Gifts for the child who goes to a Montessori school

Many parents with children in Montessori schools consider purchasing Montessori materials for holiday or birthday gifts.  

Often, parents are surprised that Montessori teachers don't recommend to have Montessori materials at home.

For most children, working with the Montessori materials at home, as well as at school, can be confusing and overwhelming.

Children who work at home, generally don’t want to work with the same materials at school and vice versa. 

Additionally, parents might present the material differently at home, allowing more playfulness with the material, which can distract the child from the intended use of the material and prevents the child to learn properly.  

However, many great activities and materials are out there that support many of the same goals as the Montessori materials, but are not available in the classroom and are more suitable for at home.

So here are my recommendations if you want to support your child learning at home with some toys and materials related to the Montessori materials.

I have presented the suggestions by Montessori areas of learning. Those gifts are more suitable for children aged 3 to 6.

Practical life:

Instead of Dressing frames:

- offer an apron to your child, add more reality based dress-up costumes and maybe offer a doll that has specific clothes to put on and off. I find these mice with dress up clothes super cute but of course, they are fantasy based.

Instead of Practical life activities on tray:

Offer some baking materials.

A cooking book - we love My Little Sous-chef but they are currently out of stock. You can still find some on Manine Montessori.

Cookies - an interactive recipe book . It is a step by step illustrate recipe book to allow your child to bake independently. There are 3 others in that series.

Craft projects:

- If your child is into sewing : felt craft kit, cross-stitching.

- If your child is interested in painting: Famous Painting - Usborne cards

(more art ideas in this blog post: Art appreciation – Resources and ideas for children

Sensorial area:

Instead of the sound boxes:

- Refine their auditory sense by playing some sound recognition games.

Galt toy soundtrack - Listening lotto - Tune into

Instead of the Pink tower, Brown stairs and Red rods:

Offer some wooden blocks

Grimms small steps pyramid to sort from shortest to tallest

Instead of smelling bottles

A Fragrant lotto - a solid parfum making kit

Instead of the Blue geometric solids

A set of 3D shapes that can be opened, used in water, filled with dry or liquid filling!

Language:

Instead of the Sand paper letters

Try a Letter book

Instead of the large Moveable alphabet

Try some magnetic letters on the fridge

Instead of the Insets for design

Try some Geometric Stencils

Maths

Instead of Cards and Counters at home, Spindle box or beads materials.

Play some board games with a dice. Our favourite board games are from Orchard toys.

Some board games focus specifically on counting such as Bus stop that we have and like.

Invest in the Sumblox.

Cultural area:

Instead of the Roman Arch (I love this one)

Try the Leonardo Bridge.

Instead of the Sand and Coloured Globe that your child has access to at school,:

Try a Light up Globe. We have this one.

Instead of the Montessori World map

Try a Map activity book or a magnetic world map or a map puzzle.

I hope these ideas have inspired you.

More lists if you need some more gifts:

- Montessori Friendly toy’s list for toddlers

- Montessori stocking fillers

- One off boxes & past Montessori boxes

- The best Montessori inspired Non toys gifts list

- Clutter-free Christmas list for children

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