The nugget couch is a couch composed of square and triangular pieces that can be moved and built in whatever shape you desire. But, does it fit into the Montessori Method of child instruction?
While the nugget couch is not designed for Montessori, it has some potential uses within the Montessori home or classroom. It has similar qualities to Montessori tools such as the Pink Tower or building blocks, meaning that with some guidance it could be used to a similar effect.
The nugget couch is a piece of wonderful playtime equipment because it can be restructured and built by children and because it is soft and safe. And depending on how children are taught to use it, the couch can be used to teach kids, or it can be simply used for free playtime.
The Nugget Couch
As stated above, this couch is de-constructional and made up of square and triangular pieces that can be re-built into something new. Imagine a child making a fort with your regular couch cushions and that is essentially what the nugget couch is. Except, in this case, it has different colors, widths, lengths, and shapes.
The nugget couch comes in many colors. The classic colors are light grey, black, dark grey, and navy blue. Limited edition colors include different shades of green, blue, pink, yellow, purple, and red. In 2020, the couch became a popular item to get for infants, toddlers, and kids. It provided endless forms of entertainment for children, and it became a playroom item that was well worth the money.
The couch costs $229, and the set comes with 2 sets of double cushion pads and 2 triangular column pillows. The double base cushion pad is thicker and more firm, connected in the middle, and includes a handle built-in for easy grabbing. The double soft cushion pads are thinner than the base pads, but are also connected in the middle and include handles. The couch is covered in a microsuede fabric cover that can be removed. It’s also machine washable, which is always a bonus. Extra cover sets can be purchased separately as well.
The nugget couch allows for one item to be played with in many ways, which is great for parents who want to keep their children occupied with games or activities for more than a few minutes. For infants, the couch can be great for tummy time, learning to roll, learning to crawl, learning to stand, and more. Because of the cushion padding and the height of the triangle pieces, infants have a great deal of use for the nugget couch.
Toddlers love to move onto the next thing that will entertain them. They want something active and fun to play with, and parents want something fun and safe for their kids to use their energy on. The nugget couch can be built into so many different structures, and it is safe for kids to jump and slide on. It is perfect for their imaginations, and it definitely holds together against all of the soft and rough play.
Kids like to play with the couch in many ways. Once they’re older than 4, they can move the cushions by themselves and build forts that are guided by their imagination. Because of how versatile the nugget couch is, and how it appeals to different ages, many teachers and parents love adding this to their classrooms and playrooms.
The Nugget Couch in the Montessori Method
The Montessori Method is all about how to teach children at their own pace. It also uses the children’s creativity and curiosity to encourage learning through exploration. The materials that are used can look like toys but are really used to teach different lessons and skills.
The Montessori cylinder blocks have children place circles into the holes that fit them. The circle pieces have pegs on them, and the children hold onto that when moving the pieces around. Kids have to find the holes that best fit the pieces, and they learn through trial and error that if they do it wrong, not all of the pieces fit.
This lesson can be used with the nugget couch too. There are many ways to build different structures that look like houses, pirate ships, forts, and more. By giving kids basic instructions on how to build the nugget couch into something new, they learn how to build the couch through trial and error.
You can pull up videos online that show different ways to build the nugget couch, and if your kids find one they want to build, you can let the video teach them how to do it, or the kids can try to build it on their own. When they do a step right, you can guide them on what to do next. This can be a fun activity that feels like an adventure, but it also teaches them a lesson.
Kids need to have some role in their education. Being able to teach yourself, find answers to problems by yourself, and take the lead on your education are all important things for kids to learn. Learning how to find answers on their own can help them be more self-reliant. Plus, it helps them learn skills that will help them learn more in the future.
Instead of getting a nugget couch, you can also get Montessori learning tools. If you want your kids to learn using the Montessori Method but do not want to buy the nugget couch, there are many tools and games that are officially Montessori Method approved.
Toys like puzzles and building blocks can help kids learn more about the world around them. If you create picture instructions for kids to follow while they play with building blocks, then they will be learning about how to follow directions correctly. They will have fun learning through things they love to play with.
