Montessori toys are all about keeping play simple, purposeful, and rooted in real-life experiences. If you’ve ever seen a child completely focused on stacking blocks, sorting colors, or pouring water, you’ve seen the magic of Montessori in action. Montessori toys are designed to encourage independence, concentration, and creativity in a way that’s completely child-led. They’re open-ended and often made from natural materials, inviting kids to explore, try, and discover at their own pace.
What’s great about Montessori toys is that they’re timeless. These toys grow with your child, letting them use the same objects in new ways as they get older. You’ll love seeing how your child builds confidence and joy in learning through play. From stacking cups to shape sorters to simple wooden puzzles, Montessori toys turn playtime into hands-on learning that’s both satisfying and fun.
Why You’ll Love These Montessori Toys
You’ll love these Montessori toys because they’re thoughtfully made to encourage development without overstimulating. Each toy promotes focus, problem-solving, and fine motor skills, giving your child a strong foundation for learning. Plus, they’re durable and easy on the eyes, making them a great fit for any home or playroom setup!
What are “Montessori-friendly toys”?
The Montessori method is an educational approach that was developed by an Italian physician Maria Montessori at the beginning of the 20th century. She based her teachings on careful scientific observation of children and their developmental stages, respecting their own pace and independence.
Although Maria Montessori did not leave many direct instructions when it comes to toys, we can safely declare some toys to be Montessori-friendly. All we need is to take the Montessori principles and apply them to the selection of the toys for our children.
A Montessori toy is one that fulfills the following criteria:
- It does not overwhelm the child
Simplicity is one of the most characteristic features of a Montessori toy. You won’t find batteries in them. They don’t make any artificial sounds or noises.
Montessori toys are usually simple, aesthetically pleasing objects made of natural materials (such as wood or cotton).
- It has a purpose
A Montessori-friendly toy should have a clear purpose – it should be aimed at the development of one particular skill or focused on a single concept.
The skills a toy can be aimed at include:
- Sensory skills
- Fine motor skills
- Gross motor skills
- Language development
- Math skills
- Arts and crafts
- Scientific exploration
- It is rooted in reality
A Montessori toy should be rooted in reality. Toys that are based on real-life objects help to learn around the world around us.
Best Montessori Toys for Toddlers (1-3 years)
Rainbow stacking rings
A rainbow stacking toy is one of the symbols of quality wooden toys and a Montessori classic. It develops sorting skills as well as color differentiation abilities.
Montessori busy board toy
The concept of busy board is simple. It encourages hands-on learning through a set of practical activities aimed at fine motor skills development. It will keep your toddler busy for a long time, so it’s often used for car or airplane travel.
International wooden music set
Musical instruments are a great way to encourage creativity and develop musical ear in children. This durable set by Stoie includes 9 musical instruments from all around the world so your little one can experience different cultures from an early age.
Knobbed cylinders
Another Montessori classic. Knobbed cylinders help toddlers to enhance fine motor skills and hand-eye coordination while introducing the concepts of size, height and thickness.
Wooden building blocks
Nothing gives your toddler more creative play time than a big set of beautiful wooden blocks. The award-winning brand Melissa & Doug ensures high-quality and perfect craftsmanship.
Wooden marble run
Marble runs are very popular (not only) among kids. This wooden piece is perfect for toddlers as it helps them to understand the cause-effect relationship in a playful way.
Realistic safari animals
Animal figures are often used as a vocabulary development tool in the Montessori approach. This set by Boley contains 12 realistic safari animals that are well-crafted and made of non-toxic materials.
Pikler triangle
The Pikler triangle has become very popular in Montessori households. It’s a wooden frame developed by Hungarian physician Emmi Pikler, made specifically to be used by little climbers. Perfect for both indoor and outdoor activities.
Balance board
Another great toy to develop your child’s gross motor skills. Besides balancing, it is pretty versatile and can be used in various creative ways.
Realistic cleaning set
The Montessori method encourages kids to participate in everyday household activities as it gives them the sense of responsibility and independence. This functional child-size cleaning set is a perfect gift that will allow that.
Radio Flyer Air Ride Balance Bike
This pedal-free bike is a perfect starting bike for toddlers. It teaches them the most important skill of coordination and finding the balance so they are perfectly ready once they use a full-size bike.
Best Montessori Toys for Preschoolers (3-5 years)
Sensory Kits
Play is at the core of learning during the early years and it can take many forms. One of the most important of these is sensory play because it engages all of a child’s senses (taste, touch, smell, sight and hearing) and thus has a enormous positive impact on brain development. These sensory play kits are designed to engage as well as entertain.
Pattern Blocks and Boards
This beautiful set contains 120 colorful wooden blocks that can be assembled into an infinite number of shapes and patterns. The package also includes 10 design boards to follow and a practical storage tray.
Spinning Alphabet Manipulative Blocks
A popular Montessori educational toy that helps your preschooler learn new words. The blocks spin and create dozens of possible 3-letter word combinations.
1-10 Peg Number Boards
As preschoolers start to understand the concept of numbers and counting, it is great to give them a visual aid that will help them to learn the written numerical symbols.
Montessori 1-100 Consecutive Numbers
The “Hundred Board” is another beautiful Montessori-friendly numerical toy. It teaches children to count from 1 to 100.
Coogam Wooden Geoboard
Geoboard is a versatile educational toy that develops fine motor skills and encourages creativity. Children can start with simple 2D objects and continue with more complex patterns as they grow older.
Screwdriver Board for Kids
The beauty of this toy lies in its simplicity – just a wooden board, 5 metal screws and a screwdriver. A great tool to develop fine motor skills through the practice of inserting and removing various kinds of screws.
Alphabet Tracing Board
Alphabet tracing is a perfect activity for children of preschool age as it helps them to train the pencil grip and develop the muscle memory needed for writing. The set includes a practical guide bonus ebook.
Montessori Letter Formation Sand Tray
Sand tray writing is another popular Montessori activity that can be used both for letter writing and creative drawing. The package includes a wooden tray with a scrape block, pencil and a pack of sand.
Connetix Magnetic Tiles Set
Connetix Magnetic Tiles don’t need much introduction as they’ve been one of the biggest hits among the purposeful toys in the last few years. All we can say is to confirm that they are really as great as advertised.
Stainless Steel Pots & Pans Play Set
Kids love to help in the kitchen. This realistic stainless steel cooking set is just perfect for What’s more, the set is food safe and dishwasher safe!
Magnetic Human Body Play Set
Preschoolers tend to be very curious about science and the human body. This magnetic play set will let them explore the human’s basic anatomy and organs in a creative way.
More Toy Guides for Every Age
- Supplies for Toddler Activities
- Anti-Racism Toys for All Ages
- Backyard Toys for Kids
- The Best Travel Toys for Toddlers + Kids
- Best Toys for Babies 0-12 Months
- Toys for 1 Year Olds
- Toys for 2 Year Olds
- Best Toys for 3 Year Olds
- Best Toys for 4-5 Year Olds
Play2Learn Toddler & Preschool Programs for Curious Toddlers
There is no limit to your toddler’s energy and curiosity. That energy and curiosity although a joy can be challenging at times. Their interest in just about everything around them is what makes them great learners. One and two year olds can soak up so much just from their senses!
But as a teacher or parent that thirst for learning can be exhausting. That is why I created this toddler and preschooler program. To help you get the most out of this time with your curious toddler without having to come up with creative ways to play and interact with them.
Play2Learn for Toddlers includes 20 Units for toddlers. Each 2-week toddler unit has 20 super easy to set up and engaging activities for toddlers 18 months to 3 years.
Play2Learn Preschool which includes 20 Units for preschoolers. Each 2-week preschoolers unit has 20 unique and easy to set up and engaging activities for preschoolers 3 years to 5 years. That’s over 800 learning activities for your toddler and preschooler at your fingertips! So many ideas you and your child will never be bored again!
These toddler and preschool lesson plans and activities will definitely keep you and your toddler and preschooler busy playing and learning!
Click here for more information: Play2Learn
Book: Exciting Sensory Bins for Curious Kids
Did you know I wrote a book of sensory bins? Click here for more information Exciting Sensory Bin for Curious Kids. Or grab your copy at Amazon.
Boring afternoons are made exciting with awesome animal-based bins, like Salty Shark Bay or Yarn Farm. Pretend play bins like Birthday Cake Sensory Play or Bubble Tea Party encourage creativity and imagination. And your kids will have so much fun they won’t even know they’re getting smarter with STEAM (science, technology, engineering, art and math) activities like Sink or Float Soup, Magnetic Letter Hunt or Ice Cream Scoop and Count.
Designed for toddlers 18 months and up.
Book: Super STEAM Activity Book for Kids
Learning all about science, technology, engineering, art, and math sets kids up for scholastic success―and it can be so much fun! Watch kids enjoy building STEAM skills as they color friendly fish, help water find its way to tree roots, solve math problems with mazes, and more.
Find out more and grab your copy here.
Designed for preschoolers 3 years old and up.
Book: Big Book of Riddles for Kids
Riddle me this: What’s an exciting way to practice critical thinking while having a blast? The Big Riddle Book for Kids, of course! From hilarious puns to tough brain teasers, kids can build problem-solving skills with hundreds of riddles tha. t show them how to think outside the box.
- 350 riddles for kids—Have hours of fun with riddles, puns and jokes, and math and logic puzzles that’ll get their wheels turning!
- Level up their skills—Riddles get trickier as kids progress through the book, challenging them as they get better at solving puzzles!
- Double-check their work—Kids can check their answers in the back of the book with a handy answer key.
Help children expand their minds while having fun with this puzzle book for kids!
Designed for kids ages 6 years old and up.
TV Show: Curious Crafting
I’m so excited to share my crafting TV show Curious Crafting which launched in July 2022 on TVOkids and TVOkids YouTube! Season 2 aired in August 2023! My show was also nominated in 2023 for Best Live Action Preschool Series by the Youth Media Alliance Awards of Excellence.
Curious Crafting Season 1 is also now airing in Australia on ABC! Watch it here!
Set in the ultimate crafting space, Curious Crafting is a short form pre-school age series about the joy of making crafts. I lead a rotating cast of adorable little preschoolers (including my own) making magic out of common household objects.
In each episode we transform recycled items into magical crafts like a milk carton school bus, paper bag puppet or cotton pad turtle. The crafters learn and laugh their way through each activity while demonstrating what their young imaginations can create.
Curious Crafting shares the adventure and joy of making art with takeaway lessons for creating crafts at home.
This show designed for toddlers and preschoolers 2.5 years old and up.
thanks for sharing this helpful article, I am bookmarking your article for future reference, thanks for sharing it with us.