Montessori toys are designed to help children develop a natural interest in learning and let them develop skillsrather than force any formal education onto them. By allowing them to learn at their own pace and in their own way, children are more likely to be active and excited about learning.
Since the main focus of Montessori toys is assisting in a baby’s development, they often embrace simplicity in design and they are meant to be used in a variety of ways thus stretching a child’s imagination. This allows kids to explore and discover new things about the world around them and leads to a lifetime of enjoyment and success in learning.
Puzzles
While puzzles can be for any age, now could be the time to start introducing more complex puzzles for kids to master. Try looking for photographs of real animals and objects, but make sure that children are already familiar with represented concepts.
After that, you can adjust complexity to a level when your little one is most excited. For example, you can start with a 20-piece puzzle and gradually increase the number of pieces. You can also try different puzzle types, such as jigsaw puzzles or word puzzles.
Puzzles are a great way to help kids develop problem-solving and critical-thinking skills.
Busy board
A busy board is a board with a variety of activities for children to do. They are great for juveniles who are bored or need something to do to keep their hands occupied. Busy boards can help with the development of their fine motor skills and hand-eye coordination.
There are many different types of busy boards. Some have buttons to push, levers to pull, or knobs to turn. Others have textures to feel or things to move around.
Timer
What is time? This is a rather philosophical question for a thorough discussion, but definitely not the easiest topic to talk about with a child, yet still very important. Because understanding the concept of time and how it affects many aspects of our lives is one of the basic skills for a child's successful development.
While a timer itself isn't really a toy, it can be easily implemented in games and any other child’s activity. Time is a difficult concept for children to grasp because it is an abstract idea. However, there are many ways to helpthem understand it through simple everyday activities.
And this simple concept allows them to visualize the passage of time and learn to manage it in their daily activities. In order for them to understand how much time they have left to play, just set a timer, for example, 15 minutes before bedtime. This helps them manage expectations and willfully switch their attention to other things.
Toy Camera
It is never too early to start developing your child's imagination. And what better way to do so than by giving them a toy camera? A toy camera can help your child develop their imagination by acting like a little photographer on an adventure.
So if you are frequently using a camera to take photos for your family, make sure your child can do the same and get them their own toy camera as a gift. This will not only develop their creativity but also give them a sense of pride and accomplishment.
Scissors
Using scissors is a great way for kids to develop their fine motor skills. It requires a lot of coordination and precision to cut accurately, and this can be a great challenge for young children. It also helps to develop their patience, as it can be quite frustrating trying to cut through paper!
So if you're looking for a way to occupy your kids and help them develop some important skills, teaching them how to use scissors is a great option. You can start introducing them to using scissors from 2-3 years old and it is better to start with those that can only cut the paper so the gentle child's hands won’t get hurt.
Balance bike
A balance bike is a perfect way to develop gross motor skills. By pushing their feet along the ground, kids can learn to balance and coordinate their movements. Once they get comfortable with the bike, they'll be zooming around in no time!
Wooden Animals
Realistic animal figures can hold the attention of any child. Despite them being realistic and not really encouraging imagination towards the toy itself, these figures can be played with in various ways. And that is very important for Montessori education purposes because children can use animal figurines however they want: for drawing, sculpting, or just simply playing with them in different imaginary scenarios.
For example, a child might use a realistic animal figure to pretend to be that animal. In this way, the child can learn about the animal’s habits and behavior. Or, the child might use the figure to create a story. This can helpthe child to develop his or her imagination and storytelling skills.
Realistic animal figures can be a great addition to any child’s toy collection. They can provide hours of fun and learning.
Vacuum Cleaner
Montessori is all about practical life, and that includes cleaning. Most kids like to help their parents, but many brooms and vacuums are usually too big and heavy for them. If you can get a toddler-sized cleaning tool for children that they can use for pretend play or to actually help out alongside you, it can be a great method to teach them some basic life skills.
Guitar
A mini wooden guitar for children can be a great introduction to music. These guitars are small and lightweight, making them easy for kids to handle. They can also produce surprisingly full sounds, making them a greatchoice for youngsters who want to start playing music.
Wooden Alphabet
A wooden alphabet is a perfect way to develop your child's fine motor skills and start them on the path to learning all the letters. These blocks are sturdy and easy to grip, making them ideal for little hands. Plus, they're just the right size for stacking and building.
Your child will love exploring all the different shapes and colors of the alphabet blocks. And as they play, they'll also be strengthening their hand-eye coordination and problem-solving skills. With a little help from you, they'll soon be able to identify all the letters and start putting them together to form words.
So don't wait, get your child a wooden alphabet today and watch them start learning and growing.
Wooden Numbers
In Montessori beliefs, children are born with an innate sense of order and mathematical principles, which they use to make sense of the world around them. It is important to nurture and encourage this mathematical mind, as it is the foundation for all learning.
By introducing children to wooden numbers, they can explore and manipulate these little blocks, slowly developing their understanding of numbers and counting. This hands-on approach can be very beneficial for kids, as they can learn at their own pace and in their own way. Plus, it's just a lot of fun!
It is believed that if children are given the opportunity to develop their mathematical minds, they will be better able to understand and learn other concepts and skills. This will ultimately lead to them becoming competent and successful learners.