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What are Montessori toys and why are they so popular? Montessori is an educational method that was developed by Maria Montessori in 1897. Her educational system is designed to put the child first and allow them to self-lead in the classroom. So, how does this educational style relate to toys? Children are naturally curious and learn through play and things that spark their interest. Toys are one of the first things we introduce to our children. There are tons of toys on the market that encourage children to develop social, cognitive, emotional and physical skills. Here are the best Montessori toys for babies, and kids.
Montessori toys are based on reality, encouraging children to use their imagination during playtime. You’ll notice that these styles of toys are typically made from natural materials – wood, ceramic, wool, cotton, metal, and even rock. Another benefit of these types of toys are they typically have to be manipulated in some fashion for them to be effective, they do not move or make noises on their own, encouraging that extra amount of self-lead playtime. Below is our round-up of some of the best Montessori toys to keep your kids learning, engaged and active!
Montessori Toys for Babies (0 – 12 months)
This is a great introductory toy for infants. The wooden rings make gentle interactive noise, while the wood is organic and soft enough for little ones to use as a teether. Start them off early with new ways to engage their newly developing sense in the world around them. Recommended for ages 0 – 12 months.
Aside from being gender-neutral, this activity gym is the perfect home addition for infants. The hanging rings encourage early motor skills and can double as teethers. Remove the hanging toys during tummy-time so your babe still has a toy to stimulate their senses. Recommended for ages 0 – 12 months.
This spring-loaded toy offers interactive play along with teaching fine and gross motor skills. Encouraging little ones to use hand-eye coordination during playtime. You can also begin to teach primary and secondary colors with the color-coordinated pegs. Recommended for ages 12+ months.
Montessori Toys for Toddlers (1 – 4 years)
Introduce your toddler to a fun beehive inspired game that has several educational components. This toy teaches fine motor skills by using the tongs to put the bees into the hive. Each bee has a color-coordinated hive that teaches the concept of color sorting and hand-eye coordination. It is also a great introduction to begin counting as each toy comes with 7 bees. Recommended for ages 2 – 4 years.
Spark your toddlers’ musical senses with an interactive musical set – xylophone, tambourine, and pounding hammer all-in-one set. This vibrant set offers several ways to play from using gross and fine motor skills to developing logic, coordination, matching and so much more. Get creative and play together to create a new song or play along to a favorite nursery tune. Recommended for ages 1 – 4 years.
Montessori Toys for Kids (3+ years)
Inspire creativity with older kids and watch them design new patterns, designs, and shapes. This set comes with 24 design cards ranging in levels of difficulty which give examples of what shapes and patterns can be created with the blocks. Recommended for ages 3 – 7.
Encourage fine and visual motor skills by forming tons of 2D designs with this wooden geoboard set. This toy will grow as your child does as they can create more difficult patterns and designs as they get older. Recommended for ages 3 – 7.
*For younger children please use adult supervision with the bands.
Encourage your little one to build a love for learning with this see and spell puzzle. Each set comes with 28 double-sided spelling cards that will help teach common sight words, hand-eye coordination, and spelling sequences. Recommended for ages 3 – 6.
Self-lead learning, development, and education are what each of these toys is developed to inspire. Many of these toys are great for many years of use and will grow with your child. These interactive Montessori toys will provide hours of play and educational skill development without feeling like work. Let your kids’ creativity soar with our round-up of Montessori toys!
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