The Ultimate Montessori Toy List -- Birth to Five -- UPDATED 2019

When you are interested in Montessori, it can be difficult to know exactly what types of products you should get for your home. Or which types of "Montessori" materials are really worth the price. There are no rules about types of products can use the name Montessori which can add to the confusion. Not to mention, every toy manufacturer slaps the word "educational" on the package for good measure!

2019 UPDATE: This post has been updated to include a variety of brands and new product finds! Just a reminder that no one child will be interested in all of this or needs all of this. These toys are just here to spark ideas and give you a feeling for some Montessori-friendly options available!

The Ultimate Montessori Friendly Toy list! Montessori friendly toy and gift ideas for babies, toddlers and preschoolers!

So, with this post, I'm going to try to help with this confusion! Here's a list of Montessori-friendly toys and materials for babies, toddlers and preschoolers.

First, let's clarify that there is no such thing as a "Montessori toy." Montessori never created toys, but only works for classroom settings. While there are many works that I recommend for home school use, you won't find these on this list.

This post contains affiliate links at no cost to you.

Instead, these are developmentally appropriate, natural (where possible), open ended toys! Many of these we actually own and many are on my own wish list for my children!

Babies and Young Toddlers {Birth to 18 months}

When shopping for Montessori babies, I suggest, keeping materials as simple and as natural as possible. Avoid things that are too flashy, heavy or complicated. Instead, focus on beauty and function!

Natural Teether Ball -- Kavanaugh Family Favorite

Natural Teething Ring
Wooden Pacifier Clip
Toddler apron
Montessori Baby Bib
Placemat and Napkin Set

Splurge

Learning Tower
Tripp Trapp Chair
Monti Kids Level 1

Toddlers {18 Months to 3 Years}

Here, remember that every toddler is different, and unique. Try to follow your child's own interests and abilities when deciding what works for them! What is appropriate for one child, won't work for another! Some might be ready for something at 1-year-old and others not until 4.

Fine Motor

Bead Lacing | Natural wood lacing with dowel | PlanToys Lacing Beads
Lacing Spools
Counting Stacker | Hape Counting Stacker
Disk Stacking and Popping
Lacing Sheep
Stacking Tree | Stacking Building
Cone Pyramid {hard to find a new one, but still making the list because it's amazing} | Newer Version -- Kavanaugh Family Favorite
Latches Box | Lock Box Set
Wooden Peg Board
Buddha Board
PlanToys Shape Sorting Bench | 4 piece shape sorter | PlanToys Shape Sorter {or here} | Tag Toys Shape Sorter
Goki Simple Shape Sorter -- Kavanaugh Family Favorite
Montessori Flip Lid Shape Sorter
Hape Twist and Sort Puzzle
PlanToy Wooden Stacking Disks | Melissa and Doug Stacking Shapes | Guidecraft Stacking Shapes
Balancing Disks | Balancing Cactus
Lacing Block | Wooden Lacing Cards | Lacing Card Shapes
Large Grimms Stacker
Large Pearler Beads
Imaginet Magnets
Fraction Cups | PlanToys Fraction Blocks
Weighted Cylinders
PlanToys Gears
Shape Sorting Stacking Toy
Grimm's Color Sorting
Grimm's Pegs and Cups
Color Sorting Cups and Coins
Size Discrimination Pegging
Melissa and Doug Bead Sequencing
Lock Box with Slot | Lock Box
Stacking Logic Disks
Tumble Down Pegging Numbers | Pegging Number Cards
Hape Pegging Pattern Cards
Jumbo eye dropper set
Guidecraft nest and stack puzzle
Guidecraft circle fractions
Grimms Sorting Board

Gross Motor

Strider Bike -- Kavanaugh Family Favorite
Tactile Disks
River Stone Climbers
Large Foam Blocks
Bean Bags
Roll and Play Game
Trampoline
MicroMini Scooter | Radio Flyer Scooter | Radio Flyer Sit to Ride
TootScoot Balance Bike
Wheelbarrow
Wobbel Board -- Kavanaugh Family Favorite

Building and Block Play

Unit Blocks: Option 1 | Option 2 | Option 3
Stacking Pyramid
Grimms Rainbow -- Kavanaugh Family Favorite
HABA Ball Run
Grimms Stacking Boxes
Rainbow Blocks: Option 1 | Option 2 | Option 3 | Option 4
Peg Board
Wooden Pattern Blocks | Plastic Pattern Blocks
Duplos
Large Hollow Building Blocks | Small Hollow Blocks
Discovery Blocks | Discovery Boxes
Magnet Builders: Option 1 | Option 2
Bristle Blocks
Mirror Blocks
Way to Play Flexible Roads
Wooden Arches

Puzzles

Chunky Shape Puzzles
Adult and Baby Farm Animal Matching Puzzle
Geometric Shape Puzzle | PlanToys Geometric Shape Puzzle
Cylinders Puzzle
Kid O Color Steps | Wooden Steps Puzzle
Hape Color and Shape Sorter Puzzle
Construction Vehicles Puzzle
Small Knobbed Montessori Puzzles
2 piece Matching Puzzles Set -- Kavanaugh Family Favorite
2 piece real pictures
3 piece first jigsaw puzzles set
3 piece vegetables jigsaw set | 3p fruit jigsaw set
Simple Jigsaw Puzzle Set
PlanToys Geometric Shape Sequencing Puzzle
Personalized Name Puzzle -- Kavanaugh Family Favorite
Puzzle Game
First Frame Farm Puzzle -- Kavanaugh Family Favorite
First Frame Construction Puzzle | First Frame Firefighting
Cat Layers Puzzle | Rabbit Layer Puzzle | Tractor Layer | Car Layer
4 Seasons Layer Puzzle
Half-Shape Sequencing Puzzle
Chicken and Chicks Puzzle
Fractions Puzzle
10p Find and Seek Jigsaw
12p Jigsaw Construction Set | 12p Animals Jigsaw Set
15p Fireman Jigsaw | 15p Farm Jigsaw
Leaf Lift and Learn Puzzle | Bird Lift and Learn
Safari Animals Block Puzzle
Opposites Puzzle Set
3 Piece Sequencing Puzzles

Dramatic Play and Language Development

Anatomically Correct Baby | Larger Anatomically Correct Baby
Doll Stroller
Mini-Wagon
Wooden Dollhouses: Option 1 | Option 2
Large Wooden Barn -- Kavanaugh Family Favorite
Dollhouse People: Option 1 | Option 2
Cuddly Baby
Schleich Farm Animals -- Kavanaugh Family Favorite
Schleich Animals | Schleich Wild Animals | Schleich Wild Set 2
Playmobil Farm House
Playmobil 123: Recycling Truck | Tractor | Market
School bus | Mail Truck | UPS Truck
Large Garbage Truck | Large Excavator | Large Cement Mixer
Realistic Magnets: Pets | Zoo Animals | Farm
Sneaky Snacky Squirrel Game
Shopping List Game
First Orchard Game
Creature Matching Game
The Helping Game
Picture Sequencing Cards
Zitternix Game - Kavanaugh Family Favorite (will last long beyond toddler years)

Musical

Hand Bells
Large Drum
Hand symbols
Tambourine
Harmonica
Wooden Marble Tre

Practical and Art

Garden Tools
Paint Brushes
Pantone Color Cards
Easel: Hape Easel | Melissa and Doug Easel
Natural Finger Paint
Toddler crayons: Beeswax Crayons | Rock crayons | Proper Gripping Crayons
Stabilio Woody 3 in 1 - Kavanaugh Family Favorite
Stockmar Watercolors | Watercolor Cakes
Toddler Wooden Spirograph
Play dough Accessories: Wooden Set | Stampers | Creative Rollers | Patterned Rollers

Splurge

Indoor Climbing Dome
Grimms Pyramid of Blocks -- Kavanaugh Family Favorite
Monti Kids Level 8

Preschoolers {3 to 5 Years}

Follow your child's interests! By preschool age, many children have strong preferences, follow them! There are natural choices available to fit every interest and budget!

Building Toys and Tools

HABA Marble Run

Legos
Block play people: community workers | children | family
Magnification Blocks | Mirror Blocks
Grimms Building Slats | Semi Circles
Magnatiles -- Kavanaugh Family Favorite
HABA Tap and Tack
Grimms Wooden Cube Blocks | 1" Cube Blocks
Child Sized Tools | Small Tool Set
Fort Clips -- Kavanaugh Family Favorite
Large Playsilk
Roman Arch
Kid Knex
Melissa and Doug Architecture Blocks
Hape Flexistix
Sarah's Silks Play Frame
Child sized tool belt
Small Safety Goggles
Tools with Box
Small Hand Drill -- Kavanaugh Family Favorite
Geometry Building

Games

Count Your Chickens Cooperative Game
Hoot Owl Hoot Cooperative Game
Eeboo Never Forget a Face Game
Outfoxed -- Kavanaugh Family Favorite (5+)
Bird Memory Game
Bingo: Bird Bingo | Bug Bingo | Dog | Monkey | Cat | Ocean
Picnic Game
Fraction Formula
Match a Track Memory Game
Tiny Polka Dot - Kavanaugh Family Favorite
Haba Orchard Game
Wildcraft
Max the Cat
Card holder
Match a Bird Game
Continent Race Game

Puzzles

Art Supplies

Water Colors
Melissa and Doug Easel | Hape Easel
Felt/Dry Erase Board
Clay | Modeling Clay
Sun Art
Large Roll of Paper
Rainbow Scratch Paper
Loom | Smaller Loom
WikiSticks
Kinetic Sand -- Kavanaugh Family Favorite
Knitting Doll | Knitting Fork
Insect Rubbing Plates | Leaf Rubbing Plates | Flower Rubbing Plates
Beeswax Modeling
Spirograph Jr.
Kwik Stix Paint Sticks
Perler Beads
Color Pencils
Stencils | Multiple Shape Stencil
Block Crayons
Paint Brushes -- Kavanaugh Family Favorite
Stamp Pens
Assorted Paper
Gel Pens

Gross Motor

Hilltop Climbers -- Kavanaugh Family Favorite
Balancing Disk
Indoor Swing
Play Mat
Large Rubber Balls
Indoor Swinging Bar
Climbing Rope Latter
Indoor Swing -- Kavanaugh Family Favorite

STEM

Pocket Microscope -- Kavanaugh Family Favorite
Animal X-Rays
Human X-Rays | Insect X-Rays
Fun with Magnets
Skeleton Floor Puzzle
Geometric Solids
Liquid Scale | Food Scale
Wooden Pattern Blocks
GeoBoard | Natural Wooden GeoBoard
Magnetic Marble Run
Simple Machines
Snap Circuits -- Kavanaugh Family Favorite
Beaker Set
Agate Slices | Rock Samples
Laminated Butterflies and Plants
Acrylic Bug
Anatomy Model
Giraffe Anatomy Model | Shark Model | Tiger Model
Microscope
Human Body Magnets
Large Space Magnets
Gears Motion Machines
Code and Go Robot Mouse
Wooden Fractions | Plastic Fractions
Terrarium Kit
Hundreds Board
0-10 Bead Board and tracing -- Kavanaugh Family Favorite
1-5 Bead Board

Language and Culture

Globe
Montessori Continent Wall Map
Letter Construction
Cash Register
Magnetic Letters
Half-Sized Guitar
Movable Alphabets: Print | Cursive | Paper
Visual Dictionary
Anamalium | Botanicum | Maps -- excellent overview books!
Wall Chalkboard
Continent and Animal Matching
Cursive Magnatab
Hand Puppet | Hand Puppet | Hand Puppet
Sequencing Cards
Magnetic Dress up
Free Play Magnatab -- Kavanaugh Family Favorite
Cursive Tracing Board
Solid Wood Letter Puzzle | Hape lowercase puzzle
alphabet stamps
Continent transfer work
U.S. Flag and Puzzle Map

Splurge

Light Table
WobbelBoard -- soooooo awesome!

I hope this post helps you make some Montessori inspired choices this holiday season! There are so many great choices to fit every child, and every budget!

Looking for Non-Toy Choices? Don't miss our Ultimate Montessori Non-Toy Gift Guide!

Comments

shelah moss said…

What an awesome gift guide. There are so many beautiful toys here that kids will love to play with.

November 16, 2015 at 9:55 PM

Anonymous said…

Thanks for this list. I am not a Montessori parent by the label, but I try to keep an open mindset for my girls. In doing so, I find that I fit in with the Montessori crowd the most. When we were looking at preschools for our older daughter, we looked at everything with the intention of sending her to a traditional school. Turns out, we let her choose and she chose the Montessori School because her personality fit well with their program. We loved it because the school wasn't cluttered, and it just felt so peaceful compared to what we grew up with. Both my girls went to Montessori, and are very free spirited, well behaved and in general calm girls. I am somewhat attracted to toys that are Montessori, again, it's just something I realized when I was googling. I am not anti plastic, just anti music. I try to stick to non mainstream toys because I find that they offer the most benefits for kids. My favorite brands are Hape, Haba, Plan and Green Toys. My daughters love blocks....lego, lincoln logs, dominos, unit blocks and magformers. I was SO happy to find this list from you because I have a 5 year old like you do, and well she asked Santa for boxes for Christmas. I was like boxes? She said if she asked for a toy, she will only get that toy, but if she asked for many boxes, she can make ANYTHING she wants. It was so cute, so I will be getting her boxes. I wanted some more ideas though and your list has helped me out tremendously, so thank you!

December 3, 2015 at 8:11 AM

Nicole @ The Kavanaugh Report said…

Yay! So glad to help!

December 8, 2015 at 10:26 PM

J said…

Thank you so much for this post! I hope you have made a lot of money off me using your links because, um, yeah. My credit card is crying. :)

March 13, 2016 at 12:38 AM

William Braylen said…

Play is regular for children and folks ought to empower it by giving right apparatuses. Wooden squares for children were helpful even in the past days. They are famous even now due to their solid and innovative craftsmanship.Kids' block brand

April 26, 2016 at 5:24 AM

MSM said…

good post.

May 18, 2016 at 12:09 AM

Carl N. Dennis said…

nice post

May 21, 2016 at 2:27 AM

marta larkin said…

A baby is a nice addition to the family. While you can cuddle the baby to your heart's content, you must not forget to bring the newly born loads and loads of gifts just to express your ardent love.

May 21, 2016 at 3:15 AM

Sanawar said…

good post. site

June 14, 2016 at 11:18 AM

Mac Alvarez said…

A fine list of toys for every child age group. Thanks that you have segregated all these baby toys perfectly. New parents around the world would find it very useful. Often, we get confused what to give gifts in the baby shower ceremony, marriage ceremony and in birthdays. Before some moths I was in the supermarket to buy some gifts for my close friend's baby shower ceremony. But it's sad to say that i chose such an embarrassing gift that I couldn't forgive myself.
kid steals

August 4, 2016 at 4:56 AM

traditional wooden toys said…

traditional wooden toys
nice

September 1, 2016 at 10:21 AM

Hazel Smith said…

Kids love toys. Toys are more than just fun and games for kids and most toys provide at least some opportunity for children to learn. The best toys engage a child’s senses, spark their imaginations and encourage them to interact with others.
Top Toy Place

September 14, 2016 at 2:02 AM

Christina Jones said…

Kids like to play with stuffed toys because it’s soft and fluffy. They are doing whatever they want, they can kiss or hug those toys, and also when their asleep hugging their lovely toy. A stuffed toy can help a child feel comfortable and safe. It always helps to improve their physical development by punching or throwing it. When they feel alone they are playing with their toys and talking with the toys. It is helps to develop their emotional.
Cheap Toys

September 28, 2016 at 11:55 PM

Christina Jones said…

September 28, 2016 at 11:57 PM

sowpath said…

thanks

October 30, 2016 at 3:14 AM

Ali Young said…

Wow, this all Toys is perfect for my 2 years old boy, I learn what toys i buy, thanks for this post.

November 28, 2016 at 11:09 PM

Maria Torres said…

This comment has been removed by a blog administrator.

December 5, 2016 at 7:49 PM

Mark smith said…

Interesting blog and very amazing detail about the Adhd toys well done keep it up.
Adhd toys

December 27, 2016 at 4:56 AM

Mika said…

This is amazing post.

December 30, 2016 at 4:10 PM

Bethany K @ BeforeDuringAfter said…

Thanks Nicole! Lots of great ideas. This must have taken you ages to sort everything by category and provide the affiliate links (getting all the codes for that takes forever, I know!). I appreciate the time you took!! <3 You've given me some great ideas for my 1 year old and 3.5 year old :)

February 25, 2017 at 9:24 PM

Laura Elaine said…

Awesome post-- I know it takes ages to get links to all this stuff so thank you so much for the time it took to put it all together! I'm now set on a list of things to look into for my girls and have ideas of what to tell family for gift ideas!

May 25, 2017 at 4:18 PM

The Kavanaugh Report

Search This Blog