On the market there are thousands of toys, but not all are recommended for children. For example, it has been proven that technological toys delay the acquisition of the language, and that video games affect concentration at an early age. If you are looking for simple and beautiful toys that stimulate free and imaginative play, toys that grow with your child, Montessori baby toys are a perfect choice.
What differentiates Montessori baby toys?
The Montessori Method is an educational approach centered on the child where is fostered a learning environment in which the child assumes an active role. The environment contains toys and materials specially designed for children to be actively involved in their learning, for long periods of time. Therefore, Montessori infant toys must fulfill different functions:
– They encourage activity. Whether it is the material they are made of or their colors, Montessori toys must have an attractive design for the children, encouraging manipulation and capturing their attention.
– Include error control. Many Montessori toys are designed so that the child can see for himself that he has made a mistake, thus minimizing the intervention of the adults and enhancing the autonomous learning.
– They have different uses. Montessori toys should stimulate free play, which means that the child can use them in different ways, putting his creativity and imagination into action.
– They are funny and educational. Of course, Montessori baby toys should also bring satisfaction to children while playing, stimulating different activities that stimulate their development.
As you can imagine, not all the toys have these characteristics, especially technological toys, since they promote a highly structured play and capture attention in spite of the environment.
Montessori infant toys that grow together with children
- Sensory balls
The sense of touch is one of the most developed in babies, since it allows them connect with their mothers and discover the world. During the first year of life, playing with different textures is one of the activities that most babies enjoy. Therefore, stimulating sensory exploration is one of the first objectives of the Montessori Method. These sensory balls of bright colors are perfect because they also have varied textures that will stimulate the touch. They also have the perfect size so that babies can handle them without difficulty.
- Wooden stackable rainbow
This wooden toy, which follows the same principle as the stacking cubes, is practically a classic in Montessori classrooms. The reason is obvious: the possibilities for free play are practically endless. The youngest can practice nesting, stacking and balancing while the older ones can use the pieces more creatively in the imaginative simulation game by playing different objects.
- Water blocks
This toy is simply perfect because it combines the simplicity of the first blocks with the sensory benefits that the game brings with water, but without wetting the whole house. Younger babies can stack and shake them, while older babies can balance or hold them together to learn more about the color mix.
- Geometric shape sorter
This game is another basic element of the Montessori Method. The child will have to match the figures of the objects with the slots in the box, a game that children can take advantage of during their first years of life, developing eye-hand coordination, as well as the concept of shapes. This game in particular has gone a step beyond the traditional shape sorters favoring the coordination of the finest movements of the hand, in addition to stimulating the imagination and creativity of children.
- Musical Eggs
Each egg produces a different sound when the child moves it. The interesting thing is that some eggs require special motor skills. For the blue egg to sound, for example, the child will have to twist it a little. Thus the little explorers will discover different melodies in a funny way, while developing the sense of rhythm, color and manual dexterity.
6. 12 Rainbow friends
We already know that the fewer things a toy makes, the more the child’s mind will do. This will be one of those toys that accompany children as they grow up as the possibilities of play are really infinite. Also, when he grows up, you can use it to teach him the months of the year.
- Wooden Tangram
This Montessori toy will bring hours of fun to children. When they are small, they will play to fit the pieces inside the box and later, when they grow up, they will be able to create different figures, the only limit is their fantasy. In addition, it is easy to transport it and is a very colorful toy that stimulates reasoning, spatial perception and creativity.
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