One thing that Montessorians always remind families is that Montessori is not about the materials – and it’s not!
You can absolutely follow Montessori principles in the home without fancy materials and gadgets. It’s not about the stuff.
However, there are some truly beautiful Montessori-inspired products out there that you can incorporate into your environment. If you’re looking for a Montessori-related gift for a child or parent in your life this holiday season, these are a few of my favorite things.
For Babies
Montessori Mobile Set – age 0-6 months
Dr. Maria Montessori designed four mobiles for babies, to be presented to them in sequential order according to their developmental needs at each stage. You can find out more about the Montessori mobiles and how they support what babies can see at each stage here.
Wooden Montessori Baby Toys – age 3-12 months
These beautiful wooden toys are handmade in Austin, TX by a trained Montessorian and are designed for specific developmental stages in the first year. The toys are intended for age 3 months and up, with the grasping toys intended for around 9 months. An information card is included that gives the approximate age at which to offer each toy and the purpose of each. A beautiful Montessori set for new parents!
Topponcino – age 0-6 months
The topponcino is a small oval pad designed by Dr. Montessori to transfer a small baby from one place to another with the least amount of disturbance to them. It’s a really beautiful tool for newborns. You can read more about the benefits of using a topponcino here!
Absorbent Mind Onesie – ages 0-6
Don’t you wish you still had an Absorbent Mind? This one is only for the under-six crowd, in the first plane of development!
I’m dabbling in t-shirt designs for Multilingual Montessori, and this is my first design for babies and toddlers! You can find all of the style options, including shirts and sweatshirts for toddlers and children, on RedBubble.
For Toddlers
Montessori Learning Tower and Table 2-in-1 – age 1+
Learning towers are great for toddlers to be able to participate fully in the kitchen. I love that this is a convertible learning tower and child-sized table! It’s so sweet and simple and a genius design, perfect for small homes.
The Montessori coin box supports the development of hand-eye coordination, strengthens the hand and pincer grip, and helps teach children about object permanence!
Climbing Triangle – age 1+
Toddlers are developing coordination of movement, and one of their favorite ways to move is to climb. There are endless possibilities with this Pikler-inspired climbing triangle, that can easily fit in a living room or playroom!
Wooden Rainbow Stacking Toy – age 2+
This is a Waldorf-inspired toy that is also available in rainbow colors, but I actually prefer the plain wooden one! The uniformity allows the child to focus only on the size and dimensional differences of the pieces, which is in line with Montessori Sensorial materials which isolate only one sensorial quality at a time. Both toddlers and preschoolers (and let’s be honest, adults too) will love playing with this!
Children’s Knife Set – age 2+ (wavy chopper & wooden chopper), age 3+ (plastic serrated knives)
A knife set for children?!
YES!
Young children love helping out in the kitchen and preparing their own food. This child-friendly knife set is perfect for little hands to develop strength and coordination, and gives children independence in the kitchen. They should always be used with adult supervision, of course!
Front-Facing Bookshelf – age 1+
Toddlers and preschoolers, who are unable to read titles on book spines, benefit from seeing the covers of books when they are choosing a book to look at. This front-facing bookshelf allows them to see what book they’re choosing, and take it out and put it back independently. It also limits their choice to just a few books so that they don’t get overwhelmed by the selection – you can switch books out weekly or monthly for variety!
For Preschoolers
Wooden Wobble Balance Board – age 3+
This simple, versatile board is great for preschoolers, who love challenging their balance!
Simple Flower Press – age 3+
Children love collecting flowers and leaves on nature walk and can preserve them with a flower press. With the large knob at the top of this flower press, children will be able to handle this independently.
Melissa & Doug Cleaning Set – age 3+
This is called a “pretend play” set – but there is nothing pretend about it! Children love participating in the activities of daily life, such as cleaning – yes, really! This cleaning set will allow children to dust, sweep and mop independently in the home.
Wall Clock – age 3+
Ahh, the lost art of analog time-telling!
Having a wall clock, hung at a child’s eye level, is the best way for children to learn to tell time on an analog clock. This clock shows the hourly numbers, the numbers for minutes, and shows quarter past, half past, and quarter ’til.
Miss Rhonda’s Readers: Set One and Set Two – ages 4+
This is my absolute favorite series of easy reader books for beginning readers. They are simple yet engaging, and children feel such a huge sense of accomplishment after reading their first book!
Colorful Wooden Stacking Blocks
This Grimms-inspired set of stacking blocks is in line with Montessori Sensorial materials that isolate just one sensorial quality at a time – in this case, color. Children will have countless hours of fun stacking and rearranging these colorful wooden blocks.
Little People, Big Dreams: Maria Montessori
I love the Little People, Big Dreams series that introduces children to famous people throughout history. This picture book is a wonderful introduction to the life of Dr. Maria Montessori, for your child’s library or their classroom!
For Parents
The Montessori Baby and The Montessori Toddler
Both of these books are a beautiful introduction to Montessori for new parents, without being too preachy or didactic. I even recommend the toddler book to parents of preschoolers since much of the information is applicable throughout the first six years of a child’s life!
This book isn’t about Montessori, but aligns with much of the Montessori philosophy. It’ll inspire parents to go outside with their children in any kinds of weather, and maybe even send them to a nature preschool!
Sleepy Squad Candle from The Burlap Bag
New parents are bound to be sleepy…all the time! This lavender and sage-scented candle is perfect for creating a calming environment amidst the frenzy of new parenthood.
Multilingual Montessori Observation Journal
Observing children is one of our most important tasks as parents (and teachers). This journal is perfect to keep in a child’s room or on a bedside table for spontaneous observations and kid quotes, reminding you to “follow the child” in multiple languages!
This is another one of my designs that you can find in other styles (like t-shirts, magnets and stickers) on RedBubble.
Cats in the Classroom Stickers
These fun stickers are too cute not to include! I have them scattered on various water bottles and notebooks and they always make me smile.
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