What is the Montessori Method?
Montessori is a method of education that is based on self-directed activity, hands-on learning and collaborative play.
“The Montessori Method of education, developed by Dr. Maria Montessori, is a child-centered educational approach based on scientific observations of children from birth to adulthood. It is an approach that values the human spirit and the development of the whole child—physical, social, emotional, cognitive,” and is the basis of the Montessori school approach.
What are Montessori toys?
There are 5 Characteristics Found in Montessori Toys
- Simple – Montessori toys are designed to help children learn on their own. When toys over stimulate (especially electronic toys), they distract from the learning process.
- Based in reality – Montessori blocks, shapes, and other toys provide organized information that replicates relationships and structure in the natural world. Children younger than six do not distinguish reality from fantasy. Toys with true results and consequences (like a car rolling down a ramp) allow children to learn how the world really is.
- Made of natural materials – Natural materials provide babies and children with more information about their actual world. Woods and metals replicate how those textures feel, taste, and can be manipulated in reality.
- Materials are functional and constructive – The best toys for our little ones’ development allow them to explore and involve their own will, decisions, and ideas
- Montessori play offers limited choices – Give your child limited choices when setting out their toys. Having too many choices is overwhelming and dissatisfying. It is harder for them to decide what they want to play with, and it is harder for them to stick with the toy once they’ve chosen it. Rather than concentrating on the toy and fully enjoying its purpose and value, they will flit from one toy to the next, making a mess and feeling progressively undone.
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The 15 Best Montessori Toys on Amazon
1. Mushi Stacking Cups
These cups are used for stacking and grasping which helps develop their organization and fine motor skills. Mushie colorful stacking toy helps develop both the body and the brain starting around six months. The basic skills learned from stack able cups become the foundation for more complex tasks like using a writing instrument.
2. Montessori Phonetic Reading Blocks
These lettered wooden blocks are perfect for little hands and early learners. They are great for early language development – twist and turn to create rhythmic words.
3. Wooden 12 Building Blocks | Geometry + Matching
Various of shapes for kids to matching, put 12 different shapes in the correct 12 holes and put them out to exercise the child’s observation and practical ability. Promote hand-eye coordination and they can learn to sorting and matching. Colored blocks also can be stacking as a tower. Perfect interactive educational toy for family games.
4. Wooden Rainbow Dolls+ Stacking Set
Develop creativity and imagination: Toddler Wooden Toy is great for developing early education, color recognition and counting, hand-eye coordination ability, fine motor skills, problem-solving skills, creativity and imagination. It is also a good parent-child game and interactive toy. Increase the interaction between parents and children, and have a very enjoyable parent-child interaction time.
5. Busy Board
This simple wood fine motor board (or busy board) will help your little one learn multiple fine motor skills involved in dressing himself, encouraging independence and confidence!
6. Wood Instrument Set
This set is great because it includes all of the basic musical instruments that are appropriate for a toddler. Maracas, tambourine, xylophone, a triangle, and more.
7. Wood Balance Board
This balance board can be used as a slide off the edge of a sofa, as a rounded shelf for balancing toys, a “bridge” for kids to climb over and crawl under, or as a balance board for kids to stand on.
8. Rainbow Counting Bears
This classic counting set comes with rainbow colored sorted cups and matching bears, and is perfect for teaching colors and numbers! This set remains one of the best Montessori toys on amazon, as it can create so many different opportunities for open-ended play.
9. Melissa & Doug Dust, Sweep, Mop Play Set
For whatever reason every child is OBSESSED with this play set. This great and simple cleaning set helps teach your little one about cleaning up after himself, building independence and a sense of personal responsibility.
10. Wood Sensory Bin Toys
These sensory bin toys can be used for kitchen learning and provides real life-based fun and interactive activities, used for transferring, pouring but also stacking, nesting, and kitchen learning.
11. Play Food Cutting Wooden Toys
These wooden toys are made of different colorful fruit groups, matching wooden knife to role play in kitchen. The play kitchen food enhances motor skills, hand-eye body coordination, logical thinking for understanding locations and spatial relations of objects, and can be used to teach color recognition, sorting, assembly, and grouping.
12. Wooden Tools | Building Toy Set
This tool kit designed specially for kids comes with all parts and accessories they want, hammer, wrench, pliers, ruler, saw, screwdriver, nuts and bolts etc. Coated with vibrant colors and cute patterns, your little one could use these lovely tools to enjoy amazing pretend play! Great for kid’s color recognition, shape recognition, counting skills, fine motor skills and intellectual ability.
13. Object Permanence Box, Montessori Coin Box, Carrot Harvest Game, Matchstick Color Drop Game
This collection of baby Montessori toys helps develop hand-eye coordination, critical thinking and problem-solving in little learners.
14. Threading Toys Wooden Stringing | Farm Animals + Fruits
These are the right size for little hands, and a fun way to stimulate brain development and hand-eye coordination. Parents can teach toddlers to preschool age to understand the concept of counting numbers, basic maths learning, memorize the name of fruits and animals. It is also a great toys to enhance their hand-eye coordination ability, which is a great fine motor skills toys to stimulating kids imagination and creativity.
15. Wooden 3-in-1 Triangle Climber with Ladder & Slide
Open ended play inspired kids climbing triangle promotes balance, fine and gross motor skills, plus imagination and creative play! This 3 piece natural wood indoor gym will keep your child entertained in so many ways, while developing coordination and muscle development.
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