We all know who Montessori is and, let’s face it, it’s what parents start chasing after right from the start. And rightly so!
It has been shown that children who go the Montessori way are more confident, ambitious and unwilling to be limited by traditional ways of learning.
More parents are searching for Montessori toys and books to help their kids not just learn but also to develop their personalities and characters.
How Different are Montessori Toys Compared to Other Regular Toys?
Montessori toys and books take on a different approach because its purpose is to understand and respect children’s individual developmental timelines. While other conventional toys present infants and toddlers with symbols, letters, colours, shapes, and textures too, ebullient children would not spend enough time on them to defrag the info.
Montessori toys, instead, invites and allows children to build their own concepts around abstract lessons taught to them through toys and books.
How Do Children Benefit from Montessori Toys and Books?
One of the most important things parents should remember is that babies and toddlers learn from exploring toys on their own, diving deep into a bottomless pit of curiosity rather than from bushels of books.
You’ll notice your baby trying things out on their own despite your intervention. You can tell them that the round block won't fit into the square hole as many times as you want; at the end of the day, they will continue to try to fit the round block into the square hole nonetheless.
That’s the way babies work. We muster up a lot of patience and watch them figure it out.
They have to learn on their own.
JollyBaby 3D Cloth Book with Toy Set - Jungle
What are the Most Common Montessori Toys for Babies and Toddlers?
Any toys or books that encourage individual exploration and spur on your baby’s imagination adheres to the Montessori method of learning. Some of the most common Montessori based toys and books include:
Grabbing toys
Sensory toys
Teething toys
Board and cloth books
Musical instruments
Stacking toys
...and much, much more
Are Montessori Toys Better than Conventional Children’s Toys and Books?
Birthdays, Christmas and visits from grandparents, uncles and aunts will often add a few extra new toys to your baby’s collection.
We’re not saying they don’t contribute to your children’s well-being and make their learning curve easier to navigate but the traits of Montessori toys is simply more FUN and EFFECTIVE for your baby’s early-stage development.
1- Montessori Toys and Books are Simple
One of the defining characteristics of Montessori toys and books is that they’re designed to be simple and to-the-point. Your little bundle of joy is still trying to navigate the brand new unfamiliar world. So, it is best to give them organized information in the form of Montessori toys and books.
One good example is to give them an Interactive Book Good Habits Tracker. Through repetition of matching objects to the main book deepen their understanding of object shapes, inspire logical thinking, and improve their hand-eye coordination.
It’s simple, to-the-point, and without distractions.
2- Based on Reality
When you’re sitting down with your giggly new family member, the toys and books need to be based on reality. Cinderella and Little Red Riding Hood intrigue them but it won’t help them associate the real world with what’s being read to them at this stage.
JollyBaby 3D Cloth Book - Garden Tail
3- Less Is More
The Montessori method lets your little one paddle over to their box of toys on their own volition and pick their own toys. A floor full of toys or a box full of fun interactive educational materials can get confusing!
Experts agree that this can be overwhelming and defeats the purpose of helping our infants and toddlers learn from toys and books.
The best toys for babies and infants are ones that are made of natural material, do not produce distracting noises, and designed for specific purposes. It’s better to get Montessori toys and books that encourage your baby to be creative, use his/her imagination, and give them the leeway to make decisions on their own.
Montessori toys and books as well as wooden blocks are perfect examples of great learning toys.
4- Montessori-based Toys and Books are Real
Walking into a Montessori-based classroom or kindergarten, you won’t see many plastic toys. Montessori teaching methods emphasize on natural, healthy, safe, and enjoyable toys and books designed to stimulate the creativity and imagination of your LOs as naturally as possible.
5- Shapes, Puzzles, Textures, Puzzles and Stories
We’re sure you’ve noticed that some of our kids’ favourite toys when they were young, are ones that give them the freedom to be creative. Like a simple stack of wooden shapes and pegs. It's surprising how intrigued they will be with these simple Montessori toys and books compared to the sky-high priced electronic toys.
How to Use Montessori Toys and Books for Babies
Although it may be (more than) a little frustrating to wait out your new baby or toddler’s push towards independence when they try to feed themselves (splattering more on their faces, clothes...and everywhere else), pick out their own mismatched clothes or try to help their younger siblings with something they are hardly adept at yet, it’s your precious bundle’s first attempt to prove their newfound superpower in this world.
Reading With Them Right From the Start
Even before their dramatic entrance into the real world, parents find time to read and talk to their yet-to-be-born infants in the womb. Reading, most experts agree, is encouraged well before your baby’s first birthday because it forms a habit.
And the bonding is unbeatable!
When you spend time reading to your kids, they’re getting 100% of your attention and nothing can beat that. Just be sure to keep all electronics, including the TV, radio, computers, smartphones, and iPads a safe distance away. If they get distracted, bring their attention back to what’s at hand.
Best Baby Books By Age
0 - 6 Months
At this stage, keep things simple by using Montessori-based learning books with high-contrast pictures with no or little text. Ideally, the baby books and toys should be interactive, encouraging babies and infants to either follow along with your speech patterns when they anticipate a familiar hook in the story.
Reading magazines, newspapers, or books (they don't understand) with your baby or infant is perfectly fine too. At this point, cuddling up to and bonding with you is what they enjoy the most!
JollyBaby's First Counting Book - Red
7 - 12 months
Your baby is now able to babble his or her way into a conversation. It’s the cutest thing on the planet, so enjoy this while it lasts! Hence, they’re able to grasp simple and often-used words in the household. So, if the words ‘mommy’, ‘daddy’, ‘doggie’, ‘milk’, ‘yes’, ‘no’, or ‘hungry’ comes up, encourage them to say them.
Experts encourage parents to introduce books with one object, character or person per story to help your child identify with the protagonist. They’ll soon realize that the illustrations in the Montessori-based books and toys are actually relevant in real life.
That’s when the association is made.
13 - 18 months
This is the time to start introducing more complicated concepts to your child. These include books with sentences and while you’re reading about animals or funny characters, jazz it up with silly acting and noises.
You’ll find their mimicking of your speech and actions absolutely hilarious and precious! If you asked them questions like ‘Do you have a nose too?’, they’ll likely be able to point it out to you, much to your amusement.
By getting them involved in the storytelling process, they’ll be soaking up new vocabulary like a sponge.
19 - 24 months
At this age, storytelling, especially bedtime or before naptime, has become routine. These routines have a reassuring, calming effect on your kids. They’ll also start asking for the same book over and over again, and our advice is to indulge in our little ones.
As you repeat the stories, it will help your children reinforce ideas and concepts, as well as remember new words.
You can read more about age-by-age guide on reading to your baby written by Parents.com.
Where to Buy Montessori Books and Toys in Malaysia?
Reliable, quality and professionally-produced Montessori books and toys are aplenty and you can get them online. But if you wish to purchase keepers, get them at staunch stores run by people who really care about bringing you only the best baby products.
In Malaysia, SharingBabyland is one fine example. You can shop around for everything from top-quality baby products like Montessori-based books and toys to lotions and baby bottles completely online and have them delivered right to your doorsteps.
So, do browse around our website at SharingBabyland to get your supply of affordably-priced baby products, including strollers, baby carriers, and toys from our online store now! We are also active on social media, so let’s hang out on Facebook, Instagram, and Youtube.
Stay in touch online because we run irresistible offers and promotions from time to time. You will be the first to know!
