes.
11:30am-12:00pm: Circle Time and Transition
Songs, stories, movement activities. Children help put materials away, gather belongings, and prepare for pickup.
Full-day programs include lunch (often family-style, with children helping to set the table and serve), nap time in a quiet sleep room, and an afternoon work period. The rhythm stays consistent day to day, which helps children feel secure and know what comes next.
Why the Schedule Looks So Simple
Adults often want to fill children’s days with activities and stimulation. But toddlers need long stretches of uninterrupted time to practice skills, make choices, and concentrate. The simple schedule allows for deep engagement rather than constant transitions that fragment attention.
What Children Actually Do: The Four Key Areas
The Infant Community curriculum focuses on four interconnected areas, all designed to build independence, coordination, concentration, and confidence.
Practical Life activities like sweeping build coordination and independence by allowing toddlers to care for their environment.
Practical Life: The Heart of the Program
This is where children spend most of their time, and it’s the foundation for everything else. Practical life activities are real tasks that contribute to caring for themselves and their environment.
- What it looks like: Pouring water or dry materials, washing tables, sweeping floors, polishing mirrors, arranging flowers, preparing simple snacks (spreading butter, cutting soft fruit), folding cloth napkins, washing dishes, caring for plants.
- Why it matters: Every pouring exercise builds hand-eye coordination and concentration. Every sweeping activity requires whole-body coordination and following a sequence. Every washing task teaches care of the environment. These aren’t just chores. They’re building blocks for academic learning and life skills.
Self-Care and Grace & Courtesy
Children learn to take care of themselves and interact respectfully with others.
- What it looks like: Practicing with dressing frames (buttons, zippers, snaps, velcro), putting on and taking off shoes, washing hands thoroughly, blowing nose, toilet learning, serving snack to friends, saying “please” and “thank you,” greeting visitors.
- Why it matters: Self-care builds confidence and reduces frustration. When a child can dress themselves, they feel capable. When they can use the toilet independently, they have autonomy. Grace and courtesy lessons teach them they’re part of a community with shared expectations.
Language Development
This age is the critical window for language acquisition. The Infant Community immerses children in rich, purposeful language.
- What it looks like: Teachers use precise vocabulary (not baby talk), naming objects and actions constantly. Books are available throughout the day. Songs and fingerplays reinforce language patterns. Children learn names for everything in their environment. Language cards introduce vocabulary. Conversation happens during all activities.
- Why it matters: Between 18 months and 3 years, children’s vocabulary explodes. Exposure to rich, varied language builds the foundation for literacy. The more words they hear used correctly in context, the stronger their language skills become.
Sensorial and Early Cognitive Work
Children refine their senses and begin early mathematical and logical thinking.
- What it looks like: Simple puzzles, stacking and nesting toys, sorting by color or size, matching activities, beginning Montessori sensorial materials (small pink tower, color tablets, texture boards), simple songs with counting, one-to-one correspondence activities.
- Why it matters: Sorting, classifying, and organizing are pre-math skills. Sensory discrimination prepares the mind for abstract learning. These activities build concentration and problem-solving abilities.
Toilet Learning: The Montessori Approach
One of the most significant milestones during the Infant Community years is toilet learning. The Montessori approach differs significantly from conventional potty training methods.
Instead of “training” children to use the toilet on a schedule with rewards, Montessori guides observe for signs of readiness and support the child’s natural interest. The environment makes independent toileting possible: child-sized toilets, easy-to-remove clothing, sinks at the right height.
Older children in the classroom model toilet use, which motivates younger ones. Guides take children to the bathroom regularly and matter-of-factly, without pressure or praise. Accidents are treated calmly as learning opportunities. Children help clean up, which builds awareness without shame.
When Are Children Ready?
Most children in Infant Community programs begin showing readiness between 18-24 months and achieve reliable independence by 2.5-3 years. Signs include staying dry for longer periods, showing interest in the toilet, being able to follow simple instructions, and wanting to be independent. The mixed-age environment where older children use the toilet confidently is incredibly motivating.
Social Development in the Infant Community
At 18 months, most children engage in parallel play, working near each other but not together. By age 3, they’re having conversations, sharing materials, and working collaboratively. The Infant Community supports this social transformation.
The mixed-age group helps tremendously. Younger children watch older ones and learn by observation. Older children take pride in helping younger classmates. A child who struggled with putting on shoes at 20 months becomes the expert at 28 months, showing a newer child how it’s done.
Conflicts happen, of course. Two children want the same pitcher. Someone knocks over another child’s carefully arranged work. The guide’s role is to acknowledge feelings, model respectful language, and help children find solutions. “I see you both want the blue pitcher. Sarah is using it now. Would you like to choose a different activity while you wait, or should we find another pitcher?”
The Teacher’s Role: Guide, Not Director
Infant Community guides need specialized training beyond traditional early childhood education. They’re not babysitters or daycare workers. They’re trained observers who understand child development deeply.
The guide’s day involves constant observation, noting which children are ready for new challenges, who needs redirection, who’s struggling with a skill. They give individual presentations when children are ready, not on a predetermined schedule. They model grace, courtesy, and calm problem-solving.
Most importantly, they resist the urge to help too much. When a child struggles to pour water, the guide observes. When a child can’t quite button their coat, the guide waits. They intervene only when a child is truly stuck or in danger. This restraint allows children to develop persistence and problem-solving skills.
Transition: From Infant Community to Children’s House
Most children transition from the Infant Community to the Children’s House (Primary program) around age 2.5 to 3, depending on their development and the school’s structure.
By the time children leave the Infant Community, they can typically dress themselves, use the toilet independently, speak in complete sentences, follow multi-step instructions, work with materials for extended periods, and help care for their classroom. These aren’t just milestones. They’re the foundation that makes the Children’s House possible.
The transition is usually smooth because many schools have combined programs where children can observe the older classroom. They know what comes next and look forward to it.
Infant Community vs. Traditional Daycare/Preschool
Parents often wonder how Infant Community differs from regular toddler daycare or early preschool programs.
The Practical Side: Costs and Schedules
Infant Community programs vary significantly in schedule and cost depending on location and whether they’re full-day or half-day.
Half-day programs typically run 3-4 hours, often 8:30am-12:00pm or 9:00am-1:00pm. Full-day programs include lunch and nap, running until 3:00pm or later. Many schools offer extended care for working parents.
Cost Expectations (Annual Averages)
- Half-Day Programs: $8,000-$12,000 per year
- Full-Day Programs: $12,000-$18,000 per year
- Major Cities: $18,000-$28,000 per year
- Small Cities/Rural: $6,000-$10,000 per year
- Additional Fees: Registration ($100-$300), materials ($200-$500)
Many families find Infant Community programs comparable in cost to quality daycare, though often more expensive than home daycare. Some schools offer part-time options (2-3 days per week) which can reduce costs.
Explore Other Montessori Programs
Questions Parents Always Ask
After enrolling my son and talking with other parents, these questions come up repeatedly.
Is 18 months too young to start school?+
Infant Community isn’t traditional “school.” It’s a carefully prepared environment where toddlers can practice independence and develop skills. Many children are ready to spend time away from parents by 18 months if the environment supports their developmental needs. That said, every child is different. Some aren’t ready until closer to 2 or 2.5 years.
Won’t my child break the glass and ceramic materials?+
Occasionally, yes. But far less often than you’d expect. When children are shown how to carry glass carefully with two hands and move slowly, they do. When materials break, it’s treated as a learning experience, not a punishment. Children help clean up and learn to be more careful. The benefit of real materials (weight, sound, genuine feedback) far outweighs the occasional breakage.
My child still has tantrums. Will they be kicked out?+
Tantrums are normal for this age. Montessori guides are trained to handle them calmly. They validate feelings (“I see you’re frustrated”), set boundaries (“I can’t let you throw materials”), and help children find solutions. Many tantrums decrease in Montessori environments because children have more independence and less frustration. But no, your child won’t be kicked out for normal toddler behavior.
Do I need to start toilet training before enrollment?+
No. Most Infant Community programs accept children in diapers and support toilet learning as part of the curriculum. The environment makes it easy (child-sized toilets, regular bathroom visits, older children modeling). Many parents find their children learn more quickly in Infant Community than they would at home because of the peer modeling and consistent routine.
How do I know if my child is learning anything?+
Watch for changes in independence at home. Can they put on their shoes? Do they want to help with tasks? Can they focus on an activity for longer? Are they using more words? These are the real measures of learning at this age, not worksheets or academic skills. Teachers will share observations regularly and you’ll see the changes in your child’s capabilities.
What the Infant Community Really Gives Your Child
A year into the program, I watched my son pour water from a pitcher into a cup without spilling a drop. He carried it carefully to the snack table, drank, then washed his cup and put it away. He was 2.5 years old.
That moment wasn’t about the water or the cup. It was about competence. He knew he could do it, so he did. He didn’t need me to get his drink or clean up after him. He was capable, and he knew it.
That’s what the Infant Community provides. Not early academics or preparation for kindergarten tests. It gives children the foundational belief that they are capable of learning, doing, and contributing. It teaches them that their efforts matter, that practice leads to mastery, and that being part of a community means helping care for yourself, others, and your environment.
These aren’t small gifts. They’re the building blocks of confidence, independence, and a lifelong love of learning. And they start with a toddler carefully carrying a glass pitcher across the room.
Sources & References
- Lillard, A. S. (2017). Montessori: The Science Behind the Genius (3rd ed.). Oxford University Press. DOI: 10.1093/acprof:oso/9780190613976.001.0001
- American Montessori Society. (2024). Infant & Toddler Programs. Retrieved from https://amshq.org
- Montessori, M. (1949). The Absorbent Mind. Clio Press Ltd.
- Kovach, B., & Da Ros-Voseles, D. (2008). Being with Babies: Understanding and Responding to the Infants in Your Care. Gryphon House.
- Davies, S. (2019). Applying Montessori principles in the care and education of young children (0-3 years). Journal of Montessori Research, 5(2), 23-38.
- Gerber, M. (1998). Your Self-Confident Baby: How to Encourage Your Child’s Natural Abilities from the Very Start. Wiley.
- Murray, A. K., & Peyton, V. (2008). Public perceptions of Montessori education. Montessori Life, 20(3), 38-43.