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Parenting Guide to the Best Montessori Toys for Every Age
When a child is given a little leeway, he will at once shout,’ I want to do it!’ But in our schools, which have an environment adapted to children’s needs, they say, ‘Help me to do it alone.’
DR. MARIA MONTESSORI, THE SECRET OF CHILDHOOD
The Montessori method is based on the teaching philosophy of Maria Montessori. This type of education is student-led and self-paced, yet it is directed, evaluated, and enhanced by competent instructors in a supportive atmosphere.
The method of the Montessori system aimed to develop children into self-directed learners and citizens who are responsible to themselves and their communities as a result of the freedom and support they get in this process. They think critically, collaborate with others, and take risks while maintaining their integrity. More information about Montessori Education you can read on American Montessori Society webiste.
What is the essence of the Montessori method?
Maria Montessori called her method “a system where a child develops independently, relying on a didactically prepared environment. The key principle of the Montessori method is “Help me do it myself.” It means that the adult understands the kid’s interests, creates a suitable environment for engaging activities, and teaches the child how to use it.
The fundamental principles of the Montessori Method
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- A child is free to choose own type of activity that they want to participate in. A child needs freedom of thought, action, and feeling too.
- Children should learn everything quickly and with pleasure, without the “obligation” and need to compete with their classmates in learning. Every child is free to pursue their interests, as there is no single curriculum.
- Montessori is a method of early development. However, groups are formed by age category. During this period, the older children teach the young children to develop leadership skills and teach each other how to take care of one another. In this way, mutual aid and cooperation are formed.
- Classes are conducted in a specially prepared environment. Fundamentals of the Montessori method imply that the playroom is often split into various zones, including natural history, practical life, sensorial, language, and mathematics.
- In the Montessori method, the adult plays a secondary role in teaching, not a mentor but a helper. The adult’s sole responsibility is to maintain the child’s interest. The teacher communicates with the children but does not impose own opinion or lead the child to the desired answers to the questions.
- Criticism and prohibitions are unacceptable. The child has a right to a mistake. He is quite capable of figuring things out for himself.
The principles of Montessori methods are focused on the development of fine motor skills and the development of the senses (sight, hearing, taste, smell, touch). Maria Montessori thought that deliberate activities with tiny objects build the intellect, develop speech, attention, and memory and that these actions should be repeated. As a result, her system contains many tasks involving connecting items together, guessing their identities based on their feel and texture, and classifying them.
The Montessori method raises independence in a child. Shelves with the necessary things are arranged conveniently so that the child can take what they need and then put it back. All books in the classroom are in a single copy – thus, children learn to agree and share things with each other.
What is Montessori Toy?
You can start to introduce Montessori Methods right in your baby’s playroom. While shopping for Montessori Toy, you need to consider few factors that qualify toys as Montessori’s:
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- Montessori toys are made from natural materials that link your kid to a nature: wood, wool, cotton, metal, ceramic, and even rock. In addition to the fact that these toys are Montessori staples, they are also safe for your baby. Playing with different textures, material temperatures, and different weights helps to improve the baby’s senses.
- Montessori toys are realistic toys. Montessori toys are always realistic and grounded in reality, making them an excellent learning tool to explore the world around them. In the Montessori method, there are no toys that imitate fairy tales and non-existent characters. The child plays with animal toys, for example, which they can see in reality.
- No sounds effects. Montessori toys are intended to enable children to explore and discover on their own without additional support. In this case, rather than opting for highly customized toys that move and produce noises on their own, choose passive toys that need your kid to handle physically and integrate into their pretend play.
- One skill at a time. Try to choose educational toys that focus on one specific learning task at a time. Montessori toys should have a built-in feature that informs the baby when the task is completed correctly.
- Black and White toys for infants. Newborn baby doesn’t see colors, exepct black and white and some grey. That is why Montessori Toys for newborns are designed with black and white.
- Limited Choices of toys. Too many options can be overwhelming and unsatisfying for a child. It’s harder for kids to decide what to play with and harder to stay focused on a play. Instead of sticking on the chosen toy and enjoying its value, kids will be distracted by other toys, creating chaos and feeling less accomplished.
In inspiration to develop your child using Montessori toys, you should also be prepared to the price of Montessori Toys.
Given that Montessori toys are made from natural materials, mainly wood, the cost will be higher than toys made of plastic, for example.
What are the best Montessori Toys?
Mini Tudou 6 Pieces Baby Stacking & Nesting Toys
The stacking ring is made of food-grade silicone of superior quality. Non-toxic, soft, and round, it has no edges or corners. Chewable and smooth. This is especially good for molar (baby teething and baby biting) in the teething phase.
These stackable toy building blocks have six colorful and appropriate-sized spheres that catch the baby’s attention and promote hand-eye coordination.
The baby ring toy features animals, letters, and textures that serve as a relief design on the surface.
All babies like to stack things. A cute stacking circle allows you to build shapes in whatever design you choose. Each one should be stacked to the top until it can go no higher. Next, the stacker was knocked down and remade. Everything is fun for a while.
You are anxious about comforting the crying baby, aren’t you? At the moment, our stacking ring is one of the better choices. When you squeeze the product, it makes the BiBi sound. Help a baby relax and calm down. Don’t cry, don’t shed a tear, and instead, beam with joy.
STEM During the early stages of development, our ring stacker has been proven to be the perfect best Montessori toy for babies. For babies, early knowledge learning, including animals, shapes, letters, and textures, Hand-on ability, and creativity are just as crucial for children’s physical fitness as exercise. Play an activity that develops children’s color perception, digital cognition, and shape recognition while also teaching them about these skills.
Recommended Age: 6 months +
Wooden Animals Jigsaw Puzzles
The only materials used in this wooden jigsaw puzzle are natural wood with smooth edges and a delicate feel. It is eco-friendly, safe, and non-toxic. Toddlers are comfortable with this.
The lovely hues and adorable animal designs can immediately grab a child’s attention and induce them to have fun.
Toys to learn with can help children overtake others at the starting line. People must increase their creativity, cognition, hand-eye coordination, learning, and patience in a constantly shifting environment.
Recommended age: 12 months +
Ulanik Balls in Cups
This game has been created using Montessori educational philosophy.
It includes a dozen wooden balls, cups, a bowl, and a spoon, all made of wood, as well as a storage bag made of linen for balls and a tray of wood to help keep everything in order.
The Ulanik Balls in Cups strengthens visual focus, creativity, memory, and the ability to pay attention, and also helps kids persevere, be diligent, and be attentive.
A solid ally to mathematics education, especially when learning colors, shapes, numbers, comparisons, classification, and analysis, is all on the table.
Recommended age: 12 months +
Wooden Rainbow Stacking Game Learning Toy Geometry Building Blocks
This includes two rainbow-colored blocks in each set, totaling 19 pieces. Constructed of natural wood and decorated with water-based painting. Environmentally safe, non-toxic, and BPA-free. There are no sharp corners, and it is safe for kids to play
There are three different types of shapes to the blocks, resulting in an enormous increase in the number of possible combinations. You can do so much more with a smaller set of blocks, like stacking them in different ways, which helps increase your child’s cognitive flexibility.
While they are stacking the wooden blocks, children will be able to improve their motor skills and hand-eye coordination.
Recommended age: 3 years +
Montessori Toddler Busy Board
BrainUpToys helps foster a future Einstein in your child. The sensory board offers opportunities for creative play and learning with plenty of projects.
This activity center contains 20 different activities, such as a spinner, latches, a metal clasp, a door, a bell, shoes, a robot, wheels, a switch, an outlet, a telephone, a lock with a key, and many more.
Montessori-inspired busy board with activities to enhance fine motor skills, math, colors, shapes, problem solving, and cognitive development for toddlers.
Basswood and non-toxic paint make the wooden board game toys sturdy and solid. Pieces are smooth and have a smooth edge, and the metal hinges are less likely to rust.
Recommended age: 3 years +