5 Things You Should Know About Buying Montessori Toys
Montessori toys are designed to blend learning with enjoyment for children. By engaging their senses - touch, sight, hearing, smell, and to a lesser extent taste - kids gain knowledge. These toys aim to enhance problem-solving abilities, boost concentration, refine motor skills, and foster autonomy in young ones.
Children enjoy playing with Montessori toys, and they learn a lot. If you have decided to join in and have your child get the benefits, you may be wondering where to buy Montessori toys. Well, luckily, there is a lot of information online on the best toys and where to get them.
So, if you have decided to buy Montessori toys for your kids, here are five things you should know.
1.Buy age-appropriate
There are Montessori toys suitable for different age groups. Buy one that is appropriate for your child. For example, you can buy the Munari Mobile or Octahedron Mobile for your five weeks baby.
Once your baby starts to hold items, you can buy a Montessori rattle or a crochet rattle. You can introduce the object permanence box as the baby grows older.
A toddler will find it fun to play with toys such as shape on pegs, busy board, nesting boxes or bead stringing.
To avoid buying toys at every stage, some parents for subscriptions where they pay a monthly fee and receive age-appropriate toys for their baby.
2.They are made using natural materials.
Montessori mode of learning is influenced by nature. Therefore, Montessori toys are made using natural materials such as wood, cotton, metal, glass and bamboo, not plastics.
They are simple, with no forced sounds or flickering lights. The simThis allows the child to concentrate on the toy and learn new skills.
3.Montessori toys are for learning.
When buying Montessori toys, you should know that they are designed for the child to learn new skills. They are meant to encourage children to explore and discover new things, and not for entertainment. That is why you won’t find toys making sounds or moving on their own.
Instead, the child needs to manipulate them physically as they play, which helps them to learn new things.
4.They are realistic
Montessori toys are based on what is real. That way, the child can learn about the world around them. So, it is better to have a horse-shaped toy instead of a gargoyle. Later on, the child can see the real animal.
You should note that at a young age, a child can’t differentiate between fake and real. The best thing is to introduce them to images of real objects early in life. This way, they can identify the real thing when they see it later when they see them later on.
It is better to have a figurine of a cat instead of a cartoon character of a cat in boots.
5.Buy one-task toys
Learning is a process. Since the Montessori toys are meant for learning, you should buy those that teach one skill at a time. A toy focusing on many skills can be confusing to the child.
So, is the toy for teaching shapes, numbers or motor skills? Identify the need and then buy the appropriate toy. Remember to note the age of the child when buying the toy.
