Best Montessori Infant Toys
Looking for Montessori infant toys? As a person who attended Montessori school as a child, I can reflect back and see how that experience shaped me for the better. Personality traits like self-confidence and independence were nurtured early on in the Montessori environment.
The Montessori infant toys listed below are a collection of items I’ve bought for my first child as an infant as well as the items found in the Infant Montessori classroom of my second child. I’ve organized by age group, for simplicity. Note: not all items have links.
Newborn
Floor mat next to a window
(I used the mattress of a playpen covered with a fitted sheet or simply detached the floor mat from the activity gym)
With floor mats, babies have unlimited movement and when they get older they can practice pulling themselves.
Being positioned near a window allows your baby to see the outside environment—the moving clouds, the swaying trees and the bright sky.
(I attached this to one of the rungs in the activity gym)
The mobile is a great focal point of interest. Plus, high contrast mobiles are easier for newborns to focus on. Buy a few different ones you can change them out a couple of times a month, which will aid in baby’s visual development.
(I reshaped it into a honey bun and nestled the baby in the middle)
By creating a honey bun shaped pillow, it allowed my baby to move his arms and legs freely. It also boosted him up a few inches, allowing him to get closer to the hanging toys in his activity gym.
This was important, because without the lift of the pillow, he was too far away to successfully bat at the hanging toys, which frustrated him.
Mirror
(I bought a full-length dorm mirror and placed it lengthways in front of the floor mat. Perfect when practicing tummy time with your Montessori infant.)
Not only are you giving baby an opportunity to see himself when his head is lifted, your baby can see the entire room he is in! As your baby gets older he will be able to associate the movements of the baby in the mirror, as his movements!
High Contrast Books
This was one of my favorite high contrast books.
Because black and white images stimulates the development of the optic nerve, you are helping encourage the development of their vision when showing them high contrast books!
Pro Tips:
Don’t forget your natural gift: your voice. Sing nursery rhymes, children’s songs or make something up in the moment!
Take your montessori infant for stroller walks. Let them see the clouds moving in the sky; feel the wind on their face; hear the leaves rustling in the trees.
Age 2 months – 5+ months
(It has suspended toys to grasp)
Shag or Textured Rug
Woven Baskets
Keep one in each room of your home containing household items from that particular room. Rotate items every few weeks.
It is incredible to see how infants play with the same toys differently, after a familiar item is re-introduced to them, weeks later.
Wooden Teething Toy / Cylinder w/Bell / Rattle
Age 6 months – 9+ months
Rattles are a great replacement for mobiles, when it comes to sensory exploration. Babies feel the smoothness of the wood; the sound the rattle makes, and how it feels in their hand (temperature/weight).
Try putting the ball slightly out of reach of your baby and allow your baby to try and get it on her own.
Wooden Ring
(I used the detachable wooden ring from the activity gym)
Your montessori infant will probably enjoy putting this ring in his mouth. Notice how he grasps the ring differently, over time.
Object Permanence Box w/ Drawer
These next two items help your montessori infant experience cause and effect, object permanence, and eye-hand coordination.
Wooden Egg in Cup / Wooden Box in Cube / Wooden Ball in Cup
These activities enhance eye-hand coordination.
Age 10 months – 12+ months
Wooden Baby Walker
(Try to find one that doesn’t ‘run away’ from a beginning walker)
Using a walker inside on carpet or outside on grass, will slow the walker down.
(Remove mallet and allow child to push balls through the hole).
Pro tip:
Let your Montessori infant stand barefoot in the grass or the sand. It will help them better understand the world around them.
To stay up-to-date on all Amazing Baby has to offer, ‘like’ and ‘follow’ our Facebook page.
These look like some great infant toys!
Yes, they are well-made and have lasted through my kids and the neighbors’ kids. Thank you for reading, Charity!
These are great suggestions. It can sometimes be a minefied when it comes to which are the best to use.
Exactly! And if I am going to spend money on a toy, I want to make sure it won’t break after 20 minutes!
These are all such great toys. I loved the pro tips you’ve shared as well! Great and informative post!
There are so many toys on the market now it can be hard to know which ones to choose. Thank you for sharing your suggestions. I hope you have a lovely weekend!
Lauren – bournemouthgirl
Thank you, Lauren! The options for toys are overwhelming these days. Have a lovely weekend! Xx
When my baby was an infant toys didn’t break, now at 3 they’re breaking I’ve been replacing I started buying some of these to avoid that. This list is great. Thanks for sharing x
Yay!! Thanks for reading. It’s frustrating and frightening when toys break–especially if you haven’t had them for very long and you’ve got to search your house for the bits and pieces that came apart. Xx