Dressing Frames

Montessori Activities

The Dressing Frames are rather iconic. Often displayed on a tower or in a box, they are large wooden frames with fabric overlays, and different clothing fasteners down the middle. Children want to do things themselves, and helping to dress yourself is a huge step toward independence.

Many items of clothing for children are pull-on. The invention of elastic and stretchy materials has made tee shirts and pull-on pants a wonderful addition to wardrobes. However, there are still many fasteners which can be rather fiddly — zippers, velcro, buttons, and, of course, bows.

With tiny clothes, come tiny fasteners. When adults are helping children, often our hands mask the action, and, almost like magic, the bow is tied, the button is buttoned, the zipper is zipped. It is hard to see what is happening. Additionally, the action is being done upside-down and backwards, and the item of clothing is on the child’s body! What a way to learn!

Enter, the Dressing Frame. What a demonstration of Indirect Preparation! Maria Montessori was a fierce advocate for Indirect Preparation, getting a skill ready before and apart from the need. Without the emotional pressure of “I do it myself,” a child can more easily focus on the skill being developed. We’ve all seen the pride of zipping your own zipper, the disappointment in not tying your own shoes. The Dressing Frames take away the emotional component, and the child can simply practice the skill.

Each Dressing Frame features one type of fastening. Zipper, Large Button, Bows. There are several repetitions of the highlighted fastening down the Frame, which encourages repetition. Through repetition, the child has the opportunity to practice the skill again and again, to discover which aspect is giving them trouble, to move down and try again once they realize with glee, “I did it!!”

Through repetition we see the emergence of concentration. These are an early material presented to a young child, and can be one of the first emergences of strong concentration. There is something about trying to button that stills the body, quiets the mind, and elicits intense focus. And, when it’s finished, intense joy.

Like many Practical Life materials, the level of challenge grows with the child. There are simple fasteners, like buttons, velcro, and zippers, as well as safety pins, bows, even boot lacing. There are skills for a child to practice and to master from their first day to their last. Self-Care is a great joy for a young child, and the Dressing Frames are an aid to this development.