At 2 years old your child is in a prime stage of the development of their sensory and motor skills. Because of this, the process of arranging shapes and distinguishing colors becomes much more appealing to them.
The introduction of Montessori toys are great for encouraging your children to experiment with different objects and the natural construction ensures that they are a safe and healthy addition to playtime.
As a parent, there is often a lot of pressure to find the best toys for your children. For those that find the process of selecting the best toys a little overwhelming, not to worry as we have taken the hard work out of the process for you.
We have reviewed our top five picks of the best toys that are available on the market, all of which are intended for use by a 2 year old.
We have also included a buyer's guide that provides more guidance regarding the factors that you should consider before investing in these toys.
Are you in a hurry? We have selected our top pick below
OUR TOP PICK
The Montessori Object Permanence box provides you with two educational toys in one. The Montessori box encourages your children to insert the ball into the designated circular hole.
Your 2 year old is bound to be intrigued as they watch the ball disappear for a few seconds before it then reappears in the main compartment.
The second toy provided is the rainbow stacker toy. Each of the rings is coated with a different brightly colored paint and while providing your little one with endless hours of excitement and enjoyment, it can also be beneficial to the development of their sensory skills and color recognition.
Using their senses, they will need to stack the rings in the correct order from largest to smallest.
Both of the toys boast a sturdy and durable construction. As such they can endure rough handling without becoming damaged or deteriorating in quality.
The permanence box is coated with non-toxic acrylic paint while the rainbow stacker has been finished with non-toxic water-based dyes. Because of this, they don’t present a risk to the safety of your children should they accidentally try to put any of the pieces into their mouths.
The edges of both of the toys are smooth and rounded and this ensures that they aren’t at risk of injuring their fingers following contact with the different parts.
Pros
- The toys retail at an affordable price and you are provided with 2 toys for the price of one.
- They are covered by a lifetime warranty so there is help available should you experience any issues.
- The durable construction delivers long-lasting use.
- Both toys help to develop fine motor skills and sensory skills.
- They are safely constructed to eliminate any risk to your little one's safety.
Cons
- Some may find the toys to be a little too small.
EDITORS CHOICE
A great educational tool for children around 2 years of age, the Cylinder Montessori Blocks provide a range of tasks for your little one to tackle.
In the process of doing so, they will develop a range of skills. The cylinder blocks come in 4 sets each varying in size. As such, your child is encouraged to match the correct block to the designated slot.
You are also provided with a selection of knobless cylinders which can be identified in four different color categories.
Along with the blocks, there is also a selection of correlating cards that can be used as a base for matching each of the colors.
Just like the other blocks, these also vary in size so your children can develop their skills by ensuring that they are stacked in the correct order according to their size.
To ensure that both toys are safe for use by two years olds, they have been designed with soft and smooth edges that eliminate any risk of injury to their small hands that could potentially be caused by sharper pieces.
They are also relatively lightweight which makes them easier to transport to different locations if needed.
Although these toys may surround a more simplistic concept, introducing them to your 2 year old can greatly benefit their visual awareness, fine motor skills, and color recognition.
They are also durably constructed and bound to see your little ones through many uses.
Pros
- These blocks are covered by a one year warranty should you experience any issues.
- The use of these toys helps to develop fine motor skills and color recognition.
- The bright colors are bound to make them appealing to your little ones.
- Both toys are lightweight and easy to transport to different locations if needed.
- They have been safely constructed to ensure that they are safe for toddlers.
Cons
- Some of the pieces may be a little difficult for a two year old to grasp.
BEST VALUE
Sporting a fun and engaging design, the Wooden Carrot Toy and Woodpecker are bound to appeal to your 2 year old. Providing a fun way for your toddler to learn as they play, this toy comes in 2 parts.
The carrots harvest toy comes with 7 carrots and a wooden box that holds the carrots. The idea behind this game is to encourage your toddler to place the carrot into the correct slot.
Doing so will help to benefit their fine motor skills while ensuring that the game isn’t overly complex for their age.
The worm catcher toy is great for hand to brain coordination and the concept will require them to focus their concentration on retrieving the worms when they appear using the magnetic pen that is provided.
While benefiting a range of skills, this toy remains fun and is bound to appeal to your toddler.
Both toys boast a high quality and durable design that is bound to see your child through many future uses.
The carrots have been coated with non-toxic water-based paint which is safe for your children.
They also have smooth, rounded edges so your toddler can grasp them comfortably without any risk of hurting their fingers.
Pros
- These toys are covered with a lifetime warranty so there is help available if you aren't satisfied with your purchase.
- As excellent educational tools, both toys help to develop hand to eye and hand to brain coordination.
- Affordably priced, these toys are great for parents on a budget.
- They have been durably designed to see your child through many uses.
- You are provided with 2 toys for the price of 1.
Cons
- The worm catcher toy may be a little too difficult for 2 year olds to use alone.
RUNNER UP
The Montessori Screwdriver Board and Hammer Peg Game is great for inquisitive children providing a practical way of developing a range of skills.
The game comes equipped with a total of 10 pegs, a hammer, and clay. As such your children can enjoy hammering the pegs into the clay. Doing so will help to develop their fine motor skills.
A great thing about this game is that it has been developed by a Montessori Teacher so you can be sure that it has been designed with your child's development in mind.
While this toy may be more simply designed, it certainly doesn’t compromise on the endless hours of excitement that it is likely to provide to your little one.
As for safety, this toy has been constructed with rounded edges and components which make it safe for use by your children without presenting any risks of them becoming injured by sharp pieces in the process.
This toy is equipped with two compartments, one which holds the clay and the other which can be used to store the pegs. Because of this, you can be sure that the parts are safely stored when not in use and they aren’t as likely to become lost.
Pros
- This toy is eco-friendly and non-toxic so you can be confident in its safety for your 2 year old.
- It is covered by a lifetime warranty should you experience any problems.
- This toy can help to develop practical skills along with fine motor skills.
- There are two compartments available, one to store the clay and another to store the pegs.
- You are provided with 2 packs of clay so there is plenty available.
Cons
- The screws are a little small so it is worth being cautious of this when your child is playing with the toy.
RUNNER UP
Melissa and Doug is a well-known toy manufacturer that produces a range of toys that conform to the Montessori approach, this Geometric Stacker provides a great example.
With an impressive star rating and great reviews to support this toy can have a great impact on your 2-year old's educational development.
This toy has been designed with three individual rods and 24 wooden rings in an assortment of shapes and colors which can then be stacked onto the rods.
While this toy can help to develop hand-eye coordination, it also encourages your children to differentiate between different shapes and colors so that each of the parts are stacked in the correct order.
Created for children between 2 and 4 years of age, it requires a hands on approach that also allows your children to use their imaginations when building the different stacks.
It can also help with their spatial awareness as the parts can be stacked on different rods but they must be stacked correctly for them all to fit.
As for construction, each of the parts have been made from wood which accounts for excellent durability to ensure that this toy sees your children through many future uses.
Pros
- Melissa and Doug is a well-known brand that is known for producing high-quality toys.
- It is covered by a 100% happiness guarantee so there is help available if you are dissatisfied with your purchase.
- The colors are bright and benefit recognition while making the toy appealing.
- The pieces are a decent size and easy for children of this age to hold.
- It is durably constructed to ensure that it withstands frequent play well.
Cons
- The quality of the pieces could be improved as the paint is prone to flaking off.
Best Montessori Toys for 2 Year Olds Buying Guide
As the Montessori approach is becoming increasingly popular, there are many toys available to suit this concept.
Because of this, it is important to consider a range of factors as this will help you during the process of selecting the best toy for your 2 year old.
We have listed this criteria below along with our top tips for purchasing the best toy of this kind.
The Type of Toy
First, it is important to consider the type of toy that you are looking for as there are many different types available that suit this ideology.
For example, there are puzzles, geometric stacking toys, clocks, and blocks, etc and each can be beneficial in its own ways.
The majority tend to be made from wood but there are plastic options available too. You may feel that your 2 year old is more likely to play with a particular type of toy in comparison to another.
Remember that montessori toys tend to be more simplistically designed with a primary focus on reality, imagination and independence.
The Benefits Upon Development
Montessori toys are considered to have many great effects on your children's development.
Not only do they benefit hand to eye coordination by encouraging your children to use their hands to move the different parts while assessing the spatial awareness, but they can also help with their color, shape, and number recognition.
This is because many of these toys require your children to match up the colors and shapes to create different combinations.
Aside from this, Montessori toys can also help with problem solving and time telling. If this wasn't impressive enough, Montessori toys also encourage your children to use their imagination to use the colors and shapes to make particular patterns.
The Material
The majority of Montessori toys are made from wood, however, you will also find some that are made from plastic. The material is going to affect how long the toy is going to last.
When played with by toddlers the pieces are likely to be subject to tough handling on occasions and so it needs to be tough enough to withstand this impact without becoming damaged easily.
The Safety
Of course, the safety of the toy is of paramount importance.
Preferably the wood used should be natural and any paints should either be food grade or water-based as this ensures that they aren't harmful to your children.
Plastic toys should also be non-toxic and free of BPA, lead, and latex. Furthermore, the edges of the toys should be smooth and rounded, not sharp, as this eliminates any risk of them cutting your child's skin.
The size of the toy is also going to determine how safe it is.
If a toy comes with smaller parts it is necessary to be aware of this when your 2 year old is playing with the toy to ensure that any risks are avoided.
The Size
Montessori toys are available in a range of sizes and many come with multiple additional parts.
It is important to ensure that the parts are thicker as this will eliminate any choking hazards, however, you must also ensure that your child can grip the different parts with ease as this will give them full control of organizing the different parts independently.
The Color
As mentioned previously the colors of Montessori toys can help to familiarize and develop your 2 year old skills with different colors.
You will also find that the majority of children's toys are brightly colored because this is likely to make them much more appealing and as such your children are more likely to feel excited about playing with these toys.
The Portability
Most Montessori toys are of a smaller size which makes them easier to transport in between locations. This is particularly important if you are likely going to be taking the toys with you on the go as you travel.
You will find that some come with boxes or bags that make this task much easier by ensuring that all pieces are contained within one space but this also provides you with a convenient storage solution.
As most of these Montessori toys come with multiple different parts this is important in ensuring that they do not get lost when they aren't in use.
The Price
When compared to many other types of toys that are produced in mass quantities, Montessori toys appear to be more expensive.
The reason for this often tends to be because they are handmade using high-quality materials.
Despite being considered as more expensive toys, there are many options available that are pretty affordable and retail below $20.
It is important to ensure that you do not compromise on the quality of the toys and the safety of the pieces for a more affordable option.
It is often the case that those which are more expensive are made to a higher standard.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Montessori good for 2 year olds?
Yes, Montessori toys are thought to have a great impact on the development of your 2 year old and are great if you can maintain this learning for the following years too.
Are Montessori toys better?
Montessori toys encourage children to play independently and as such, they are great for encouraging them to explore on their own without being so dependent on you.
Resembling a lot of realistic elements they can be hugely beneficial upon development.