Montessori Toys for Toddlers
Toddlers are always curious and eager to explore their surroundings. Providing them with an appropriate Prepared environment to learn through open-ended play will groom them.
Toys are an indispensable part of play in anyone’s childhood, however, they are more than just fun and games.
In a Montessori Environment, these toys facilitate holistic development in children, hence it becomes quite essential to choose them wisely. Montessori toys are perfect for toddlers for engaging them in meaningful play activities.
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What are Montessori toys?
Montessori toys are open-ended toys based on the Montessori system of education.
They stimulate the senses and imagination of children, encouraging them to explore while playing.
Maria Montessori, who developed the Montessori philosophy, did not classify any toys as Montessori toys. However, toys that implement the Montessori principles can be considered Montessori-friendly.
Characteristics of Montessori toys
- They are made of natural materials like wood, cotton, metal, and rubber. They are safe, environment-friendly, and help children connect with nature.
- They are simple and do not use batteries to operate. They do not have sound or light. Hence, they do not overwhelm children.
- They focus on one single skill at a time. These toys isolate a single skill and allow children to master the skill required to explore the toys in all possible ways.
Montessori toys focus on different skills like sensory skills, fine motor skills, gross motor skills, language and Math skills, Arts and crafts, and scientific exploration. - They are open-ended and provide endless opportunities for the children to explore the toys and conceive imaginative ideas.
- They are realistic and help connect to real-life objects so that children learn about the world around them. Dr. Maria Montessori advocated that toys and books for children are rooted in the real world, like choosing an animal toy for your child over a unicorn toy.
Best Montessori Toys for two years old toddlers
At two years old, toddlers become more active and thrive on engaging toys. They enjoy satiating their curiosity with hands-on learning experiences. Montessori toys help your toddlers to develop new skills and trigger their imagination.
Are you looking for Montessori toys to engage your 2-year- old toddler?
Here are some of the best Montessori toys available for your toddler.
Wooden Rainbow Blocks Set
It is one of the most popular Montessori toys for toddlers. Young toddlers will love this colorful, wooden rainbow stacking toy.
It offers different possibilities to create shapes and patterns.
Benefits – This Wooden rainbow toy can generate patience, imagination, and creativity in children.
They develop hand-eye coordination, pattern recognition, and color recognition when building the rainbow.
Balance Board
Another choice for two years old toddlers is the Wobble Balance Board.
A toddler balance board is a simple curved wooden board for play and exercise activities. It is one of the most versatile toys because of its simplicity. Children of all ages use it in different ways, and it grows with them.
Benefits – It helps to develop gross motor skills and balance in toddlers. This toy stimulates the vestibular system vital for general development and learning.
Musical Instruments
Toddlers love noise and playing with musical instruments. You can introduce them to music early in their childhood by adding Musical instruments to their toy collection.
Benefits – This Montessori toy refines senses of sight, hearing, and touch. It cultivates their sensitivity to music and the perception of rhythm and improves their creativity.
Color Resemblance Sorting Task
It consists of 16 beechwood skittles painted in four shades of color. Kids learn the skill of color matching from a young age in Montessori. This Montessori Color Resemblance Sorting Task is perfect for them to differentiate colors.
Benefits – They are simple and engaging for your two years old. They provide an excellent opportunity to introduce vocabulary to the toddler as they learn the names of the colors and their descriptive terms.
Let’s Play House! Dust! Sweep! Mop! Pretend Play Set
Toddlers love to clean up messes, and this task can occupy them for a very long time. A child learning to clean up their mess – which Montessori toys for 2-year-olds can be better than this?
This child-sized cleaning equipment is essential for toddlers as they can collect and use it themselves.
Benefits– These are separate functional pieces that teach practical life skills like dusting, mopping, and sweeping. Toddlers learn to help around the house and develop fine motor skills using Melissa & Doug Dust Sweep Mop.
Best Montessori Toys for three years old toddlers
Are you looking for some Montessori toys for your three-year-old toddler?
Let us find the perfect toys that engage your toddlers while they learn.
Stack It Peg Game
This board game requires you to stack each peg on top of the other. They come in a rainbow of vivid colors that makes them inviting.
Benefits – These pegs and pegboard toys help toddlers develop fine motor work and hand-eye coordination. Stack It Peg Game is also an ideal activity for children with special needs like autism.
Melissa and Doug Cutting Fruit Set
The 3-year-old toddlers are highly active and need activities that can hone their skills.
The kitchen is one of their favorite places to explore while learning to wash, cut, and clean. This Melissa and Doug Cutting Fruit Set allow them to practice cutting fruits with knives. It is ideal pretend play for a three-year-old toddler.
Benefits – It offers the perfect pretend play experience for kids and engages them in screen-free fun. It sparks creativity and imagination in kids as they learn this skill of slicing slowly and carefully with all of the right tools.
Magnetic Board Puzzle Games
Kids love storytelling, and these Magnetic Dry Erase Board Puzzles are good for three years old toddlers. The toddlers get naturally drawn to this attractively packaged puzzle set.
Benefits – They are eco-friendly and spark imagination in kids. The toddlers learn to build their stories and develop fine motor skills and hand-eye coordination.
Wood Lacing Sneaker
As the kids are ready for school, they need to learn to tie laces in shoes. The Melissa & Doug Deluxe Wood Lacing Sneaker is the perfect Montessori toy that is sturdy, fun to play with, and teaches to tie their shoelaces.
Benefits – Toddlers practice lacing and tying skills. It also encourages independence and fine motor skills.
Jumbo Colorful Eye Droppers
These Jumbo Colorful Eye Droppers are the perfect way to introduce science tools to three years old toddlers. They are child-sized for a whole-hand grasp that strengthens the little hands.
They can have fun experimenting with their version of a tool like the scientists.
Benefits – They help build fine motor skills and learn science concepts like the properties of water. Toddlers can experience the cause and effect of different actions. These can be used in art projects too.
Your toddlers will love the Montessori toys for years. Montessori-inspired toys are essential in educational learning and practical life skills while kids enjoy them to the fullest. You need to pick the age-appropriate Montessori toys for your child with their interests in mind.
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