The Ultimate Montessori Toy List -- Birth to Five -- UPDATED 2017

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!

2017 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! 

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 {0 - 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!

Cuddly

Lovies
Play Silks -- high on our list!
Baby Paper
Rainbow Ball
Puzzle Ball
Crochet Sensory Ball
Crochet rattle

Fine Motor to 12 Months

Double Bubble Bead Run

Object Permanence Box  -- Augustus' favorite toy!

Single Shape Puzzles
Natural Skwish Rattle
Bell Rattle | Plan Toys Rolling Bell Rattle
HABA Kringelring rattle ring | HABA Magic Rolling Clutch | HABA Triangle
Interlocking Disk
Peg/Egg and Cups Set
OBall
Imbucare Box | Imbucare Triangle
Ball Tracker -- awesome for visual tracking, on Gus' list!
Pincer and Palmer Blocks
Grimms Wooden Teether

Fine Motor to 18 Months

Grimms Natural Stacking Cups -- these are gorgeous!
Montessori Coin Box | Flipping Coin Box
Circle Sorter Puzzle | Natural wood circle sort puzzle
Montessori Circle Puzzle
Wonderworld Ring Stacker | Self-Correcting Ring Stacker
Sound Blocks
Pop Up Toy -- family favorite and awesome deal!
3 Shape Montessori Puzzle
Hape First Shapes Puzzle | Guidecraft Simple Shape Puzzle
Natural Wood Knobbed Shape Puzzle
HABA Peg Board | Natural Wood Peg Board
Wonderworld Ball Pounder | PlanToys Hammer Balls | PlanToys Punch and Drop
Wonderworld Bouncing Sorter | PlanToys Shape and Sort
Horizontal Dowel Toy -- another traditional favorite!
Car Ramp
Chicken and Chicks Puzzle
Ring Return Toddler Toy -- Gus would love this one!
Depth Peg Board
4 piece chunky shape puzzle | 8 piece chunky shape puzzle

Gross Motor  

Ball Cylinder - Perfect for new movers
Hape Little Pounder | Melissa and Doug Pounding Bench | PlanToys Pounding Bench
Radio Flyer Tiny Trike
Radio Flyer Walker Wagon -- Family favorite! This has been used daily for years.
PlanToys Push and Pull
Sensory Balls
PlanToys Rocking Horse | Hape Rocking Horse
Radio Flyer Scoot About
Pikler Triangle -- SUPER high on our current wishlist
Toddler Walker

Musical 

Plan Toys Solid Drum
Egg Shakers 
Glockenspiel -- xylophone -- a favorite in our house!
Musical Shakers
Rainmaker
Wrist Jingle Bells
Wooden Rainmaker

Books

Helen Oxenbury Set 
Indestructibles
Smile! {or any book in this series} -- absolute family favorite that we read daily with Gus!
Black and White Books
Everywhere Babies
All the World
The Wonderful Things You Will Be -- a gorgeous book with a wonderful message!

Practical 

Black and White Images
Activity Gym
Natural Teether Ball -- an absolute favorite! 
Sophie the Giraffe Teether
Raspberry Teether
Natural Teething Ring
Swan Mobile -- A great addition to traditional mobiles
Wooden Pacifier Clip

Splurge

Learning Tower
Tripp Trapp Chair

Toddlers {18 months - 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
Counting Stacker | Hape Counting Stacker
Disk Stacking and Popping
Lacing Sheep -- very nicely made and challenging enough to last a long time.
Stacking Tree | Stacking Building 
Cone Pyramid {hard to find a new one, but still making the list because it's amazing}
Latches Box | Lock Box Set
Wooden Peg Board -- I love that this comes with two sizes of pegs to last a long time
Buddha Board
PlanToys Shape Sorting Bench
Goki Simple Shape Sorter -- favorite shape sorter!
PlanToys Shape Sorter {or here} | Wonderworld Shape Sorter | Multiple Lid Shape Sorter | TAG Toys Shape Sorter
Montessori Flip Lid Shape Sorter
Hape Twist and Sort Puzzle
Kid O Color Sorting Disks | PlanToy Wooden Stacking Disks
Lacing Block | Wooden Lacing Cards
Large Grimms Stacker
Large Pearler Beads -- one of Nora's favorites, so many possibilities
Imaginet Magnets
Fraction Cups | PlanToys Fraction Blocks
Nesting Cube and Cylinder
Weighted Cylinders
PlanToys Gears
Shape Sorting Stacking Toy

Gross Motor

Strider Bike -- This has lasted 4.5 years with heavy use! My kids love it!
Tactile Disks
River Stone Climbers
Large Foam Blocks -- These blocks see so much play for kids of all ages!
Bean Bags
Roll and Play Game
Trampoline -- used so much at our house!
MicroMini Scooter
TootScoot Balance Bike
Wheelbarrow
Small Rocker Board

Building and Block Play 

Unit Blocks -- A must have for open ended play! These are perfect for years to come.
Stacking Pyramid 
Grimms Rainbow -- Family favorite with both Nora and Henry
HABA Ball Run
Grimms Stacking Boxes
Rainbow Blocks
Peg Board
Wooden Pattern Blocks
Duplos
Large Hollow Building Blocks
Discovery Blocks | Discovery Boxes

Puzzles 

Chunky Boat Puzzle
Chunky Shape Puzzles
Farm Animals -- Love the realistic images!
Adult and Baby Farm Animal Matching Puzzle
Wild Animals
Geometric Shape Puzzle | PlanToys Geometric Shape Puzzle
Disk Counting Puzzle
Cylinders
Kid O Color Steps | Wooden Steps Puzzle
Color and Shape Sorter Puzzle
Construction Vehicles Puzzle | Emergency Vehicles Puzzle
2 piece Matching Puzzles Set -- perfect introduction to jigsaw puzzles!
Simple Jigsaw Puzzle Set | Progressive Jigsaw Set
Eeboo Baby-Adult Matching
3 Piece Shape Puzzles -- a great Montessori choice
Guidecraft Color Stacker
Nesting Cube Puzzle
PlanToys Geometric Shape Sequencing Puzzle | Wonderworld Shape Sequence Puzzle
Personalized Name Puzzle -- these are beautiful, Nora loves hers!
Puzzle Game
Farm Jigsaw Puzzle | Fireman Jigsaw
Cat Layers Puzzle
4 Seasons Layer Puzzle -- really engaging, even for older children!
Body Layer Puzzle Girl | Body Layer Puzzle Boy
Half-Shape Sequencing Puzzle
Cylinder size sort puzzle

Dramatic Play and Language Development

Anatomically Correct Baby | Larger Anatomically Correct Baby
Doll Stroller
Mini-Wagon
Loving Family Dollhouse People
Cuddly Baby
Schleich Farm Animals -- Must-have in our family! Schleich animals provide so much learning and play.
Schleich Wild Animals | Schleich Forest Animals | Schleich Wild Set 2
School bus | Mail Truck | UPS Truck
Large Garbage Truck -- Amazing detail!
Fruit Wooden Magnet Set | Vegetables | Grains
Sneaky Snacky Squirrel Game
Shopping List Game
First Orchard Game
Large Wooden Barn -- a family favorite! Hands down one of the most used toys in our house!
Wooden Doll House
Creature Matching Game
The Helping Game -- looks like a fun cooperative game for toddlers!
Playmobil Farm House

Musical 

Hand Bells
Large Drum -- Very loud clear drum!
Tambourine
Hand symbols
Harmonica
Wooden Marble Tree -- these make such beautiful music!

Practical and Art 

Garden Tools -- We have these! Perfect size and they have held up well with real gardening!
Paint Brushes
Pantone Color Cards
Color Paddles
Hape Easel
Natural Finger Paint
Beeswax Crayons
Stockmar Watercolors | Watercolor Cakes
Toddler Wooden Spirograph

Splurge

Indoor Climbing Dome
Grimms Pyramid of Blocks -- the only blocks my kids absolutely super love.
Hammock Swing

Preschoolers {3 years - 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 and Dramatic Play

Multi-Cultural Children | Family Set | Family Set
Community Worker Figures
HABA Marble Run
Legos
Magnification Blocks | Mirror Blocks
Grimms Large Spiral Puzzle
Slot Building
Magnatiles -- One of the most used toys we have.
Hammer Tap Building
Grimms Wooden Cube Blocks | 1" Cube Blocks
Rokenbok Building Blocks -- These are my new favorite, allows curved building!
Child Sized Tools | Small Tool Set
Fort Clips -- perfect for fort building!
Large Playsilk
Hand Puppet | Hand Puppet | Hand Puppet
Roman Arch
Grimms Pattern Blocks
Musical Marble Run

Puzzles and Games

Seeds for the Birds Cooperative Game
Count Your Chickens Cooperative Game
Eeboo Never Forget a Face Game
Community Cooperative Game -- very fun building and strategy game
Bird Memory Game
Bird Bingo
Space Floor Puzzle | Rainforest Floor Puzzle | Ocean Floor Puzzle | Global Children Floor Puzzle
Janod Body Puzzle -- fantastic puzzle, with a lot of great detail
USA Puzzle
Sequencing Puzzle
HABA Orchard Game
Find and Seek Puzzle
Community Workers Puzzle
Airport Puzzle | Construction Site
George Luck Layer Puzzle - Arctic | Jungle Layer Puzzle
Fish Parts Puzzle | Wasp Parts Puzzle {so many varieties of these Montessori classics!}
Outfoxed -- one of Henry's favorites {5+ game}
Obstacles
Playground Jigsaw Puzzle | Neighborhood Jigsaw Puzzle  | Outer Space Puzzle
Wooden World Puzzle
Number Peg Puzzle
HABA Family Layer Puzzle

Art Supplies

Water Colors -- Must have at our house.
Melissa and Doug Easel | Hape Easel
Felt/Dry Erase Board
Clay | Modeling Clay
Sun Art -- so cool! Perfect way to combine science and art.
Large Roll of Paper
Rainbow Scratch Paper
Loom | Smaller Loom
WikiSticks
Kinetic Sand
Knitting Doll -- on my list for 2017!
Insect Rubbing Plates | Leaf Rubbing Plates
Beeswax Modeling
Free Play Magnatab

Gross Motor

Hilltop Climbers -- Absolutely, hands down our favorite gross motor toy!
Seesaw Balance
Balancing Disk
Indoor Swing
Play Mat
Large Rubber Balls

STEM

Pocket Microscope
Animal X-Rays -- I love that this can be a matching game or just exploration.
Human X-Rays | Insect X-Rays
Fun with Magnets
Skeleton Floor Puzzle -- really cool looking!
Geometric Solids
Wooden Balancing Scale | Liquid Scale | Food Scale
Wooden Pattern Blocks
GeoBoard | Natural Wooden GeoBoard
Magnetic Marble Run
Simple Machines
Snap Circuits -- Awesome toy!
Beaker Set
Agate Slices | Rock Samples
Laminated Butterflies and Plants -- very cool for a microscope or light table!
Acrylic Bug
Anatomy Model
Frog Model | Shark Model | Tiger Model
Microscope -- on Henry's 2017 list!

Language and Culture

Globe
World Wall Map | Montessori Continent Wall Map
Letter Construction
Cash Register | Locking Coin Box
Magnetic Letters
Half-Sized Guitar
Moveable Alphabet
Visual Dictionary
Anamalium | Botanicum | Maps -- excellent overview books!
Wall Chalkboard
Continent and Animal Matching
Cursive Magnatab
Letter Puzzle with Montessori Colors | Cursive Letter Puzzle

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!