The Best Montessori Toys for 1 Year Olds and Free DIY Tutorials
In this post: Find the best Montessori toys for 1 year olds with free DIY tutorials to make your own wooden toys. Post contains affiliate links.
Montessori is all about exploration and independence from a young age. While teaching Spanish in a Montessori preschool, I was able to get an inside look at some of the best Montessori toys for 1 year olds. I’m sharing some of my favorite toys for young children with free DIY tutorials if you want to make your own.
If you’re looking for 1 year old Montessori toys, this is the ultimate list for you!
What types of Montessori toys are best for 1 year old development?
One year olds are curious and always on the move! This is the age where gross motor skills are growing and many children are ready and hoping to challenge those skills by climbing on everything. This is also the age where basic hand eye coordination really starts to develop more.
Alongside these massive physical leaps, one year olds are also going through a language explosion as many begin to say their first words. The best Montessori toys for one year olds help balance this need for independence, and while also fostering these growing skills.
The Best Montessori Toys for 1 Year Olds
Let’s look at some of the best Montessori toys for one year olds! You will find toys to support them with all of the major developmental leaps they are experiencing. I also love these 1 year old Montessori toys because they can last for years.
Table of Contents
Climbing Triangles, Arches and Gyms
Here are some of my absolute favorite climbing triangles and gyms for one year olds:
- Wooden Climbing Arch
- Pikler Triangle
- Joymor soft foam climber sets are perfect for little ones if you’re worried about tumbles.
- Balance boards are so fun to have on hand for young toddlers too!
Want to make your own climbing gym or Pikler triangle? Check out these DIY tutorials!
Early Montessori Inspired Puzzles
Start with one or two piece puzzles as your littles work on hand-eye coordination. Here are my favorites:
Want to make your own Montessori inspired puzzles for your one year old?
Toys to Encourage Exploration
Let their curiosity shine with these engaging Montessori toys!
- Classic Object Permanent Box
- Hit and Drop Wooden Box Toy
- First Bead Maze Wooden Toy
- Wooden Shape Sorter – this toy is great for working on problem solving skills.
- Hit and Drop Wooden Box Toy
- Building Blocks – It is never too early to get a block set!
- These wooden push cars are great for working coordination.
- Check out this sweet pull toy your toddler will love.
Sensory Toys for One Year Olds
Bring in some opportunities for your little ones to explore their senses with musical instruments and fine motor skill work.
- Solid Wood Drum
- Spinning Wooden Drum – I love this musical instrument for young toddlers
- Fabric Sensory Ball
- Wooden Stirring Xylophone
- Play Silks – These are perfect for imaginative play.
- Wooden Sensory Bin Set
Getting Started with Practical Life Skills
Encouraging independence and self care is key! Let your little ones help as much as they can in a safe way.
- Learning Tower (perfect for help cooking and cleaning)
- Cleaning Toy Set – my own kids loved this.
- This is my favorite mini sweeper set for kids.
- Plant Care – Let your little ones dig in the dirt and help water your plants.
- Have towels on hand so they can wipe up spills!
Build your Bookshelf
Don’t forget to read as much as you can to your little ones! This will encourage language development and will help them connect more with the world around them. If you’re raising your little ones to speak Spanish, check out my favorite bilingual board books with real photos. These are perfect for any Montessori family.
Montessori Play Kits
Take the guess work out of your Montessori play at home with these Lovevery play kits. They are an investment that is absolutely worth it because it is such high quality. I also loved having age appropriate guides with my kids during different developmental stages! These are perfect to ask for a gift from friends and family too.
I hope this post helps you find fun and engaging Montessori toys for your 1 year old! Remember to focus on things that will grow with your child. You don’t need a lot, in reality less is more! Grabbing just a few things from this list will set you up for months of play and exploration in your Montessori home.
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