Awesome Montessori Gift Ideas for Kids This Holiday Season
Quirky and creative, Montessori gifts will give your child the opportunity to explore their surroundings with a sense of wonder and delight. Learning is hands-on and through sensory exploration.
There are many different gifts that you can give your kids this holiday season that promotes learning and creativity. Whether it’s buying them some new toys or teaching them how to read, this Montessori gift guide includes some gift ideas for the little ones this holiday season.
What is considered a Montessorian toy?
A Montessori toy is any toy that helps children develop their cognitive skills, such as counting, sorting, and matching. The toys are designed for children to use their hands and fingers to explore objects and learn about them.
These help children learn about cause and effect, spatial relationships, and how to manipulate objects. They are usually made from natural materials like wood, clay, stone, and glass, and can be used indoors or out.
Why are Montessori Toys So Popular?
Montessori-inspired toys are popular because they allow children to develop at their own pace while learning through play. Children are naturally curious about the world around them, and learning through play allows them to explore new things while having fun. The Montessori method encourages children to develop their full potential, which helps them become independent thinkers who can adapt to change.
Children learn best when they are engaged in activities that are fun and challenging. Montessori toys also provide a safe environment for children to explore their world, while developing their imagination and creativity. Children who are exposed to the Montessori learning methods generally tend to be happy and develop good problem-solving skills. They also tend to be less aggressive and disruptive at school.
Best Montessori Toys For Ages 0-3
0-3-year-olds learn through sensory exploration and tactile interaction. They also require exposure to a variety of toys and activities that will allow them to explore their environment, develop hand-eye coordination, and practice problem-solving skills.
When selecting toys for this age group, the following should be considered:
- Length of playtime
- Range of developmental benefits
- Variety of interactive components
- Quality and safety
- Variety of materials used.
Below are some great ideas for toys that promote learning and creativity:
Geometric Stacker
This is a great toy for children ages 0-3. It’s easy to use and encourages creativity as children stack the pieces in different ways to create something new each time.
Rattles
This is one of the most popular toys out there because it has so many different uses! The ball inside can be shaken or banged on an object or tabletop, making noise as it goes. It’s also soft enough for little ones to toss around. They will enjoy shaking it up before bedtime as well!
Shape Sorter
The objects consist of wooden 3D shapes and a container with holes on either side or on top. Shape sorters are a fun development toy for babies and toddlers that’ll help them learn about shapes and colors.
Best Montessori Toys For An Active Child
Montessori toys for active children are great because they encourage creativity and independence. They also help develop fine motor skills and hand-eye coordination.
Some great examples are:
Fort Building Sets
This helps kids expend their energies and stimulate their imagination. Fort building kits will transform any living room, backyard or park, into a new world. Your kids can build castles, towers, or even makeshift tents!
Yoga Cards
Perfect toys to keep your little humans active and busy. This kit contains a leaflet with fun yoga poses that parents and kids can practice. This game was created by Yogi Fun to suit the needs of children of all ages, so it can be played indoors and outdoors.
Gofindit
The game can be played anywhere, and it’s an instant treasure hunt. There are 32 specially designed cards in a small drawstring bag, and they represent different sensations and sensory characteristics you can find outdoors. Teach your kids about texture and nature with this fun game!
Best Montessori Toys For A Creative Child
Literally, any Montessori toys are perfect for kids who have a love of creativity. This type of toy offers open-ended play that encourages imagination and exploration of the world around them.
These are some favorites by both parents and kids:
Playsilk
These playsilks are popular pretend play toys. The open-ended design helps unlock creativity in young children. Imagine what your child would create with play silk? They can dance around while wearing their princess dress or pretending they’re on an adventure somewhere far away from mommy/daddy (or both!).
Wooden Building Blocks
Wooden building blocks are recognizable Montessori toys because kids can use them at a very early age to develop their fine motor skills, like grasping and stacking. The blocks can be used to teach early math concepts, including shape recognition, parts-to-whole, and sorting, as children get older. If they have a large enough set (or sets combined), they can also create some pretty impressive constructions. Looking for something softer? Check out the wood-like soft blocks.
Kinetic Sand
Kinetic sand can be used as a building material, while magnetic sand can help little ones create designs from their imagination. They never dry out and is also very therapeutic.
Plus Plus Blocks
This is one of my favorites, and my son loves this set. It’s literally multiple pieces of one shape, and you connect it to make either a flat mosaic or a 3D shape. The possibilities are endless. Kids can play for hours, creating thousands of different builds from one box. Alternatively, you can check out Connecting Discs, which has a similar concept but is made of a different disc shape.
Make Gift-Giving More Meaningful
The holidays are about spending time with your loved ones, especially the children. Teach them a thing or two on what really means to be thankful during this season by getting creative and coming up with alternative gift ideas that will make you all feel closer than ever before!