Choosing the best Montessori 1-year-old toys might seem difficult with so many options available. However, having a variety of toys that help with different skills is ideal. In addition, uncomplicated purposeful toys can help foster your child’s natural development.
What are Montessori-friendly toys?
Montessori-friendly toys are the perfect way to get your child ready for school. Montessori-aligned playthings are simple, made of natural materials, and give kids a chance to practice one skill at a time.
There is no such thing as a Montessori toy – anything that fits the philosophy can be considered one!
If you want your toddler to have an easy transition into elementary school, these kinds of toys are great because they don’t provie excess stimulation like bright lights or loud noises. Uncomplicated in construction and purpose, these toys feel good to hold and won’t overwhelm the toddlers with too many options at once.
What are Montessori toys for a 1-year-old?
The first Montessori toy your 1-year-old baby will love culd be a simple box. Depending on what you add to it, a cardboard box can be transformed into anything – from a car to a house.
Of course, your kid can also color it and decorate it with their stickers! It’s the perfect way for them to learn colors, practice fine motor skills, and develop creativity.
What kind of Montessori toys is appropriate for 1-year toddler activities?
Fine motor skills Montessori toys for 1-year-olds
It might seem basic, but babies need soething small between their fingers to explore with curiosity before grabbing toys meant for playing around.
The small things in life make wonders happen because kids get curious about moving the object around. It is where dexterity starts to form so they can do more complex tasks when they get older.
Try letting them play with sand, water, rice, or pasta to see what interests your child the most! Then you can continue with pom-poms, pegs, or buttons.
Creativity Montessori toys for 1-year-old
Encourage your little ones to use their imagination becase the sky is the limit when it comes to creativity. You can get them started on simple puzzles and block towers. Then, as your child’s dexterity improves, you can introduce them to drawing and painting. The possibilities are endless!
Young toddlers activities for gross motor development
Gross motor skills refer to the movement of large muscles. When your child can move their whole body, they will be ready for action! This is why it’s essential to have toys that promote movement.
A great way to start is with a simple ball. Then, as your child gets a little older, they can move on Pikler triangle or Montessori climbing toys. These kinds of toys help with balance, coordination, and strength.
Montessori 1-year-old toys designed to improve hand-eye coordination
Hand-eye coordination is one of the most important skills your child will need to develop throughout their lifetime. You can start with building blocks so that they can stack and create.
Once they have the basics down, you can introduce them to puzzles. As your child’s coordination improves, they will do more complex tasks with ease.
Imaginative play Montessori toys for 1-year-old
There are so many different ways to encourage imaginative play. For example, you can make your toys out of things around the house, like usng empty boxes for blocks or laundry baskets as a boat.
These playthings allow children to use their imagination and feel a sense of accomplishment when they finish. However, be sure to let them know that it’s okay if things don’t look perfect becase the point is for them to figure out what works best in their way!
Practical life skills Montessori toys 1-year-old toddlers love
Toddlers love to imitate what they see their parents do. This is why practical life skills are so essential for them! These kinds of tasks help with coordination, dexterity, and independence.
You can start with simple real-life objects and tasks like pouring water from one container to anoter or picking up small things with tweezers. Then, as your child masters these tasks, you can move on to more difficult ones.
The importance of open-play Montessori toys for 1-year-old kids
Montessori toys are the perfect way to get your child ready for school. Give Montessori-aligned playthings to your toddlers so they can learn and practice new skills like counting, coloring, building, drawing, painting, and more.
One-year-old children need open-play Montessori toys because they need to practice moving their bodies around. In addition, they need toys that encourage imagination and creativity! These kinds of toys are the perfect way to get your child ready for school.
Montessori 1-year-old toys gift ideas
Pikler triangle
The Pikler triangle is a great open-ended play toy that helps with motor skills, balance, coordination, and strength. It’s perfect for climbing so your child can improve their gross motor skills! Plus, it looks beautiful in any Montessori playground or Montessori school!
Montessori Ring Stacker
One of the best Montessori gifts to give a one-year-old is the Ring Stacker. This play kit helps with balance and coordination, plus it’s fun also for older children!
The great thing abot this Montessori plaything is that it can keep your child entertained for hours because there are many different ways to stack the rings from tallest to shortest or smallest to largest.
Large Soft Blocks
Blocks are a classic Montessori toy that helps with hand-eye coordination, fine motor skills, and imagination. These Large Soft Blocks are perfect for toddlers because they are soft and easy to grip. They also come in many dfferent colors and shapes so your child can create anything they can imagine!
Play Silks
One of our favorite Montessori toys is the Giant Play Silks set. These silks are a great way to teach your child about colors, shapes, and textures. They can be used for many different activities like making tents, dresses, and more! They’re soft and comfortable for your little one to play with.
Montessori Ball Tracker
Another great toy in our Montessori gift guide that will keep toddlers entertained for hours is the Montessori Ball Tracker. This track has a ball path so your child can roll balls down it and watch as they go around different obstacles! Toddlers will be able to learn about colors, shapes, sizes, and more through this fun plaything!
The Montessori pull toys
If you’re looking for a traditional Montessori toy, the pull toy is a great idea! The pull toy helps with coordination and dexterity. In addition, a pull toy is excellent for open-end play and teaching your child about transportation. Many different designs and colors are avaiable so that you can find the perfect pull toy for your child!
Multi-shape puzzles
We continue our list of Montessori-inspired gifts with Multi-shape puzzles! These simple yet challenging puzzle pieces help teach your child at the same time about color matching and shapes.
Montessori balance toys
Balance toys found thir place among our favorite learning toys because they help with coordination and concentration. The primary reason the balancing play kits are our family favorite is toddlers learn how to move their bodies to keep balance.
This kind of exercise helps improve movement skills, so by the time you give them more complex tasks, they’ll be ready for anything life throws at them!
Wooden musical instruments for older toddlers
Some of the best Montessori toys for toddlers are wooden xylophones or drums. These eco-friendly musical instruments help improve fine motor skills and teach toddlers how to make music. They’re also very entertaining for kids to play with!
Montessori sensory toys
Sensory toys are perfect for taking babies on a fun adventure. These beautiful toys help children explore thir world, playing with senses of touch, taste, smell, and sight.
Montessori climbing toys
In addition to the Pikler Triangle, there are a lot of other Montessori climbing toys for toddlers that allow your child to explore their environment while getting some much-needed exercise! Climbing toys can help improve gross motor skills and dexterity.
Frequently asked questions
What makes a toy Montessori aligned?
Montessori aligned toys offer children the opportunity to learn about thir world through repetition and purpose. They help with hand-eye coordination, attention span, fine motor skills, problem-solving skills, imagination, and much more!
Montessori materials must respond to your toddler or preschooler’s natural curiosity while promoting self-confidence and autonomy through self-directed learning opportunities.
The Montessori philosophy values process over product. The Montessori toddler’s toys sould not focus on one activity but rather encourage a broad range of exploratory opportunities and pretend play activities.
Why is wood the preferred Montessori toy material?
There is no preferred Montessori toy material, as each offers its benefits. However, many Montessori toys are made from wood because it is a durable and eco-friendly material.
Which are the favorite Montessori toys for the holiday season?
Every family’s favorite Montessori toys will be different, as each child is unique. However, some of our recommended favorites include the Giant Play Silks set, the Montessori Ball Tracker, pull toys, multi-shape puzzles, balancing play kits, sensory toys, and wooden musical instruments!
Conclusion
There are so many different types of Montessori toys for one-year-olds that it can be hard to know where to start! However, by providing a variety of toys that help with vaious skills, you can encourage your child’s natural development.
Uncomplicated and purposeful playthings make Montessori learning easy and fun! It is important to note that all children develop differently, so it is best to proide a variety of toys to accommodate each child’s needs.
