ABOUT Montessori Mates

Created by a mum of 2 with a deep love for Montessori and a very real understanding of modern parenting.

Hi, I’m Karen – founder of Montessori Mates and mum to two little ones who inspire everything I do.

Montessori Mates began at my kitchen table when I was looking for beautiful, functional tools that could truly empower my toddlers to help with cooking, baking, setting the table, and cleaning up after themselves. I didn’t want plastic toys—I wanted real tools made for real children, rooted in Montessori principles but designed for the pace and chaos of modern family life.

What started with a simple silicone placemat has grown into a thoughtful range of Montessori-inspired kitchenware and practical life tools that help little hands do big things. From our Mini Chef Kids Kitchen Set to our toddler-safe measuring cups, mini tongs, and cutlery, every item in our store is carefully designed to support children’s independence, confidence, and lifelong love of learning.

We believe:

  • 🌱 Kids learn best when they do for themselves

  • 💡 Mess is part of the magic

  • 💛 Parents deserve tools that make saying "yes" easier

  • 🌏 Practical life skills are one of the greatest gifts we can give our children

We're proudly Australian-owned and loved by families, educators, and gift-givers who want more than just cute products—they want purpose-driven tools that grow with their children.

Thank you for being here. We’re so glad you found us.

Welcome to Montessori Mates – Where Little Hands Learn Big Skills.


The Montessori Placemat Story – how it all started!

When my daughter, Maisie, was 14 months old, I bought a cheap fabric placemat with intentions to DIY it and sew the outlines of the plate, spoon, fork, and cup onto it – like I had seen so many other mums had done online. 

One morning, after having washed and dried the fabric placemat, I noticed that it had wrinkled, so I quickly ironed it and brought it out for Maisie to use for our usual (but messy!) Weetbix breakfast. 

It was a disaster! The placemat slid around the table as Maisie pushed and pulled on it, milk and Weetbix spilled all over it, and the worst part was when I realised that I couldn’t just wipe it clean or throw it in the dishwasher like I used to with her silicone bowl. I couldn’t see this working out in the long run.

But then I thought, why not have a silicone Montessori placemat? I searched online and found a few options but they weren’t modern, the correct size, and none were made of silicone at the time.

That’s when I decided that I would make them myself and I fell in love with the idea of promoting not just the Montessori way but more independence in the home for ALL children!

 







Our Mission

To make Montessori at home easier for modern, busy parents and spread the word about Montessori so that more children can be respectfully raised with independence, confidence, and autonomy.

    The idea of spreading Montessori into more homes around the world is what really drives me with Montessori Mates. 

    I also believe that Montessori can be adapted to make use of what we have today in terms of resources, information and materials.

    I don’t believe that you have to be 100% Montessori or stick to just Montessori but as a first-time parent, it really was the start of becoming a more patient, child-led, observant and respectful mum. It led me down the path of Baby Led Weaning, RIE, Open-Ended play, Waldorf, Pikler, Reggio and Steiner philosophies.

    Montessori is my core parenting style but it’s speckled with everything and anything else that may align and then we just adjust it to suit our modern-day living and family style. 

    My dream for Montessori Mates is that it can be a tool to help more parents be more confident and able to implement a lot of the Montessori principles into their own homes. 

     

    So, thank you for joining me on this journey!

     

    If you'd like to contact us, please email hello@montessorimates.com.au