Five Fantastic Montessori Toys Your Baby Will Love
The Montessori child-rearing philosophy has gained worldwide acceptance and notoriety for being one of the best and unique educational methods.
Even if you feel when a child reaches a certain age, some of the Montessori principles are a tad relaxed, there’s no question of its efficacy when it comes to babies.
As soon as they’re born, babies’ brains are veritable little sponges, soaking up all the sensory information they have access to, adding to their ever-expanding understanding of the world around them.
In other words, they exhibit an innate and eager desire to learn, and toys developed with Montessori principles in mind can facilitate this nascent hunger for knowledge.
So, if you’re expecting, or already have a baby, congratulations. Consider this our gift to you and your perfect little cutey.
We’ve rated and reviewed five of the very best Montessori baby toys currently available, each of them a welcoming invitation for your little bundle of joy to take educational initiatives.
We’ve even composed an in-depth buyer’s guide and FAQ section as well.
Short On Time?
We understand. New parents are the busiest people in the world, so here’s our top pick for a quick look.
OUR TOP PICK
Our number one choice for the best Montessori baby toy is this high-quality object permeance box for young children.
If you are looking for a quality toy that will aid in your child’s development, then this Montessori object permeance box would be perfect for you.
It will work to educate your child and allow them to have fun exploring at the same time. The ways in which these toys can be used will help your child learn and develop a variety of skills.
This set is made up of a variety of different tools that your child can use to their advantage, and the pieces are large and sturdy.
The ball is able to roll back and forth without interruption, and the paint that has been used to create these vivid colors is 100% non-toxic, so you can be assured that this toy is completely safe to use.
As well as all of this, this Montessori toy is both fun and educational and caters to many different needs.
The fun rainbow-colored rings will help to provide visual stimulation, which will stimulate your child’s sensory skills.
There is no doubt that this set will get a lot of use, and your child will love playing with it. The high-quality materials that are used to make this toy will also ensure that it will last for a long time, even under durable play.
Pros
- This object permeance toy set is made using high-quality and long-lasting materials
- This toy will aid your child’s development while encouraging them to have fun
- This set includes rainbow-colored rings for visual stimulation
- It encourages the use of many different senses
- The colorful paint that has been used is non-toxic acrylic
Cons
- None that we could find, except that your child won’t be able to put it down
EDITORS CHOICE
If you, like many parents, are aiming to provide your children with educational toys that will help them to learn through play, then this wooden toy set could be perfect for you to add to your collection.
It is difficult to get lost in the world of modern technology and forget about the basics of learning through exploration and play, but this toy will help you to do just that.
In terms of the materials that have been used to create this toy, you can be assured that they are high-quality, which will mean that they will be able to last.
As with many other toys of this type, only non-toxic paint has been used, which is one less thing to worry about.
The pieces have smooth and polished edges to avoid any unwanted accidents and eliminate any danger, and this truly is a wonderful toy for learning.
Not only is this an excellent and high-quality toy set, but it is also great for allowing your child to practice their hand-eye coordination skills while allowing them to learn how to concentrate on the task at hand.
It will also allow them to exercise the flexibility of their wrists and help them grow stronger, and improve their visual ability to follow.
Pros
- Not only is this toy educational, but it also promotes fun through learning
- It has been made from sturdy and durable high-quality materials
- Encourages learning through play and allows children to build on their skills
- This set has been made from non-toxic materials that are safe for use
- It encourages hand-eye coordination and concentration skills
Cons
- This toy will require some concentration from your child, so it might be better times of the day where they are most alert
BEST VALUE
These Montessori DIY cylinder blocks are made from 100% wooden materials, and they are certainly built to last.
You can educate your child through this fun method of learning, and they will be able to develop a variety of skills through this type of activity.
These cylinder blocks feature four different blocks with varying heights and sizes, and this set is great value for money.
It even has smoothed edges to make it safer for babies and young children, and it is the perfect toy for enhancing color recognition development.
This toy is soft and lightweight for easy portability and to ensure child safety, and this toy set can also help to advance visual assessment and fine motor skills.
Pros
- The blocks are made from 100% wooden materials and are 100% non-toxic
- They are durable and sturdy to ensure that they last a long time
- This set is great value for money and promotes learning through play
- It has smoothed edges to make it suitable for babies and young children
- It can help to develop visual assessment and fine motor skills
Cons
- None that we could find
RUNNER UP
You can’t tell us that a baby sorting out little carrots isn’t the most adorable thing ever. This shape sorting puzzle developed with Montessori principles in mind is the perfect way for your little ones to improve their dexterity.
The trick is to match the correct size carrot with the appropriate space and pop them in until you have a full harvest.
At its core, this toy is triggering the parts of a baby’s mind that deal with shape recognition. Shape recognition is essential for processing visual information in general, but it’s proven to actually play a big role in subjects such as maths and science as your baby grows up.
It’s such a simple design: a block of wood with a few holes in, but it’s done so well, your baby won’t be able to leave it alone.
It’s crafted from smooth pine wood and the incredibly cute little bunnies, bugs, and flowers are all painted with non-toxic substances.
This puzzle also helps to develop a baby’s hand-eye coordination and fine motor skills as they have to place the carrots with accuracy in their bed.
It encourages precision and forethought, and once the carrots are planted, it’s equally fun and rewarding to harvest them for a pretend soup.
One thing we will warn against is that the felt leaves can come off if pulled hard. It’s also quite pricey for a minimal toy.
Pros
- Non-toxic paints portray cute flora and fauna
- Very well made
- Develops fine motor skills and dexterity
- Introduces notions of agriculture
- Great for developing shape recognition
- Perfect for hand-eye coordination
- Very cute
Cons
- Felt leaves can pull off
- May be a little overpriced
RUNNER UP
In their most basic essence, stacking cups are a simplified building game, an entry-level lego suitable for tiny tots.
They’re crafted from polypropylene plastic which is an exceedingly durable material. It won’t crack or chip, and it’s totally free from BPA, PVC, and phthalates.
Stacking Mushie cups helps to develop your child’s organizational skills early on, and also exposes them to concepts of shade as opposed to individual colors.
Stacking also helps to develop their fine motor skills as they learn about balance. It’s basically a physics lesson for very small people. Shape recognition also plays a big part in stacking as the cups must be stacked in order.
What’s unique about this toy is that it encourages a multi-disciplinary approach to the task. Rather than simple shape recognition, a baby can engage with color and shape to build the tower.
Another great thing about this toy is its space-friendly storage solution. They simply nest into one another like the mixing bowls in your kitchen cupboard, perfect!
They also pose very little danger. They’re lightweight, they aren’t a choking hazard, they don’t splinter...it’s all good.
Pros
- Affordable
- Simple and safe design
- Storage-friendly
- Great for building fine motor skills
- Enhances hand-eye coordination
- Encourages a multi-disciplinary approach to problem-solving
- Non-toxic
Cons
- Spiral cup used to have an edge, but it’s been amended now
- Plastic isn’t great for the environment
Best Montessori Baby Toys Buying Guide
It’s difficult to resist filling your cart with tons of baby toys.
Just thinking of your happy baby having fun brings a tear to the eye, but before you spend all your hard-earned cash in a flood of glee, let’s discuss some of the things you should consider first.
Price Tag
While we always recommend buying quality toys for your baby, it’s important to remember that they’ll be relatively short-lived.
Yes, if you plan on having more children you can give them hand me downs, or perhaps gift them to others with appropriately aged babies, but ideally, you want to save some money yourself.
As you know, raising a child can be expensive.
Age Range
It’s surprisingly difficult to buy an appropriate gift for a baby. Your mind is torn in all sorts of directions.
You want to get them something that has an impact, something you yourself find to be special, something they’ll remember when they’re your age. You think of the perfect thing, but it’s almost always far too advanced.
Buying the right toys is incredibly important. They’re not just tiered for safety’s sake, but to form a developmental ramp so to speak. Babies need to advance slowly, by degrees to get the most out of each item.
If you find your child to be somewhat advanced in certain areas, as long as it’s safe to do so, you can experiment with toys designed for older kids, but always start age-appropriate.
Materials
Wood
Wooden toys are fantastic. They’re durable, non-toxic, and usually well crafted. They’re shatter-resistant and better for the environment.
Wooden toys are also often more simplistic designs which is perfect for Montessori education. But are there any types of wood in particular that are good or bad for babies?
Woods have a plethora of different properties, but the only one you really need to pay attention to when it comes to baby toys is the hardness of wood. Both soft and hardwood have benefits and weaknesses.
Softwood is great if a baby is teething. They can gum it without hurting themselves, but softwood is also more prone to splintering. Hardwood is more likely to cause injury through impact, but it doesn’t splinter often.
Plastic
While plastic toys are inferior to wooden designs in most ways, they shouldn’t be completely discounted.
Having said that, the first thing you should ensure about a prospective toy is that it is non-toxic.
Some plastics are known to contain things such as PVC, BPA, or phthalates. PVC is a type of plastic that continuously damages the environment and those in close proximity throughout its entire life cycle.
Avoid it like the plague. BPA and phthalates are chemicals used to give plastic certain qualities, and they too are toxic. Before buying a plastic toy, make sure it’s safe on a chemical level.
Polypropylene is one of the good ones. It’s still not great for the environment, but it’s safe for use by humans.
Another important thing to consider before buying plastic toys is that they’re often quite overstimulating, complex, and have a singular, specific goal. These qualities are contradictory to Montessori principles.
Montessori Principles
A Montessori toy follows the basic premise that a child should have the freedom to experiment and take initiative in the learning/playtime process.
Toys should be relatively simple in design, They don’t necessarily need to be completed to warrant some sort of reward. The benefits come from engaging with it in general rather than conquering it.
They should be very tactile and give your baby an opportunity to manipulate objects. They can also be sensory-based like our number two xylophone bench, but it should always be a fairly organic experience.
Toys that are over complicated and stipulate a binary opposition of victory and failure are to be avoided. A definite, restricted process hampers imagination.
Things like electronic dolls that speak take the lead from your child and dominate the situation. The goal is that your child develops initiative and explores possibilities.
Development
You should think hard about what skills are specifically developed by a toy. Toys that involve a lot of grasping and precision placement are fantastic for hand-eye coordination and fine motor skills.
They also help them develop ideas of object permanence. Musical toys introduce a rudimentary tonal vocabulary and concepts of volume.
The right toy can even aid in general muscle development and help increase mobility. Your baby needs access to all this key stimulation.
Frequently Asked Questions
Are Montessori toys better?
There have been many studies that show that Montessori approaches to early playtime are beneficial to many key skills and motor functions.
They encourage your child to be independent and imaginative rather than passive during playtime.
What’s the best age to start Montessori?
Montessori herself claimed that the most absorbent phase of a child’s life is between conception and 6 years old, so get started right away.
Why is Montessori bad?
One of the most common criticisms of Montessori is that it lacks sufficient social opportunity and development, but that’s simply not true.
Montessori structures of education actually facilitate collaboration and natural social encounters.
Unlike traditional educational systems, children are free to communicate with one another at almost all times.
What is Montessori parenting?
The fundamental premise of Montessori parenting is understanding and freedom over discipline and restriction. It’s categorized as a gentle parenting philosophy.
The goal is to augment a child’s physical, social, and intellectual development, while also nurturing and validating a full spectrum of emotions.
In traditional parenting, a child learns through consequence, and thus it’s postulated that a child doesn’t learn to be good, but learns to avoid consequences.
In Montessori parenting, the child develops a truer moral compass and decides they should do good over bad because, well...it’s the right thing to do.
Final Thoughts
There you have it, Montessori masters! These are five of the best toys you can buy to kick start your baby’s physical and intellectual development, Montessori style.
Taking the time to read articles such as this proves you’re willing to do the best you possibly can by your child, and for that, we commend you!
If you wish to continue your toy treasure hunt from here, use our buyer’s guide to help you along and remember the number one key principle: simplicity. With Montessori toys, less is more. Best of luck.