Montessori inspired gift ideas for toddlers are influenced by our own journey in starting the process to get our son into an accredited Montessori School. If interested, you can learn about what Montessori schools in your area are accredited, on the pathway to accreditation, or are simply just members of the American Montessori Society (not accredited or on the pathway to accreditation). If you plan to Montessori at home, the American Montessori Society is a great resource.
During this process with virtual tours, open house, family interviews, videos, and additional research, I’ve learned Montessori toys and activities are inspired by practical life and open-ended play. It’s the simplicity, the beauty, independence, and the opportunity for children to “learn how to learn” is what you will find in Montessori toys and activities.
Of course, after the application process, I searched the internet looking for the best Montessori inspired gift ideas for toddlers to revamp my son’s play area and to add more Montessori toddler toys.
These are ideal Montessori Christmas gifts, birthday gifts too, or a great congratulatory gift after acceptance into an accredited Montessori School. I will list Montessori toys by age.
Montessori Inspired Gift Ideas- Toys By Age
Montessori Toys For Babies
Baby Mobile Set– Tummy time never looked so good!
- Hanging silicone beads connected to wooden items.
- Encourages hand-eye coordination.
- Folds flat.
- Recommended for ages 0 to 8 months.
Baby Walker- Ready set mow! This baby walker resembles a lawnmower with an adjustable handle to help your little ones take their first steps and practice balance.
Comes with 20+ blocks and is recommended for ages 10 months and up.
Climber- Babies love to crawl and climb around exploring. The Little Climber is an excellent Montessori toy for a baby and toddlers.
- Foldable.
- Ladder/slide option or rock wall/slide.
- Hours of open-ended play.
- Recommended for ages 6 months to 4-year-olds.
Best Montessori Toys For 1 Year Old
Wooden Ring Stacker- These ring stackers are such beautiful wooden Montessori toys. They come in a variety of colors like pastel and rainbow. It’s a great way to enhance hand-eye coordination.
Punch Drop- With Punch Drop kids can work on their hand-eye coordination by pounding the three balls down into the box and watching them roll out. Made from solid rubber.
Recommended for ages 12 months and up.
Clapper- Every baby needs a noisemaker of some sort, right? Let their little hands make as much noise as possible with this Clapper to hear unfamiliar sounds and rhythms.
Drum Set- A drum set is another great Montessori baby toy for the little ones to make their own beats and to wiggle to. This drum set also comes with a drumstick, which is another way for kids to work on their motor skills.
Recommended for ages 18 months and up.
Balance Bike- Balance bikes are a fantastic way for the little ones to work on their motor skills and gain confidence in trust in what their little bodies can actually do.
The Retrospec Cricket is for beginners. Made with 4 wheels for better balance and it’s also designed to make sure each baby’s feet can touch the floor for better stability. For kids 12-24 months.
Montessori Wooden Blocks- The most beautiful block set you ever did see! The Castle. When thinking of Montessori gift ideas, a block set should always be on the list. There are so many things kids can do with them, build, create, tear down and build again.
These Montessori wooden toys come in a variety of colors, from natural wood to rainbow colors, both vibrant rainbow colors to pastel.
There’s also a smaller block set called The House.
Recommended for ages 1+ – 12 years old.
Wooden Balance Board-
Another way for children to build independence, confidence in their abilities, and use their imagination is a wooden Balance Board. There is so much they can do from trying to balance, which strengthens muscles, turning it into a slide, a bridge, or a beam to rest on. The possibilities are endless.
- Made with natural birch and beech wood.
- Can support 485 lbs.
- Recommended for ages 19 months and older.
Little Steps- Little steps are another useful Montessori toy for toddlers, helping them with balance and coordination. These would also help with color coordination.
- 6 Circular wooden pads in 6 different colors.
- Can be used indoors or outdoors.
- Anti-slip pads
- Can easily be stored away.
- Recommended for ages 18 months to 8 years old.
Another option for less is the Mini Stepping Stones by Piccalio.
Stackables- Similar to stacking or building blocks, but these Stackables are 9 different shapes and colors. This set is considered a balance game to help practice shapes, colors, and fine motor skills.
Recommended for ages 12 months to 8 years old.
Montessori Placemat & Utensils–
- (1) Silicone placemat
- (2) Napkins
- (1) Spoon
- (1) Fork
- (1) Knife
LED Big Busy Board- This Big Busy Board is great because it teaches real-life skills like tying shoes, telling time on a clock, winding gears, and putting together buttons. Perfect for independence and cognitive thinking.
Recommended for 12 months and up.
Keep your kids engaged with this interactive Color Activity For Kids.
Best Montessori Toys For 2 Year Olds
Advance Balance Bike- You truly can’t go wrong with a balance bike as a Montessori gift. There’s an endless outside play on those beautiful days to follow the neighborhood trails and identify nature’s objects.
My son will ride for about 45 minutes exploring before he’s ready to head back home for a snack break. We’ve had the QPlay Balance Bike for about 2 years. It’s gone many places with us, including camping trips and it was perfect there too for those slow mornings in his PJs riding the trails while we walked.
Recommended for ages 18 months to 4 years old. You can see ours here. We purchased ours around 18 months, so it’s a good Montessori toy for 18-month-olds.
Best Montessori Toys For 3 Year Olds
Banjo- A beautiful Montessori inspired gift idea for 3-year-olds is a Banjo. Let them make fresh sounds and jam. The banjo is the perfect Montessori gift to work on fine motor skills.
Recommended for ages 3 years old and up.
Lacing Beads- If you are working on color recognition and counting lacing beads are cool, Montessori inspired gift ideas for toddlers.
They can get creative with the 30 wooden beads and laces with 6 bold colors and a variety of shapes.
Recommended for 3 to 5-year-olds.
Dust & Broom Set- Melissa & Doug Let’s playhouse, sweep, and mop set is the absolute perfect Montessori gift to teach independence and open-ended play.
So many children would rather do what their parents are doing instead of playing with their toys. This set will do the trick!
Recommended for ages 3 – 6 years old.
This balance board was created to inspire the same endless opportunity for hours of open-ended play. They also created it to spread love in the beauty of diversity and inclusion.
- Color hues of our diverse skin tones.
- Starter size, which is ideal for toddlers or regular size.
- Starter size supports 350 lbs.
- Regular size supports 450 lbs.
Wooden Peg Board Beads- A Montessori inspired toy for the preschooler is these wooden board beads that will help with sorting and counting. Comes in a variety of color patterns.
Wooden Geoboard– A fun way to work on math skills like geometry, angles, symmetry, and fractions.
Recommended for ages 3 years old and up.
Kid Easel- Let their imagination run wild with a multi-purpose Easel.
- Whiteboard, chalkboard, and paper
- Markers.
- Chalk.
- Finger paints.
- Apron.
- Magnetic letters and numbers.
- And so much!
Wooden Nesting Bowls- Nesting bowls are great for sorting and counting with kids.
Montessori Toys For 4 Year Olds
Number Board– This Montessori gift will help the little ones trace numbers and enhance counting skills the proper way. No need for flashcards.
To add a little more fun, it’s recommended to use food items for counting and play-doh for tracing.
Global Adventure Cooking Kit– Let your little one take part in making your next family meal. Added to each kit are puzzles, facts, and activities about each country’s food and culture.
Countries to choose from:
- Brazil
- Ethiopia
- Greece
- India
- Lebanon
- Mexico
- Morocco
- Spain
Recommended for ages 4 years old – 12.
Tip: Lovevery has a Play Kit subscription for ages 0 – 12 months, 1-year-old, 2 years old, and 3 years old, which could cover all of your Montessori inspired playtimes.
Montessori Puzzles For Toddlers
Montessori puzzles are a great way for toddlers to work on problem-solving and hand-eye coordination. Over time they will gain confidence in their abilities to problem-solve.
Montessori Wooden Puzzle- These animal puzzles for toddlers help kids ages 2-4 with hand-eye coordination, counting, and number recognition.
Emotions Puzzles- This one is for 3 years old and up. Sometimes our kids don’t always know how to express their big emotions, but as parents, we know how they feel when we see their smiles, tears, or even an angry face.
The Emotions Puzzle can help them put together their feelings, and, if need be, can work through it.
Besides helping them describe how they’re feeling, it can also help with colors, shapes, and fine motor skills.
Comes with 11 pieces to use to create a face.
Busy Board Name Puzzle- This Name Puzzle comes in 10 different colors and can be purchased with or without pegs. Great for letter recognition.
Montessori Books For Parents
Montessori books are also wonderful Montessori inspired gift ideas for parents.
I hope you find this Montessori gift guide helpful to build your own play area. These are some of the best Montessori inspired gift ideas for toddlers. Enjoy!
You may also enjoy:
The Best Culturally Diverse Children’s Books
7 Things No One Tells You Before Having Kids
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