In this video, I’m giving you a peek at what’s on my Montessori toddler classroom walls—and more importantly, why I choose to hang artwork in the first place. For me, the toddler classroom should feel like a cozy home environment, and homes have beautiful things on the walls. Artwork brings beauty and joy into classroom life, and it also supports toddlers in a really meaningful developmental way. Toddlers are in a sensitive period for the assimilation of images, so art becomes another rich set of images for them to concentrate on and take in. It nurtures the artistic mind and the scientific mind, and it connects to human tendencies—making and enjoying art is something humans have done for generations. I’ve even watched toddlers stand together and discuss a piece of art (including a Raphael work Dr. Montessori recommended), interpreting it in their own way and sharing that meaning with each other. I also talk about practical setup: I display art at the child’s level, with their eyeline landing around the middle of the piece. And you don’t need a huge budget—most of my classroom art was found second-hand, gifted, or rotated seasonally. You can build a beautiful collection over time, both in the classroom and at home.