Montessori Toys for Babies & Toddlers
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You’ve probably heard the term Montessori play before. You may have noticed “Montessori toys” look different than many of the colorful toys you find on Target shelves. But do you know what it all means?
What does Montessori mean?
Montessori is a method of education that was developed by Dr. Maria Montessori in the early 1900s. This educational method believes that play is the “work” of a child. The Montessori method of education puts an emphasis on independence (even at the youngest of age), hands-on learning, and self-directed exploration.
Instead of imaginative play, it’s more purposeful play. While children learn through all sorts of play, Montessori is a specific type of play.
What Do Montessori Toys Teach?
Montessori toys have a purpose and a skill to teach.
Montessori toys are used to focus on one skill at a time. They work on one concept or skill such as size, shape, color, or movement.
Many of them also focus on real-life/real-world play. A small toddler broom set is considered a Montessori toy as it teaches gross motor skills and the life skill of cleaning.
A hallmark of Montessori toys is they are intended to encourage independence. Adults do not need to be closely supervising children with Montessori play. This fosters a sense of confidence and autonomy in the child.
Why Choose Montessori Toys?
While many people don’t think of Montessori toys as being colorful, that’s not always true. Montessori toys can be colorful, and often teach colors!
Montessori toys are usually made from natural materials like wood, metal, cotton, and other non-toxic materials. They do not have lights, sounds, or screens as they are designed for focused play.
Benefits of playing with Montessori toys:
Hands-on learning & sensory exploration
Encourage fine and gross motor development
Develop real-world practical skills
Enhance problem-solving skills & concentration
Foster language learning and vocabulary
Build confidence
Why We Love Montessori Toys:
Montessori toys are great for improving hand strength. Hand strength is a crucial muscle to exercise for fine motor skill development in babies and toddlers.
From fine motor skills to gross motor movement, Montessori toys have such a wide range of benefits for helping baby and toddler meet their developmental milestones.
Montessori toys are great investments! I’ve seen these toys get used and grow with my children from baby to toddlerhood! Babies and toddlers can begin practicing real-world concepts with pretend play.
Montessori toys are confidence building! Kids love being given a task and seeing how they can master it, and that’s the case with many Montessori toys. After practicing a few times, your little one will develop such a sense of confidence being able to sort shapes, insert wooden coins, etc.
Now that we know the why behind the Montessori method, let’s get to our list of best Montessori toys —
01. Wooden Coin Box
This Montessori toy packs a punch with all the foundational skills it can teach. Think object permanence, cause and effect, hand-eye coordination, and fine motor skills.
This is a great Montessori toy for babies as they can start to use it as soon as they can grasp. Before even putting the balls into the hole, baby can grasp the ball and work on moving it back and forth between their hands.
Teach your little one object permanence - knowing something still exists even when you cannot see it. Practice dropping the balls and the coins into the box, then pulling out the drawer to reveal the items again. Start with the balls at 6+ months, then transition to using the coins after 12 months.
As your little one gets older, use this for labeling colors as they drop the ball and coins into the box. You can also use the coins for counting. The possibilities are endless.
Words to Say, Teach, & Repeat: in, out, drop, ball, coin, colors, “where is it?”
02. Best Shape Sorting Toy
Montessori Wooden Shape Sorting Toy
Montessori shape sorting sticks are also called peg shape sorters. These wooden toys come with lots of educational opportunities for toddlers during play. This is a great Montessori toy for 2 year olds that can build on skills and learning as they grow.
This toy offers a hands-on way to learn about shapes and colors. Practice following directions by instructing your little one to “sort the circles first.” Watch them find all the circles to place into the toy first (and help if needed!). Then move onto the next shape.
As toddlers sort shapes and stick them into the corresponding shaped hole, they will be honing critical skills like hand-eye coordination and fine motor skills. This toy requires precise hand control and works on dexterity.
Your child will also work on skills like concentration, problem-solving, and logical thinking as they rotate and orient shape sticks to fit. Spatial awareness is required when toddlers think about which shapes fit where.
Words to Say, Teach, & Repeat: shape names, colors, twist, turn, in, out
03. Realistic Animal Figures
Realistic animal figurines are often seen in Montessori classrooms and homes. These Montessori toys are used to teach real-world understanding and promote language learning.
These toys build vocabulary and help children foster a love and understanding of animals. Not only can children use these toys to label animals and learn their names, they can also be introduced to the concept of storytelling. Introduce descriptive language - striped, furry, big, small, rough, smooth, etc.
Animal figures are a good Montessori toy for 1 year olds. Start to label and set a play scene with those animals. As your child grows into toddlerhood, you can introduce classification concepts. What kind of habitat does each animal live in? Which animals are large and which are small? Which animals are carnivores?
These Montessori toys will truly grow with your child and allow them to learn and play for years.
Words to Say, Teach, & Repeat: animal names, walk, trot, run, animal sounds
04. Toddler Pretend Play Cleaning Set
Melissa & Doug Dust, Sweep, Mop Set
While this Melissa & Doug cleaning set is not an officially sanctioned Montessori toy, it very much aligns with the Montessori method. These cleaning tools are child-sized and generally marketed for pretend play. But, many of the cleaning tools are functional!
These child-sized cleaning tools look and feel realistic. Toddlers can use the broom, the dustpan, and brush for real cleaning. The mop and duster could be used for real-life cleaning as well, but would be harder to clean after use.
The mop and broom are a Melissa & Doug favorite in our house, it’s used almost daily!
This toy aligns with the Montessori method because they teach practical life skills like how to clean, tidy up, and use cleaning tools. It also gives children the ability to mimic cleaning alongside their caregivers and feel a sense of independence and purpose.
All while your little ones are cleaning, they are working gross and fine motor skills!
Words to Say, Teach, & Repeat: sweep, scrub, clean up, push, wipe, dump, pour
05. Fine Motor Pop-Up Toy
Pop-up toys like this are great for teaching little ones about cause and effect. They also work on things like hand-eye coordination and fine motor skills.
You can introduce this Montessori toy around 9 months to one year of age.
This toy is great for pairing language with motor skills. Practice grasping and aligning the pegs into their slots. Then model using your pointer finger to press down the colored pegs and watch them fly. Pop-up toys like this one are great to work on finger isolation as well which is a 15 month milestone.
Your little one will start to understand cause and effect when they push on a peg, and then watch it jump out. But it doesn’t stop there. Their little brains are learning about concepts like predictability and intentionality.
Words to Say, Teach, & Repeat: in, out, push, pop, fly, “ready, set, go!”
06. Pikler Triangle Gross Motor Toy
Pikler Triangle & Climbing Set
A Pikler triangle is a popular Montessori wooden climbing toy. It’s used to develop gross motor skills, build confidence, and support movement.
You can increase gross motor strength and coordination while playing with this climbing set. It also engages sensory play. Crawl, climb, work on balance, and more. These wooden play sets were designed to allow children to learn and play at their own pace.
It’s perfect to pull out for rainy days inside to get toddlers moving and working those large muscle groups. This set can fold up completely and slide under or behind the couch when not using.
Not only does it work gross motor development, the Pikler triangle can inspire creativity in children. Use it as a fort, a tent frame, a slide, or as part of an obstacle course.
Words to Say, Teach, & Repeat: up, down, slide, climb, crawl, “ready, set, go”
07. Color Sorting Sticks
Montessori Color Sorting Sticks
A Montessori toy for toddlers that encourages color recognition and fine motor development. Match the colored sticks to the corresponding colored holes.
Work on color sorting and increasing fine motor strength and coordination with your 2 year olds. This wooden toy is easy to transport. Its small size makes it great to keep in the diaper bag for on-the-go fun!
Montessori toys like this one teach the early math skill called one-to-one correspondence. For example, your toddler will learn that one orange stick will go in one orange hole, etc.
Because the sticks and holes are smaller, this toy encourages hand dexterity, concentration, and focus. Your toddler will also be able to problem-solve and self correct. When they see a stick is white and the hole is red, they will be able to visually see that and correct over time as they learn.
Words to Say, Teach, & Repeat: color names, in, out, more, again
08. Textured Multi Ball Sensory Exploration Set
Infantino Textured Multi Ball Set
Balls with different textures are a simple Montessori toy for babies. They encourage sensory exploration.
Babies can explore the textures and that provides sensory development to their brains. Not only that, small balls like this encourage baby to reach out and grasp. They practice holding the balls, then work on moving them back and forth.
Use these to encourage baby to visually track. Roll the balls back and forth or hold them above baby and move them up, down, and side to side. Work on reaching, grasping, and squeezing the balls to get different sensory input.
Words to Say, Teach, & Repeat: reach, roll, squeeze, up, down, bumpy, smooth
09. Wooden Busy Board
These Montessori toys are designed for children to develop practical skills, gain independence, and understand how real-world concepts work. They are a great example of hands-on play. Introduce these toys to little ones as young as 6 months and use them through toddlerhood.
This is a practical and educational toy for toddlers. Work on increasing fine motor skills while practicing dressing skills by using the functional fasteners and ties. Ask your toddler where they might see zippers, velcro, and buttons in the real world.
Busy boards are great for practicing the fine motor movements needed for self-care. They can practice skills that will help them gain independence when dressing, potty training, and putting on shoes.
By practicing basic life skills on the busy board, your toddler develops confidence and independence.
Words to Say, Teach, & Repeat: zip/unzip, slide, turn, on, off, snap, tie, lock/unlock
10. Fine Motor Puzzles
Pincer Grasp & Egg Cup Puzzles
This wooden Montessori toy is also referred to as egg-and-cup or egg-in-cup toys. They are a great Montessori toy for babies. You can start to introduce these toys between 9 and 12 months of age.
The Egg-in-cup toy works a lot on honing the pincer grasp. The pincer grasp is a fine motor movement that is essential for daily tasks like writing, dressing, and eating.
Pull the long cylinder out of the puzzle 75% of the way, then say “Ready…set…drop!” Release it back into the cube to make a bang. Hand it to baby and wait for them to imitate you. Similarly, hold the wooden egg in your hand and model dropping it into the small cup. Then, pass it to baby. While your baby is imitating your actions, they are working on utilizing that pincer grasp in a fun way!
While playing with these two puzzles, your child will also be working on skills like wrist rotation, hand-eye coordination, and spatial awareness.
Words to Say, Teach, & Repeat: “ready, set, drop,” in, out, up, down
11. Musical Instruments for Babies & Toddlers
Musical instruments like this are considered Montessori toys because they are real and purposeful. They don’t have added flashing lights or melodies that come along with them. These are simple wooden instruments that babies and toddlers can bang, shake, and tap to make noise.
These instruments allow babies and toddlers to make music and sounds. They encourage active participation. Musical instruments allow for sensory development as well. Not only are little ones listening to the music and hearing it, they are also learning about vibrations and rhythm.
You can work on language skills with instruments and practice imitation and turn-taking by passing instruments back and forth. Instruments can be used to teach toddlers about patterns and rhyming. They truly are “toys” that grow with your child past baby and toddlerhood.
Words to Say, Teach, & Repeat: shake, bang, hit, tap, play, stop, roll
12. Gardening Tools for Toddlers
Gardening tool sets like these align with the Montessori method because they are functional and sized appropriately for little hands. This set allows toddlers to do real-world work in the garden. And gardening is a great example of hands-on play!
Start introducing gardening as early as 18 months. Your little one will love to garden, dig, and plant. They will work gross motor skills while digging, and then use fine motor skills to place seeds to plant.
Not only will they learn practical skills through doing (digging, watering, weeding, etc), they will also engage in sensory play. Gardening engages so many senses. Seeing the garden. Touching and feeling the textures of the soil, ground and leaves. Hearing the birds or buzzing of the bees while planting. Smelling the flowers, and maybe even tasting the food you grow together!
Words to Say, Teach, & Repeat: dig, pour, plant, pull, pick, cut, carry, rake
13. Toddler Kitchen Tools
While toddler towers are not considered Montessori toys, they are Montessori-aligned tools. Learning or “helper” towers allow children the independence to participate in practical real-world activities like preparing food, cooking, and washing dishes.
Once your little one can stand unassisted and is cruising, this is a great option for them.
We use the Lalo tower every day for crafts and meals.
Use the toddler learning tower to get your toddler involved in the kitchen. Work on kitchen activities like washing produce, scooping/measuring and mixing ingredients, peeling fruits, assisting in making a smoothie, etc.
Your child can also help with simple cleaning tasks on the learning tower. Have them sweep their crumbs into a pile and dump them, or spray and wipe down the counters.
Allow them access to the sink to rinse dishes. There are so many skills to practice!
Make sure to supervise always :) “EATPLAYSAY” saves 10% on Lalo products!
Words to Say, Teach, & Repeat: mix, pour, peel, measure, wipe, scrub, wash, rinse
While on the subject of practical skills in the kitchen, a toddler knife set can go hand-in-hand with a learning tower.
These toddler-safe knives and cutting board are Montessori-aligned tools that encourage practical life skills.
When your toddler is in their learning tower, allow them to cut softer foods for snacks and meal prep. Bananas, strawberries, bell peppers, cucumbers, and cheese are all great options!
Paul, 4 years old, helps me cut fruit and vegetables daily with this knife set. We couldn’t love it more.
When toddlers use this set, they will be working on fine motor control and hand strength while developing more confidence in the kitchen.
My kids love being more involved with preparing their own snacks and meals. Remember, children eat more and try more foods when they have exposure to them OUTSIDE of meals. So, food prep as much as you can!
Words to Say, Teach, & Repeat: hold, slice, cut, push, place, slide
Looking for more?
Find more of our favorite toys by age and how to play. And don’t forget to read! We rounded up the best books for babies and toddlers to make the most of playtime.
