Montessori In The Kitchen

Now that Dotty is a toddler  I have had to rethink our kitchen set up.  Here is the post about our montessori kitchen before making changes, and here are a couple of pics.

As you can see the water was out of reach, the shelf was not sturdy enough should she try to climb and the dishes in the low cupboard would hurt if she pulled them onto her toes.  I also do not want my fiesta ware to get broken.  The top photo was my solution.  A lower shelf secured to the wall, access to water-with a large pan to catch overflow, a tray for utensils, a small bowl with sponge for clean up, a towel for drying and sturdy (cheap) stoneware plates and bowls.  (I almost went with plastic dishes, I was so close but in the end I just couldn't do it.  How would she learn to be careful if a dish never broke no matter how rough she was? )  She likes to move the dishes and utensils onto the floor and restack them.  She can hold her glass under the spout but hasn't yet figured out how to turn the water on.  Her sisters help her.  She does not yet carry her dish to the table or get her own spoon and napkin but when she is ready we are prepared and so is the environment.