As we had explained several times on our Facebook page, we manufacture most of our equipment. It's a lot of personal investment, but it's always a great pleasure to see the result. But why did we decide to try to make our equipment rather than buy it already finished?
Woodworking
Yes, we like to work with wood. It is a natural material, which smells good. Gluing, waxing, painting, varnishing have therefore become our daily lives.
Made in France
I admit that opening a package that smells of chemical treatment does not enchant me. And above all, we prefer to work French craftsmen than shops that simply buy in bulk and resell 4 or 5 times more expensive than the initial price, without even worrying about where the product comes from or even its quality. The main shops where we buy our equipment are therefore 123 Montessori and wood letters.
The cost
In the end, I will not be able to tell you if it is really profitable, because unfortunately, this material is more fragile and may have to be replaced probably more often. However, during the initial purchase, it is still much more advantageous to buy equipment to finish. After, it is sure that it is necessary to add the price of paint, varnish, glue, and especially a lot of labor.
Knowledge of the material
Mine of nothing, making your own material has a definite advantage, it is that we know it perfectly. Indeed, it is not a question of following a simple tutorial, it is necessary to calculate everything, to think everything, to be sure that the material will meet the standards of Montessori pedagogy. So even if it's handmade, it's not sloppy, quite the contrary. And even if we sometimes make mistakes, we quickly realize it and we can correct it!
For example, when painting geographical contrasts, I inadvertently reversed the colors of water and earth. I stuck on this material for several weeks, telling myself that something was wrong, without being able to find where the problem came from. So I didn't introduce it to the kids. When the mistake appeared to me, I had to find a solution to correct, and given the strength of the pigments, it was not an easy task. All this explains the very dark colors of this material.
Children's enthusiasm
We regularly do "material making" sessions in front of the children. Especially the manufacture of bills of materials, and maintenance when possible. So they see and understand what this material entails, and why they need to take care of it. They have even more fun using it because they know where it comes from. And very often, we hear them ask us if they can also make some with us!
In summary? if it had to be done again?
Well yes:) personally I will do it again, and above all I will continue as much as possible to make the material of our school. We are constantly improving our techniques and we are more efficient day by day. Why would we stop in such a good way?
Registrations still in progress
Please note that places are still available to register your children for September 2019. Thanks to the form on the site, you can make a pre-registration request. Do not hesitate to inquire for registrations and to follow us on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/EcoleMontessoriMontpellier34