15 Best Montessori Toys for Babies
If you are looking for the best Montessori toys for babies, you have landed in the right place. In this acticle, we cover everything from the Montessori method to the best toys for every age group. Here is your perfectly curated gift guide on the best Montessori toys for babies and toddlers.

The Montessori Method
The Montessori method is an educational approach for children that focuses on hands-on learning, independence and development of real-world skills. In Montessori education children will learn practical life skills, sensorial, mathematical skills, language and culture. A Montessori parenting style would be a parenting approach that allows children to learn through playing and exploring.
What is the difference between Montessori toys and traditional toys?
Montessori toys for babies and kids are toys that promote learning and fine motor skills. These kinds of toys are designed to help babies explore and learn on their own. Traditional toys are normally pre-programmed to provide entertainment and a distraction to occupy the child instead of engaging them in play. Montessori toys encourage hands-on, tactile learning and sensory exploration.
Best Montessori Toys for babies 0-6 months
Montessori Baby Play Mat
A Montessori baby play mat is a great toy for babies. Having a padded surface will help baby when they are doing tummy time, learning to roll over and learning to sit. The arch above the play gym is great for hanging objects which will promote the development of their fine motor skills while they learn how to reach for and grab onto objects in the early days.
When your baby is doing tummy time, it is really convenient to have a dedicated place to do it every day. Oftentimes, babies spit up during tummy time so it is important that the mat is machine washable.
A big part of the Montessori method is exploring sensory activities. While your baby is learning to touch and grab, a sensory book is a great way for them to begin exploring different textures. These kinds of toys will also help your baby learn shapes and colors as they get older. Young babies love to hear the crinkle sounds and make noises with these types of toys as well.
A wooden teether is a great Montessori toy for babies for many reasons. It is going to be helpful when they begin teething and it is much better to have a wooden teether than a plastic one. Your baby will also begin to learn how to grab and hold onto objects using a teether like this one. As your baby grows, they will get stronger and be able to pick up objects on their own. Starting with a quality teether like this one is a great way to develop those muscles.
Wooden rattles are also great Montessori-inspired toys because they are teaching hand-eye coordination, sound recognition as well as being a great natural teether.
In the first month of your baby’s life, they can only see black and white. As their pupils change, they will begin to be able to see more colors. But until then, they can only see black and white. Also, a newborn can only see 8-12 inches away from their face.
A black and white card set can be a great option to help your baby learn to see shapes. Since they can only see those colors, they will be able to clearly make out those shapes and work on improving their vision. This can be very stimulating and a great exercise to do during tummy time. This can be a great Montessori baby toy to tire your baby out during their wake windows.
Having an assortment of balls can help promote movement and offer sensory stimulation. As your baby begins to develop their eyesight, they will also be able to see more colors than before. When they begin to crawl, this can be a toy that encourages them to crawl to try to get it.
A cylinder ball toy is an amazing Montessori toy for babies. This toy is great because it will also grow with your baby. It is a great sensory toy and it will help them learn colors, shapes, and sounds.
The Montessori method promotes natural materials like wood in order to allow children to explore textures, weight and even smell. Also, wooden toys are much more durable and safer compared to plastic toys.
Best Montessori Toys for babies 6-18 months
Object Permanence Box
Around 6-12 months, babies begin to develop an understanding of object permanence which is the idea that objects exist even when they are out of sight. A box like this one helps babies learn this. This box also encourages persistence and fine motor skills having to get the balls and put them through the box.
Hand eye coordination is a super important skill for babies to learn. Picking up a ball and putting it into the box is a skill that needs to be developed. Your baby will not know how to do it at first, but that is why they will learn.
As your baby gets older, they are going to need to learn problem solving. This is a great toy to promote that. They will also learn shape and color recognition which can begin as early as 6 months.
This toy is designed to foster independence as your baby learns what objects fit where and which objects don’t fit. They will be busy working it out and will learn concentration as well. Hand-eye coordination is also an important skill that your baby will learn and this toy will help with that.
As your baby gets older, they will reach different developmental milestones. Climbing is a very important milestone that your baby will learn. A Montessori climbing gym is a great toy that will keep your baby entertained for a long period of time. When your baby reaches this developmental stage, you will want to help them learn to climb as it will turn into an important skill they will use throughout their life.
An important part of their first years of life are learning to interact with different objects. Part of the montessori method involves the developmental stage where they will learn problem-solving skills. This is one of the electronic toys that can be considered part of the Montessori approach because it will help them learn how to use their little hands to solve problems.
There are many reasons why this toy would be considered a great montessori-inspired toy. Your baby is going to be able to learn how to use their little hands to open the different compartments as well as learn shapes and animals. Babies will also love to learn the element of surprise that this toy will foster. It is a simple toy that would be a great addition to any play room. These kinds of toys teach essential skills your baby will use for the rest of their lives.
This is a perfect Montessori toy for babies. As your babie’s little hands begin to get stronger, they will learn how to hold and have hand-eye coordination with different objects. With this simple toy, they will learn to stack, match colors and mix. These are essential skills for this age group in babies and will be a toy they are definitely going to love.
Best Montessori Toys for Toddlers

As the Montessori approach teaches practical life skills, this is the perfect Montessori toy for toddler and babies. They have seen you cook time and time again, and kids love to do what mama and daddy are doing too. This is also a great way to keep them occupied while you are cooking in the kitchen.
Along with the theme from the first toy, this toy is great for teaching practical life skills. The faucet actually works, so you know they are going to love this toy. I have even set this up next to the sink while I do the dishes and my kids absolutely love it. If you are going to get any toy from this list, this is the perfect Montessori toy for toddlers.
While this is not usually considered a traditional toy, this is something that your toddler will love. The Montessori method is all about teaching practical life skills. The best way to learn practical skills is by doing them. With this toy, your toddler can help you cook, clean, prep, do dishes and just about anything you do at a counter. They will feel included and also feel as though they can help you which is so important. This is a very montessori-aligned toy that will help your little one.
Ultimate Montessori Gift Guide for Babies and Toddlers
Use this article as a perfect gift guide for babies of any age. When looking for Montessori-inspired toys, you are going to want to look for simple toys that are appropriate for your baby's developmental stage yet teach them a new and essential skill. The Montessori approach is very popular for a reason and your baby will love any of these toys.