Best Montessori Toys For Babies & Toddlers Up To 18 Months

One thing about buying toys for babies and toddlers is how confusing it can be with plenty of options around. 

Simply walk into any baby store, and you’ll find different types of toys to choose from - each of them labelled with the age of the child that the toy is appropriate for.

As a parent who’s constantly worrying if my baby is developing well, I try to be mindful with the toys we purchase for him.

That’s where Montessori toys come in, with how they help a child to explore shapes and textures, discover how things work, and even develop fine motor skills, hand-eye coordination, problem-solving and more.

For parents looking for the best Montessori toys for your babies, here are the top picks we’ve found below!

What does Montessori mean?

Montessori is an educational philosophy developed by Italian physician and educator Maria Montessori. The philosophy follows the belief that children are naturally curious and love to learn, and adults should create an environment that enables them to develop independently through hands-on learning experiences.

What are considered Montessori toys?

Toys designed around the principles of hands-on learning, independence, exploration and discovery, such as stacking rings, shape sorters, and simple puzzles, can be considered Montessori-style toys.

Why are Montessori toys better?

Especially good for young babies and toddlers who are learning everything from movement and fine-motor skills to concentration, problem-solving and independence, Montessori toys encourage action play rather than passive play.

Montessori toys might not necessarily be better than other types of toys, but they are intentionally designed to be toys that the child has to play with and figure things out, rather than toys that do something for the child and take away the need for the child to actively do something and learn new skills in the process.

Why are Montessori toys expensive?

At first glance, it might seem like Montessori toys are more expensive, but Montessori toys can actually range from affordable (under $20) to above $100. Some Montessori toys might come at a more premium price due to the natural materials used (for parents who prefer to provide your children with organic and eco-friendly toys as opposed to synthetic plastics), or a more specialised construction.

Otherwise, Montessori toys can be affordable, and you don’t necessarily have to look at only the expensive toys with the Montessori label - especially if you see a cheaper toy that performs the exact same function even if it might not have the Montessori label.

How to choose Montessori toys?

First, consider your child’s age and developmental stage; then look for Montessori toys that can help develop age-appropriate skills such as fine motor skills, coordination, sensory development, problem-solving, and more.

A simple question to ask is: what can your child actually learn or practice with the toy?

With my eight-month-old baby, for example, I’ve started introducing Montessori-style toys that allow him to learn how to grasp and how to drop. So a stacking ring that allows him to grasp the individual rings, and then drop them, is a suitable Montessori-style toy for him at this stage.

Best Montessori Toys for Babies (6 to 12 months)

Best Baby Montessori Toy For Fine Motor Skills

Taotaotoys Pull String Toy Set

What this Montessori toy helps to develop:

• Fine motor skills
• Sensory exploration
• Hand-eye coordination

This Pull String Toy Set is an easy choice that helps your baby to practice their fine motor skills by pulling on the ropes and letting their little fingers explore the different textures and vibrations. Made with food-grade silicone and BPA- and phthalate-free, it’s great for teething babies to chew and explore textures with their curious mouths.

It’s bright and cheerful, helping to stimulate their vision development - while being easy to wash, clean and carry along if you’re heading out with baby.

How much: From $27.44

Best Baby Montessori Toy For Different Developmental Levels

Amorbebe Montessori Toys For Babies

What this Montessori toy helps to develop:

• Grasping
• Reaching
• Transferring objects between hands
• Coordination

The toy set by Amorbebe combines several activities that allow your child to use them at different developmental levels - making it quite worth your money. From six to nine months, they can explore textures, learn how to grasp, and transfer objects from one hand to the other.

From nine to 12 months, they can learn to stack the rings and blocks. They can also learn how to reach for the balls, or even practice hand-eye coordination by kicking the balls with an adult holding the baby in a standing position. 

It’s made with food-grade silicone that’s non-toxic for teething babies, and easy to wash and clean!

How much: From $28.06

Best Baby Montessori Toy For Hand-Eye Coordination And Concentration

Aiduy Magic Tissue Box

What this Montessori toy helps to develop:

• Fine motor skills
• Hand-eye coordination
• Pulling
• Concentration
• Sensory exploration

True story: my baby toddled around in his walker, managed to get his hands on a box of tissues and promptly started pulling them out gleefully. I’m definitely getting this for him as a play alternative, seeing as it can help him to develop not just his fine motor skills, but his hand-eye coordination and concentration too.

This Magic Tissue Box comes with four multi-themed crinkle papers and 10 colourful silk scarves to let them learn as they play. From the vibrant colours to the sound of the crinkle papers, this toy helps to stimulate their vision and hearing development as well.

How much: From $22.43

Best Baby Montessori Toy For Learning Object Permanence

Object Permanence Box

What this Montessori toy helps to develop:

• Understanding of object permanence
• Hand-eye coordination
• Fine motor skills
• Focus
• Concentration

An interesting concept I never knew babies had to learn was the idea of object permanence, where an item or person that disappears from view still exists and will return. 

One version of helping them learn object permanence is by playing a simple game of peekaboo with your baby - so they learn that even if you’ve disappeared from their view, you still exist and will return.

Another version is with a toy designed specifically for this purpose, like this Object Permanence Box where the ball is placed into the hole on the top of the box, disappears from view, but will reappear as it rolls back out onto the tray.

This Montessori toy is made of wood, so make sure not to submerge it in water but give it a simple wipe down with a damp cloth when you want to clean it. 

How much: From $12.50

Best Montessori Toys for Toddlers (12 to 18 Months)

Best Toddler Montessori Toy For Different Developmental Levels

Tookyland Montessori Educational Box

What this Montessori toy helps to develop:

• Fine motor skills
• Problem-solving
• Logical-thinking

The Tookyland Montessori Educational Box might be slightly more expensive, but it comes with plenty of toys including a shape puzzle, stacking cups, pound bench, 3-in-1 educational box, picture book, and a wooden stacker to support your child’s development at different stages.

It also has a parents’ guide so you can guide your child to explore the toys while they learn. Made of natural wood and non-toxic water paint, you can be assured that this set of toys is safe and durable - providing hours of educational fun.

How much: From $88.98

Best Toddler Montessori Toy For Visual Tracking

Montessori Tracker Ball Maze

What this Montessori toy helps to develop:

• Visual tracking
• Grasping
• Hand-eye coordination
• Reasoning
• Problem-solving
• Dexterity

One good thing about this Montessori Tracker Ball Maze is how it prepares your baby for reading and writing when they’re older as they learn and practice visually tracking the movement of the balls from left to right. 

It helps toddlers to exercise their hand muscle strength as they grasp the balls and place them on the top of the track - enabling them to practise their fine motor skills and hand-eye coordination at the same time.

A parent who purchased this shared how it’s an essential toy at home with their baby still loving it even after months of playing with it too!

How much: From $21.80

Best Toddler Montessori Toy For Shape And Colour Recognition

D Dailyfunn Baby Peg Puzzle

What this Montessori toy helps to develop:

• Fine motor skills
• Hand-eye coordination
• Shape and colour recognition
• Memory

Teach your toddler to start recognising shapes and colours with this simple wooden peg puzzle featuring 12 shapes and six colours. The puzzle pieces have smooth, rounded and easy-to-grip knobs for them to learn how to pick them up easily and solve problems by fitting the correct puzzle pieces back on the puzzle board.

It’s crafted with natural wood and non-toxic paint, and lets you play an active role in teaching your child as they play and learn. The puzzle pieces are nicely sized so you won’t have to worry about potential choking hazards too.

How much: From $27.18

Best Toddler Montessori Toy For Critical Thinking

Montessori Shape Sorter Sensory Bin

What this Montessori toy helps to develop:

• Fine motor skills
• Hand-eye coordination
• Critical thinking
• Problem-solving
• Shape and colour recognition

With 14 different shapes including A, B, C, star, circle, triangle, square and other textured shapes, the Montessori Shape Sorter Sensory Bin is a fun way for toddlers to learn through play. 

The rectangle bin features elastic bands enabling toddlers to learn problem solving by figuring out how to push the shapes into the bin. There’s even a shape sorter side of the bin that lets toddlers fit specific shapes into the side.

Good for hand-eye coordination, shape and colour recognition and critical thinking, this Montessori toy can be easily brought along when you’re out and about or travelling.

How much: From $15.12