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When most people hear the term “Montessori” they automatically think we are all hippie dippies (and I kind of am, but you can read about what the heck Montessori is.) You might wonder what Mac as a Montessori kid has for toys at home. So here is a peek into what she has available to her during the day. I switch out her toys weekly. All of these things are toys that Mac and I both love. Just keep in mind two things:

1. She is 15 months old as I write this. I have a large range of things available, from more “baby” toys that are favorites of hers and things that are well above her age range because I like to challenge her, even in areas where she may already be ahead.
2. I believe in moderation. While I follow many of the Montessori ideals (like simple, non-electronic, wooden toys), I do allow some that don’t follow those guidelines. I have a general rule about no electronic toys, but I do have a few that I let slide. I also strive to provide Mac with toys mostly made of wood and other natural materials, but there are exceptions. I’ll show those and more to you below.

Stackers

Here are the three stacker toys Mac uses. Stacker toys help toddlers with their fine motor skills. They are also somewhat self-correcting, meaning if the child does them “wrong” they will see it. The rings won’t stack up the right way if they aren’t in the correct order. I try to have one of these out every week. From left to right:

• Melissa and Doug Snowman Stacker: I try to only put this one out during the holiday season, but Mac doesn’t care what the weather is like when I take it out. I think this one is adorable. It is more difficult because a toddler can’t necessarily tell if they did it “correctly” because you have to use the painted on details more than the sizes. The hat is interesting, though, because it has to go on the top.
• B. Skipping Stones Toy: This one is made of plastic, so it already goes against my “wood toys” rule. But it has beautiful colors and textures that totally redeem it. The top also screws on, which adds another complicated layer to the toy.
• Ikea Wooden Stacking Rings: This stacker is so simple, but beautiful. The colors are vivid and I like the simple lighthouse shape of it. This stacker is the first one that Mac got the hang of, so it has a special place in my heart.

This toy is actually an inserting toy (another type of toy that is great for fine motor skills) but Mac likes to stack up the blocks that come inside of it. This wooden inserting toy is a Melissa & Doug Shape Sorting Cube.

Puzzles

Puzzles are amazing toys. They are mentally challenging, but the knobs on toddler puzzles also help with fine motor skills. It takes some skill to fit complex shapes into their spaces on the board. I always have two puzzles out for Mac to do. I am such a puzzle fiend I actually have tons of puzzles for her to use for the next 5 years or so.

Here is a fun Melissa & Doug First Shapes Jumbo Knob Puzzle. The knobs are large, perfect for toddler hands to grab. I love that not only is each piece a different shape, it is also a different color. All together, it makes a cute little scene.

My little helper likes puzzles so much she just had to jump in and help. This Melissa & Doug Jumbo Knob Farm Puzzle is great. Melissa & Doug makes a smaller version with only three animals on it, but as Mac grew I stepped it up to this larger puzzle. As she does this puzzle, we talk about the animals and the sounds they make.

Books

Let me just say, Mac loves books. Like when I switch out toys, the first thing she does is pull out her book basket and read page by page through all of the new books I put in there. I have at least 20 books out each week, but that is because books are a favorite of Mac’s. If she didn’t like them so much, I would probably put out around 10 books a week. (If you are curious about toddler books, read about what makes a good toddler book.) Here is a small selection of the many books I had out this week.

When Mac was a baby, Brown Bear Brown Bear was her absolute favorite. She would specifically point it out every time we looked at books. I love the colors and animals in it and the rhythm and predictable structure is great for the toddler age.

Quiet Loud is a fun book about when to be quiet and when to be loud. Mac hasn’t clued into when not to scream (and she won’t for a while, but that’s okay) but she enjoys the fun pictures.

1-2-3 Peas is a cute book that involves one of Mac’s favorite foods: peas (obviously). It also is a fun counting book where you can count the peas on each page.

I love the Duck and Goose book series. This one is Duck & Goose Colors. We also have Duck & Goose Find a Pumpkin and Duck & Goose, It’s Time for Christmas. This series is so simple, but fun. The pictures are engaging and Mac and I loved looking at the Christmas book and talking about winter activities like sledding and building a snowman.

This book is one of my absolute favorites. Global Babies hardly ever comes out of rotation. It is so important to me that Mac is exposed to different cultures from an early age and this book has the most beautiful pictures to accomplish that.

Here Mac is reading about her favorite guy: Daniel Tiger.

Practical Life

I have a lot of practical life activities that I do with Mac around the house. I have even written about some of the chores she does around the house. There are simple ways toddlers can help as long as you remember that toddlers aren’t supposed to be helpful. They aren’t things that I put on her shelf but she does them along with me, like laundry, cleaning, and dishes. (Update: Mac also helps feed the dog.)

Right now, Mac is still a little too young to help me cut fruits and vegetables, but she can use this Melissa & Doug Food Cutting kit. She doesn’t use the wooden knife yet, but she does work and pulling them apart and putting them back together. Sometimes I will also put out a few wooden pots and pans I have so she can pretend cook. She does help me cook (read about when we made homemade macaroni and cheese with her help) and soon enough I will have her start doing simple cutting, like bananas or other soft foods.

This is another toy that isn’t really Montessori because it is made of plastic, but it is a great substitute until I get Mac some real tools. This is a Green Toys Tool Kit. I also love it because this brand makes toys that are not only made in the USA, but they are also made of recycled materials. The packaging it came in was even all recyclable! Talk about the way to a girl’s heart! (Insert smiley with heart eye emoji here, you know what I mean?)

We also give Mac old household items to use, like an old computer keyboard and TV remote control. Not only do they keep her away from the real things (score!) they are really interesting to her. Who doesn’t love to push buttons?

Gross Motor

Mac is a girl who needs her gross motor activities. When it is nice weather, we give her time to run outside and take her up to the park to swing and go down the slide. We do have a few things that we take out when we have nasty weather. She is also allowed to climb onto the couch, the living room chairs and a large tote I leave in the middle of the room specifically for climbing purposes.

I’m pretty sure I’ve talked about the benefits of a tunnel before, but if I haven’t, here goes. Tunnels force a child to crawl and crawling is great for developing your coordination, posture, and motor planning. Did you get all that?

This rocking horse was mine when I was baby. A rocking horse is great because it helps a toddler with their vestibular sense. Vestibular sense is basically your sense of balance. The reason children love to spin or rock is because they are experimenting with their vestibular sense.

Musical Instruments

I have a few different types of musical instruments I put out for Mac. Each week I have out at least two musical toys on the shelf.

1. This is a bracelet with jingle bells on it. Just a simple, fun instrument.
2. Rattles are a great noisemaker for her.
3. This is another of my exceptions. This electronic toy plays classical music and Mac loves it. It is a Baby Einstein Take Along Tunes.

So what kinds of toys do you keep out for your toddler?

Disclaimer: This post contains affiliate links. That means if you buy through my link, I may receive compensation at no extra cost to you. For more information, see my disclosure page here.