“Play is the work
of the child.”
- -Maria montessori-
Gift Shop
- my favorite montessori inspired gift ideas for all ages
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First of all, I’m a mom who loves gift giving,
especially when the gift will bring value to the
receiver. Second of all, I’m a former teacher
who loves developmental psychology - which is
why I got my first degree in the subject!
And I understand that not everybody who
wants to encourage growth in their children or
grandchildren has time to nerd out on Piaget’s
theories, so I’m going to give you mine and my
kids’ all time tried-and-true favorite gift ideas
broken down by age group down below with
links to save you some time and research.
- why I give montessori inspired gifts
The Montessori Method of education was developed by
and Italian medical doctor named Maria Montessori, who
was fascinated with providing children with the best
environment for optimum child development.
Dr. Montessori developed a self-directed discovery-based
approach to education that gives children age-
appropriate structured autonomy while helping them
build real world skills, like small motor dexterity, color
matching, counting, and life skills like cleaning and
cooking.
Montessori believed that exploration of the natural world
was imperative “work” for children to do as a pre-cursor
to scientific inquiry, so many Montessori inspired toys are
made of natural materials instead of plastic. Each age
group in Montessori education prioritizes fostering
independence, curiosity, and hands-on exploration that
engages the skills needed to meet and exceed
developmental milestones.
- So What is the montessori method?
Gifts by Age Group
- This set of toys that includes a basic triangle ladder, a ramp or slide, and a rocking arch is ideal for infants to practice pulling up and testing their own balancing, moving, and climbing abilities.
- Infants don’t see very well, so to encourage them to
develop their vision, offer them high contrast
images like black and white shapes. A mobile like
this one also moves gently which attracts attention.
- This is the type of simple puzzle that is suitable for
infants, and I love that this one is 100% food grade
silicone so that the pieces can double as teething
toys - because you know they will be chomped!
0-18 Months Old
- gifts for infants and babies
The infant age group focuses on sensorimotor development through visual, tactile, and self exploration. Activities to encourage infant development include having them
grasp various objects, prioritizing tummy time, solving simple puzzles like shape sorters, and engaging with mirrors and cause-and-effect toys like rattles or bells.
- This is the kind of puzzle that toddlers will love, and I love it too because it reinforces the number of sides of each shape with an equal number of pegs. This design is great for movement refinement as well!
- I like this busy board more than most because it
starts introducing color words, numbers, and animal
names with a peek-a-boo reward twist! Each latch
being different provides nice fine motor challenges.
18 Months - 3 Years Old
- gifts for toddlers
The toddler age group centers around movement refinement, independence, and language acquisition. Activities for toddler development include pouring water,
spooning grains, completing simple sorting games, and matching cards or colors. Large writing utensils like chunky crayons or finger paints can be introduced.
- It may be hard to believe, but toddlers love helping
in the kitchen (while supervised), and it keeps them
from becoming super picky eaters. This toddler
kitchen set has everything to get started.
- This is a great game to engage children with literacy
across this age group. Younger children can practice
naming letters and their sounds. Older children can
practice “fishing” out the letters to spell basic words.
3 - 6 Years Old
- Gifts for preschool aged children
The preschool to kindergarten age group works on refinement of senses, language development and literacy basics, and pre-math or numeracy skills. Activities for this
age group include sensorial activities, tracing sandpaper letters, using number rods, and engaging in practical life exercises (e.g., polishing, washing up, serving food.)
- This set color-codes vowels versus consonants to
build early literacy, and it has subtle dots to signal
where to start when writing the letters. The letters
themselves are sandpaper for tactile engagement.
- This set is also color-coded to show even and odd
numbers differently, and I like that the operation
symbols are included for older kids. The shape of
the pegs makes them easy to manipulate for littles.
- Kids in lower elementary ages love to make music,
sound effects, and noises of all kinds. This set has a
whole range of percussion sounds and even a little
woodwind to expand children’s musicality.
- This game reinforces important phonics and literacy
skills like rhyming. Older kids in this age group can
very easily use this to help teach literacy to younger
siblings or students in the lower elementary class.
- Another great gift for this age group to expand their
curiosity about how the world works as well as how
they will continue to grow and change as they
mature. Can be combined with a research project!
6 - 9 Years Old
- gifts for Elementary aged children
The elementary aged group focuses on imagination, social collaboration, and foundational academics like reading, math, and science. Activities to encourage
development in this group include basic research projects like book-themed scavenger hunts, storytelling and music, and hands-on experiments.
- Astronomical or “cosmic” education is perfect to
help this age group develop their abstract thinking
skills. The set includes fact-cards about each planet
to encourage reading as well.
- This game could be introduced in the previous age
group, but the problem solving on the cards might
be too advanced for 6-8 year olds. This is a great
way to reinforce fractional and algebraic thinking.
- Older children love to make things that mimic real adult work. Start with sewing and move on to more challenging tasks like crocheting or knitting as their skills and dexterity advance. Great group activity!
9 - 12 Years Old
- Gifts for upper elementary aged children and tweens
The middle grades and tweens age group are developing abstract thinking and logical reasoning, as well as doing deeper academic work. Activities for this age group
include creative writing, working out advanced math problems, performing scientific experiments, and participating in group projects.
- Tweens and teens like to engage in practical tasks
like crochet, especially when their peers can share in
the project and they can take some creative liberties
for the sake of self expression.
- This is the age to teach how to be responsible with actual tools, and the garden is the perfect low-stakes place to practice tool and resource management. The orange on the handles helps keep track!
- Kids this age cannot resist a physics-related toy like
a catapult or in this case a ping-pong canon. These
3D puzzles are a great challenge for teens and help
with their planning and coordination skills.
12 - 15 Years Old
- Gifts for adolescents, tweens and teenagers
The tweens and early teens age group centers around practical application of skills, real-world connections to problems and solutions, and prioritizing self-expression. The
best developmental activities for this group include apprenticeships, business planning, and coordinating creative projects like gardening or hosting an event.
- Crocheting or weaving of any kind encourages economic enterprise and self esteem in teenagers and adults alike. If you have a multi-age group, there are weaving activities suitable for all ages!
- This easy-to-build wooden pinball machine is fun for
teens and adults to construct and for everyone to
play! Great alternative to screen-based toys, and it
reinforces physics and engineering principles.
- Another fantastic board game option that reinforces
math and physics as well as strategy is this Rock Me
Archimedes balancing board game. Try to get 4
marbles in the “end zone” without tipping!
15 - 99+ Years Old
- Gifts for older teens and adults
The older teen and adult group are entering the final phase of development: identity formation and taking responsibility for one’s life experience. Montessori activities for
this group include community projects, internships, and self-directed research and art. Opportunities to engage in meaningful, valuable work are prioritized.
Gifts by Play Type
- I have always liked oil pastels more than crayons
because they’re easy to blend and layer. These have
a nice tapered end and great color variety.
- This kit helps people learn all the major embroidery
stitches, like the running stitch, French knots, etc.
The instructions include links to video tutorials!
- Beeswax is a great non-toxic and organic alternative
to polymer clay (which is made of plastics). It can be
reused as well as lightly scented with essential oils.
Art & Creative
Visual arts and creative crafts help people of all ages express themselves and practice their fine motor skills. If you’re building an art and creativity area, incorporate
multiple media choices, like paper with coloring or painting tools, material or fabrics with sewing tools, or clay with sculpting tools.
- These blocks are a huge hit with my nephews who are pre-teen and teen ages. I wondered if they were too old to play with blocks, but they loved them!
- I love the variety of structures and vehicles in this
train track construction set. This activity builds
spatial awareness and logistics and physics skills.
- These plank blocks are long and thin to mimc actual
construction planks on a much smaller scale. These
versatile blocks captivate engineers of all ages.
Building & Engineering
Building, construction, and engineering play and toys transcend ages. Think about the popularity of building blocks, like LEGO, or even games involving stacking, like Jenga.
People love to participate in building something together, even if it’s only a temporary structure -- in fact, sometimes deconstructing is more fun in the end!
- These puzzle maps include common animals and
attractions for each continent, state capitals, fun
facts about the solar system and more. Great set!
- Race around the world while learning more than 1500 facts about 194 different countries! The action cards introduce fun challenges like pirate attacks!
- Dolls are a great way to introduce young children to
cultures outside of their own. Help each doll
pretend to read a book that represents their culture.
Geography & Culture
Having an understanding of the landscape and wider world around us, including the behaviors and traditions of other people that might be different from our own, helps
us face traveling and stepping out of our own comfort zones with courage and preparedness. This category of play helps instill security in one’s own sense of way-finding.
- The reigning champion of all literacy games in my
family is Scrabble. It packs a double punch of
learning with spelling and math practice in one!
- A sand writing tray is an excellent tool to develop handwriting in a sensory way. The letter cards have directional guides for the strokes.
- The aim of this game is to match the uppercase letter on each car to the lowercase letters in each parking space using the magnet wand. Super fun!
Literacy
Literacy learning doesn’t have to be boring -- it can be play, too! Any game or activity that encourages reading, letter recognition, spelling, writing, rhyming, or filling in a
blank is a literacy building tool. Words are everywhere -- think about how you can involve them in play in an engaging and educational way.
- This card game helps improve algebraic thinking by
having players quickly create equations to relate the
numbers on the cards they’re holding. Math-tastic!
- Geoboards help develop spatial and geometrical
awareness as well as fine motor dexterity. The cards
inspire on one side and instruct on the other.
- My daughter absolutely loved the Inchimals math
game set. This game helps develop both geometric
and algebraic thinking.
Math
Having been a teacher, I can tell you math anxiety is real! But involving learners in math and numeracy related games can help increase their calm and confidence in
dealing with numbers. Even a basic deck of cards or pair of dice can become a math game!
- This sturdy balance beam obstacle course with
stepping stones set is perfect for a game of “the
floor is lava”, and it’s configurable!
- Work on hand-eye coordination and throwing
accuracy with a ring toss game! Play one-on-one or
as teams, or even just play for your own high score!
- If your kids liked the Pikler triangle set, upgrade
them to two swings, a rock wall that reverses to a
slide, monkey bars, a climbing net and dual ladders!
Movement & Sports
Gross motor skills are developed through large movements, balancing activities, and sports that involve throwing, kicking, and/or running. This type of play supports
strong bone and muscle development as well as coordination and awareness of the body in space (proprioception).
- These Melissa & Doug animal puppets are simple tools for self-expression. Puppets can help us model social emotional skills through drama and role play.
- Earlier in the post I listed a percussion set for
beginner rhythm. These bells are for learning pitch.
They are in the key of C, so try “Jingle Bells” on them!
- We used to call these “play silks,” but they are made
of polyester to be slightly more durable and less
expensive than actual silk. They make great capes!
Music & Drama
Music and drama play areas encourage self-expression, rhythm, musicality, role playing, imagination, improvisation, and empathy skills. To stock a music and drama play
area, consider costumes, puppets, props, instruments and plenty of room to dance or create a stage to put on a performance!
- This outdoor play set has a water reservoir for a
working faucet and a planter with a plexiglass side
for root growth viewing. Adorable!
- This excavator is a big hit with children of all ages.
While it’s perfect for a sandbox, it can also be used
for digging and moving dirt or even snow!
- The cover of this sand and water table converts it
into a kids’ picnic table for additional uses. The
umbrella is a super nice touch for a sunny day.
Outdoor
Outdoor play extends the classroom into the yard and encourages gross motor skill development as well as exploration of the elements! For a complete outdoor play
experience, think about setting up zones based on water (water table), air (bubble station), earth (sand box), and fire (flashlights or energetic physical play for inner fire).
- This game is very easy for children to understand without any directions, and it helps develop grasping, scooping, sorting and serving skills.
- This kind of practical life exercise is also very simple,
but very engaging, especially to older children or
even adults who need to work on dexterity.
- Provide children with the tools and expectation to
clean up after themselves, and watch them flex their
practical life skills practice!
Practical Life
Practical life toys, games, and materials in a Montessori setting are meant to help develop real life skills like scooping, pouring, serving, cooking, dressing, repairing,
cleaning and organizing. Hosting a “tea party” is a great example of a practical life activity that can be accommodating to all age groups and skill levels.
- I love that this puzzle set includes mushrooms and
minerals as well as plants and butterflies! I like to
rotate puzzles in and out of the play area for variety.
- This kit is excellent for a family nature walk and bug
hunt! The magnifying glass on its own will instantly
transform any kid into an explorer.
- No home science lab is complete without a National
Geographic experiment set! My daughter always
enjoyed the chemistry kit the most.
Science & Nature
Science and nature play is all about discovering biology, chemistry, and physics principles in our environment with observation and experimentation. Encourage learners
to look closely and carefully at the world around them to see what patterns they notice and maybe even keep a field journal for diagrams and notes.
- This sensory bin base set includes a wooden tray,
scoop, funnel, and mortar and pestle. Change out
the items in the tray based on the season or lesson!
- This is a fun way to add aroma recognition to
sensory play. Create pairs of scents in both sets, and
let learners match them by smelling each tube.
- These soft mats have marbles sewn inside that can
be pushed around the stitched mazes. Fantastic
calming sensory activity for all ages.
Sensory
Sensory play engages and refines the learner’s senses - through texture, smell, color, sound, and even taste. Sensory activities or experiences can be designed to be
stimulating or calming, depending on the needs of the learner. They can also be changed out seasonally to have more variety and reinforce seasonal awareness.
- This Melissa & Doug magnetic daily calendar is a
product that I used with my own daughter for years.
Calendars build awareness of time management.
- Based on Marshall Rosenberg’s work, these cards help us define and express our feelings and the human needs underlying those emotions.
- Creative role play games, like Dungeons and Dragons, are a great way to develop social skills like teamwork and conflict resolution at all ages.
Social Emotional
Social and emotional learning comes not only from activities that teach the vocabulary of “feelings” but also from games and role plays that promotes teamwork,
etiquette, communication, problem-solving, and time and resource management. Even the classic game “charades” teaches non-verbal communication!