Montessori Toys for Infants and Toddlers
I’m excited to be sharing my favorite Montessori toys for infants and toddlers! If you’re looking for more, check out these fun activities for a one year old. This post contains affiliate links.
Montessori is a word you hear a lot, and it’s a theme that goes with the whole “clean and aesthetic life” trend. But we’d be doing our kids a disservice if we whittle it down to that.
While the whole pretty home vibe might be a cool perk of Montessori toys, there’s so much more to it.
In a world of excess, curating a playroom that will help kids get the most learning out of their play can give them a leg up.
What makes a toy Montessori?
So what makes a toy “Montessori?” Is being beige a requirement?
Of course, the answer is no. There are a few primary qualities you’ll be looking for in Montessori toys for infants and toddlers.
You may have noticed in my gift guides that I’ve been sharing for years now that there is a very common denominator in many of the toys I prefer. They are educational, and instill creativity. They require input from the kids. They are active rather than passive.
While we address STEM toys a lot, I wanted to create a list dedicated to what I consider to be the infant and toddler parallel to that, especially at this stage where we once again have an infant and toddler at home.
And to me Montessori toys is to my infants and toddlers what STEM is to my big kids.
We’re talking hands-on learning, real-life applications, and kid-derived input rather than toy-derived.
Hands-on experiences
Kids should be doing.
Toys that require those hands to work, those little brains to figure things out are the best for a Montessori playroom. The baby should be procuring most of the result through their actions- the toy shouldn’t be producing it.
Do Montessori Toys need to be made of wood?
True Montessori is made of natural materials. My main goal with this post was to look for Montessori aligned play values, and to give kids specific play experiences.
Now I’ll mention that most people, or, I should say, true Montessori proponents, will insist that Montessori toys need to be made from natural materials, for example, wood.
The benefits of natural materials include sensory benefits such as the way they feel, smell, and the fact that the values of sustainability align with Montessori values.
And while I generally agree about the benefits, there are exceptions. Wood toys can be way pricier than their synthetic alternatives.. And I’m a bit more of a realist when it comes to the everyday parent’s budget. And some things just don’t work as well in wood, but would be a shame to not grant the kids the opportunity to explore.
So factoring in that some things would be too pricey manufactured in wood (or come in both varieties and the non-wood, or mixed material, is less expensive), and that some toys simply don’t work as well that way, I did not strictly keep this guide to wood toys.
So true Montessori folks: sorry!
Meanwhile, my focus is in encouraging a specific type of play experience. So I’m zooming in on the play, prioritizing wood and natural materials, but not excluding Montessori-aligned toys that aren’t wood, but would be a crying shame for kids to miss out on playing with!
Real-life inspired
An overarching value in Montessori toys for infants and toddlers is that they bring real life into their play and give them actual tools to do “real” things.
For example, why give them a pretend plastic knife if you can give them a kid-safe real knife to learn how to actually cut? Why give a randomly shaped rattle if it can be an actual baby-safe musical instrument, such as a maraca?
Kids can learn skills and experience “real” things in their play, and Montessori encourages us to give them that independence and “leg-up”.
Montessori toys allow kids to experience these things as close to possible as how adults would.
When looking for Montessori toys for my own babies and toddlers, I prefer those that allow them an actual end result and look like mini versions of what I have.
Open-ended
Give kids the deciding tools rather than doing it for them. So open-play toys rather than those that specify an end result that looks a certain way are ideal.
Where do electronic toys come in
Here me out. I’m a big fan of electronic toys. The correct ones have their play value and their place in the playroom.
But they in no way fit into a Montessori playroom. Not even that incredible toy drum toy that is even wooden that Baby Jay loves. (And this is why you can understand why I deprioritized the wood requirement and focused on the play requirement).
The idea is for the input to come from the baby or toddler, with no help.
So while electronic toys are fabulous, help me get so much work done, and teach my kids so many things… they are not Montessori aligned and have totally different play benefits
Favorite Tried & Tested Montessori toys for Infants & Toddlers
These are some of my personal favorite Montessori toys for infants and toddlers – with some reaching way beyond that.
One of my favorite features of most of these suggestions is their relative agelessness. While targeting my two youngest (Baby Jay, age 12 months, and A, age three) my big boys – ages 8 and 10 – also played with these plenty!
That just goes to show you how amazing Montessori is! With open-ended experiences, you get a much broader age range. And while we have loads of toys, these are the ones – for the most part – that we will be saving for when the grandkids come play one day.
Active Montessori Toys for Infants & Toddlers
With kids spending more and more time indoors… why not bring the active play into the home?
Even if you don’t have loads of space, most of these are storable and can be taken out special for play. If you do have space, you can set up what A calls “an obstacle course” but I’d call an indoor active play space.
Some of these are surprisingly open-ended. And I do not need to elaborate on the benefits of active play. A was always a few steps behind in gross motor development, and I wish we’d had these a few years ago to help her gain those essential skills!
Wood and Hearts Climbing Triangle Set
A climbing triangle set is one of the most versatile climbing toys available today. You can set it up multiple ways, and play with it as an active toy, or a calm toy!
This classic set is a “small” one to be suitable for younger kids (as young as 8 months). It comes with a triangle (that folds for storage), an arch, and a ramp/slide/climbing board.
You can set it up multiple ways. The bridge piece can be used to slide down the triangle, or flipped over to the climbing rock side, to climb up. It can be set up the same way on the arch. It can also serve as a smooth or rock bridge between the two structures.
The triangle on its own can be used as a play tent or cave using optional accessories – or just throw a blanket over it. The arch can be flipped over as a rocker using an optional pillow – or throw your couch throw pillows on it. They even sell an easel attachment for the triangle!
Who knew a climbing toy can be so versatile?! It’s truly a baseline set for a playroom that focuses on maximizing play from fewer pieces.
Get 5% off your order if you use the coupon code MENUCHA. You can stick to natural wood like I did, or go for painted finishes in white, pastels, or primary colors.
Blueberry and Third Balance Board
One of the best core-building and one of the few Montessori toys that work for families without much space at all, a balance board is a fabulous toy to have. It’s small and slim and stashes away easily when not in use.
Made from beautiful birch wood, Blueberry and Third’s balance board is fabulous for ages two and up – my eight year old loves it too!
Core strength is a pre-writing skill that is essential, but unlike other pre-writing activities, balancing is an active way to engage even the most restless family members. And it’s incredible for vestibular sensory seekers – you know, the kids who are always moving because they like how it feels.
It’s fabulous for kids who are accident prone, as it’s a good tool for balance and coordination as well.
Young kids will want grown-up help when first learning to use the balance board, but once they learn, they won’t want to stop!
Little Partners Balance Beam
Another classic active Montessori toy is the balance beam. This one from Little Partners is easy to store, and features some stepping stones just to up its game!
I love this option for a Montessori playroom, because it’s configurable and opens itself up for more imaginative play. It can be arranged in different ways (line, zigzag, square, two shorter lines, even four shorter lines). My kids use it for their obstacle courses.
While totally an active toy, kids will come up with new uses because of its open-ended nature. My kids like to set it up as a road for toy trucks and even create an overpass using the connecting pieces to prop one over the other.
This one teaches visual spatial processing in a different way than the balance board (and aside from space concerns, they both work side by side in the playroom in different ways).
Problem Solving Montessori Toys for Infants & Toddlers
Problem solving is a big part of Montessori play, as it leads directly into reality. Problem solving toys are those where kids need to work things out to get to their specified goal, and it is one of my favorite ways to bring out the creativity in kids who aren’t necessarily “crafty.”
Connetix Pastel Magnetic Tiles
When it comes to magnetic tiles, you’re going to want to go with plastic even if you’re aiming for a Montessori playroom. While wood ones can be purchased, the cost is prohibitive, and I don’t find them to work as well as plastic.
And yes, you’ll want to have them in a Montessori-aligned playroom! They open up a whole new world of open-ended problem-solving play, and there are so many other uses for them.
If you purchase a high quality set, magnetic tiles are forever toys, that kids play with until they’re quite old, and are worth saving for the next generation too!
Connetix features a pastel line that is more Montessori-aligned than some of the brighter colors that magnetic tiles come in. They also bring in the tactile experience that you’d normally get with wood with a textured, beveled surface.
And the skill-building and play benefits are never ending. A’s Connetix play experience usually brings in geometry, dramatic play, engineering, and so much problem solving. They can be played on magnetic vertical surfaces, such as the dishwasher, on quarter sheet pans on the road, on light tables…
Latch Board
We received this ages ago as a birthday gift and it has been a big hit! This simplified small version blends the latch board with “peek a boo” book concept.
My kids have been playing with it for about eight years (I think).The different latches open and close, but kids need to figure it out themselves. They then get the reward of a fun picture.
If you want something like this but for those with less advanced motor skills, many Etsy sellers create real-life versions with so many different options. Those feature things like clickers, zippers, and even phones!
Be aware that these toys should only be played with close supervision as they aren’t necessarily tested to conform to conventional safety standards and likely contain choking hazards.
I also see them getting grander and busier – I recommend choosing one that’s simple, with the few activities that most appeal to your kid.
Ball Drawer
Babies don’t necessarily understand that when something disappears from sight it still exists. Having a toy that encourages “hide and seek” play teaches them this concept! Plus, babies love playing with the lightweight balls on their own too!
Ours came from KiwiCo’s 14-15 months Panda crate.
Life Skills Montessori Toys for Infants & Toddlers
Some of my favorite Montessori toys for infants and toddlers teach hands-on skills. These toys really work, and are mini versions of the grown-up thing.
Cleaning Set
Kids naturally love to clean (it’s crazy, I know!) Maybe it’s because they see us do it! When I saw A using the big broom and actually getting results, but also hitting everything in her path, I knew she needed this cleaning set.
It has a functional kid-sized broom, brush, and pan, duster, and a mop that you probably don’t want to actually have function but I guess technically it could. It comes with a sweet little stand.
Musical Instruments
If your kids love toys that make noise, why not get them a cute little wooden musical instrument set?
They can shake maracas, bang on cymbals, and of course play the tambourine… The point is that they are doing the playing, not the toy.
What are your favorite Montessori toys for infants and toddlers? Comment below
