23 Montessori inspired toys that will grow with your child

Balance boards are one of the most simple toys with an endless amount of use. They can help your child develop their equilibrium while making for a fun exercise routine, then flip it over and it becomes a ramp for cars or even a small slide. It can even become a prop for imaginative play.

From tea time table cloths and magic fairy capes to doll blankets and battle flags, playsilks are the ultimate open-ended toy. The colorful silk scarves are also a great tactile toy for babies!

It’s safe to say we’re a bit obsessed with the gorgeous grow-with-me rockers from Cassarokids. At once a place to play, relax and imagine, they can be used from age one all the way through childhood. When used as a rocker they can be outfitted with one of Cassarokids gorgeous tufted pillows to become the coziest place to read or snooze. Flip it over and it’s a super fun play structure that can support up to 200 pounds! And if you really want to create a space that’s made for play, it pairs perfectly with their equally stunning collection of pikler triangles and ramps.

Unlike bikes with pedals and training wheels, balance bikes make learning to ride effortless and fun. By learning the key skill of balance first, they’re able to progress to riding without having to “unlearn” bad habits that take hold when riding with training wheels. This version from New Zealand brand Wishbone is pricier than others, but designed to last far longer than most models and the heirloom quality means it can easily be passed down.

Let your little artist’s creativity flourish with this wooden double-sided easel that will take them from first scribbles to preschool masterpieces! This simple, yet functional, easel from Hape features a chalkboard, a magnetic dry erase board (magnets included!), refillable paper dispenser, three no-spill cups and a tray for storing paints and other art supplies. It’s sure to become a playroom staple

A learning tower is the perfect tool for the curious toddler. There are so many uses here, but we especially love it for all things in the kitchen, whether it’s cooking, baking, or even learning to meal prep or wash dishes. This one from Piccalio is sturdy and adjustable to grow with your child but best of all, it can transform into a toddler-sized table for snacktime. It’s an investment, but one that we think is well worth the splurge! (Check out more of our favorite learning towers!)

Watch even the tiniest baby react to music and you’ll immediately realize the powerful impact it can have on social, emotional and cognitive development. We love the soft edges that make this style safe for the littlest musicians while the soft rubber-headed mallet creates a variety of lovely tones no matter how they play.

Similarly, a balance beam is a great way for littles to stretch and engage their whole body. This child-sized balance beam is designed for children ages 18 months to 8 years and can be used indoors or out in a variety of shapes from zig-zag to hexagonal.

Whether on its own or part of the ultimate fort set up, a play tunnel is endless amounts of fun. When they’re tiny it’s a super engaging way to play round after round of peek-a-boo. As they get older they’ll find tons of different ways to play. From wearing it as a costume to making the spring leap up in the air, it’s always a delight!

This indoor climbing structure is designed to begin use as young as six months and can be configured to grow with your child from there. Nine foam pieces can be arranged into stairs, a tunnel, and a slide, allowing your child to practice motor and balance skills and burn off all that extra energy. The pieces are easy to clean and Green Guard (gold) certified.

From around age three, you can introduce more sophisticated instruments like the wooden guitars from Loog. They’re not only designed with little hands in mind, they also incorporate only three strings to make the learning process faster and easier.

From modeling real life to setting the stage for imaginative play, we love the simplicity of this wooden dollhouse. It comes with furniture for a living room, bathroom, bedroom and kitchen. An open design allows multiple kiddos to play together peacefully (well, peacefully enough) and there are plenty of accessories that can be purchased separately to expand their play!

Pikler triangles are a staple in Montessori classrooms and have subsequently gained popularity at home as well. Developed as a tool to help improve motor development skills, to forge independent activity, and to allow freedom of movement, they’re endlessly entertaining for toddlers and bigger kids alike. This foldable version from Piccalio comes with a detachable ramp that features a rock wall to climb on one side and a flat surface for sliding on the other.

When a full-on sensory table isn’t a possibility (or, let’s face it, you’re not up for the mess), this scaled-down version provides the same benefits with less commitment. Perfectly sized for tabletop play (just remove the legs!) and suitable for water or sand, this set combines sensory and realistic play that grows with your littles.

Blocks are the ultimate in Montessori must-haves; they teach endless developmental concepts and provide hours upon hours of creative, open-ended play opportunities. This 60-piece natural wood set presents a world of possibility and even comes with a reusable wooden box for easy storage and clean up.

The ever-popular Magna-Tiles are great for encouraging open-ended, creative play and developing math, science, spatial and fine motor skills. The magnetic sides will inspire beginning builders and help more experienced builders think “outside the box.”

Realistic play is one of the tenants of Montessori-based education; it helps children relate to and understand the world around them and develop meaningful connections.

This beautiful wooden play barn and seven realistic animal figurines will capture the imaginations of babies, toddlers and preschoolers alike. It even folds and features a carry handle for easy take-along play!

This rainbow may look basic, but through the eyes of your child, it offer endless opportunities for imaginative play! From early concepts like color identification and developing fine motor skills, to more advanced concepts like building, nesting, and pretend play, this simple, colorful—and so, so beautiful—heirloom-quality puzzle stacker will quickly become a playtime favorite.

Exploration and activity are two important pieces of the Montessori philosophy—little hands should be encouraged to sort, pour, scoop and empty with all kinds of liquids and materials. This handcrafted sensory table made from natural pine is a great way to check all of those boxes and contain the mess ? It can be filled with sand, rice, or even hold trays of water for years of sensory play.

Radio Flyer wagons have been around for decades—and for good reason. They’re beautiful, fun, and functional, and can be enjoyed by babies and toddlers alike. We love the early walker take on this one, featuring “resist push” that allows beginning walkers to safely build confidence and balance. (We also love the furniture-friendly bumpers!) Once they learn to walk, they’ll find still find lots of other uses for this classic toy.

Play couches hardly need an introduction anymore. From the cult-loved Nugget to an endless stream of Nugget dupes, this popular piece has won the hearts of many kids and parents alike in its short time on the market. However, with more customization and optional waterproof liners, we’d choose the Figgy over the Nugget. The simple design of six foam pieces—four base cushions and two triangle pillows—can be configured in dozens of ways for indoor imaginative play, and doubles as additional child-sized seating. While both offer a similar foot print, the fact Figgy’s cushions are all separate gives kids more building flexibility. When they do want them to stay together, strong velcro keeps them in place. What’s more, wedge pieces and extra rectangles can be purchased separately to expand their building options.

There’s a simple delight in watching objects speeding down a ramp, and that joy is not lost on this classic toy. This ramp racer is not only fun, but teaches fine and gross motor skills, cause and effect, hand-eye coordination, and much more. Babies will laugh as the cars speed down the ramps, while toddlers and older kiddos will love engaging in pretend play and racing their cars over and over again.

For a different take on the classic block set that babies and older kiddos will love, we can’t get enough of this set of oversize foam blocks. Made from soft, durable foam, your little ones will love building, stacking, and most importantly knocking down these super fun blocks for years.