Introduce Your Kids to the Montessori Method With This Affordable Set

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When it comes to toddler toys, there are so many options to pick from, and many directions to go in. With so many great toys for 2-year-olds out there, how do you choose?

Some families like to follow the Montessori method, which offers a unique approach to play. "Dr. Maria Montessori invented scientific materials as her approach to 'toys,'" says Helene Bizjak, member of the American Montessori Society and early childhood educator trained under Mary Ellen Maunz, founder of the Authentic Institute of Montessori. "They're designed to isolate the five senses and bring abstract lessons, such as counting, to life through the use of concrete tools that are manipulated by the hands." In Montessori classrooms, she adds, teachers are called guides, and guides try to help a child build up their ability to concentrate on the task at hand for as long as possible. Toys like stackers, counters and memory games aid in that process.

"Practical life lessons such as dressing oneself, cooking and cleaning are aimed to foster independence in young children," Bizjak adds. "Dr. Montessori believed in joyful learning and is famously quoted as saying, 'play is the work of the child.'" Look for toys that work on fine motor coordination to help with these skills, like play sets with lacing or threading, along with toys that encourage pretend play and even child-sized real objects like cups and pitchers that give kids a chance to practice.

Keeping these concepts in mind, these are the best Montessori toys to buy for 2-year-olds in 2023. Most were tested by the Good Housekeeping Institute for quality, and then we added in a few best-sellers from trusted brands who specialize in the Montessori method. Whether you're looking for a gift for kids or want to try out the Montessori method in your own families, these are good toys to start with.

In addition to toys for 2-year-olds, we also added in a few toys for 3-year-old that the toddlers can grow into, along with some furniture items for families who are looking for more ways to incorporate Montessori into their households.

Small Pink Tower

“The iconic pink tower gets a lot of love in primary classrooms all over the world," Bizjak says. "The blocks have purpose in helping young children distinguish big versus small, and the cubes are sized in a dimension of 10 as a foundation for math concepts. The hands-on, visual discrimination of the material as a child stacks the blocks satisfies a developmental need for a control of order.” Ages 2+

Post & Play Peg People

This one can grow with your child: Starting at around 19 months, they can use these wooden peg people to practice their fine motor coordination, including the all-important pincer grasp, as they pick up these peg people and put them in their cups. As they get older, they can practice matching the colors on the cups and figures, and they can incorporate them into pretend play. Lovevery also offers a Play Kit subscription that include Montessori toys (plus information on how to use them to meet kids where they are developmentally). Ages 19 months+

Pound & Tap Bench

The Montessori method also believes that a hands-on, sensory experience is the best way to learn music. This award-winning toy gives kids multiple ways to experiment with sound. They can use the mallet to pound the three balls down onto the xylophone and let them hear the tones it makes as the balls roll down the keys. Or, they can slide the xylophone out and make their own music with the hammer. Ages 1+

RELATED: The Best Sensory Toys for All Ages

Play-and-Go Lockbox

Putting shapes into a shape sorter? That's easy. This toy gives kids a brain-boosting challenge when it comes to getting the toys back out again. There are three different doors — one that pulls down, one with a hook-and-eye clasp and one with a sliding lock — that helps kids with those functional skills they'll need to be independent. This toy is also part of the Panda Crate subscription box line, which goes up to age 2; KiwiCo also offers a Koala Crate subscription line for kids ages 2 – 4. Ages 13 months+

Jumbo Knob Wooden Puzzle

In addition to the fun, smiling images of the farmer and their animals, kids will love the large size of the knobs on this wooden puzzle, which makes the pieces easier to grasp. As they get older, they can move on to wooden puzzles with smaller pegs. Ages 1+

Counting Stacker

This toy helps kids practice early math skills, along with matching and color sorting. The hexagonal blocks fit on the pegs in sequence: One block fits on the first peg, two on the second and so on, so kids can count as they stack. In addition, the numbers are color-coded, so there's only one red block for the first peg, two yellow ones for the second peg, etc., so they can arrange the blocks by color as well. Ages 1+

Bead Stringing Set

Threading, lacing and stringing are other activities that help kids grow up to be independent and do tasks like dressing themselves or tying shoes. This stringing set comes with 19 different shapes in different colors, so kids can also experiment with color matching, sequences and patterns. You can also get it as part of the Montessori Play Set for kids ages 22 – 24 months, or explore Monti Kids' other age-based play sets. Ages 22 months+

Peg Board Set

This open-ended stacking set has so may ways for kids to play. It comes with 30 chunky pegs in six colors, and the pegs can either fit into a foam grid or stack on top of each other. Kids can make their own structures or patterns, sort or stack the pegs by color or use them to practice counting. Ages 2+

Zigzag Racetrack

It's a lesson in cause-and-effect when kids send these cars flying down the racetrack, reversing direction as they go. The cars are numbered, too, so kids can use them as a way to practice counting. Ages 2+

Wobble Board

Toddlers can stand on this U-shaped board to work on their gross motor coordination and balance themselves as it rocks back and forth. Or, they can flip it upside-down and use it as a slide, a desk, a ramp for cars, a tunnel or a stage. It comes in three neutral colors, and has a handle for easy storing. Ages 18 months+

Tabletop Easel

Set this up and let their creativity take control! Slide in a piece of paper and kids can draw, paint and color, which not only works out their imaginations, it helps them with their fine motor control. Bonus: This fits on a tabletop, so it won't commandeer a whole corner of your room. Ages 21 months+

Montessori Knobbed Cylinders Blocks

As kids get older, if Montessori toys continue to have appeal, they can move onto this cylindrical block set for kids ages 3+. It's great for sorting, color matching and arranging by size: Each peg fits into a specific hole, so if there's one that's out of order, they'll be left with a peg that doesn't fit. Ages 3+

Dust! Sweep! Mop! Pretend Play Set

Little kids actually love to help clean and pretend to clean. This set, for kids ages 3 and older, lets them use their imaginations while trying out a few different cleaning tasks. It comes with a broom, mop, duster, dustpan and hand brush, plus a stand to store them all. Ages 3+

Sandpaper Letters

Three-year-olds can work on their pre-writing skills by tracing the shapes of these sandpaper letters. It comes with both capital and lowercase letters, and as they get older kids can combine them to try and make words. Ages 3+

Ladybug's Garden Memory Game

It's a cute, springtime twist on a memory game: Instead of flipping over cards, kids can pick up two ladybugs. If the pictures underneath match, they get to keep the bugs — and whoever has more at the end of the game wins! The set comes with five double-sided cards to slide under the ladybugs. Ages 3+

Classic Kitchen Helper

This is more furniture than toy, but if the 2-year-old in your life wants to help in the kitchen, get them at counter height with this learning tower. The Good Housekeeping Institute found this is a good one for space-savers since it folds up when it's not in use. The height adjusts to three different levels, it comes in four neutral colors and it holds up to 125 pounds. Ages 2+

RELATED: The Best Learning Towers for Independent Kids, According to Experts and Parents

Learn 'N Climb Triangle

For those looking for something that goes beyond the everyday toy, this climbing triangle will get those little bodies moving! This climber earned a Good Housekeeping Parenting Award, and testers loved that it could be set up indoors so kids can get their energy out even on rainy days. You can also get a climbing ramp/slide attachment for it, too. Ages 3+

RELATED: The Best Pikler Triangles for Toddlers, According to Parenting Experts

Montessori Playshelf

If you're looking for a place to showcase these beautiful Montessori toys, Lovevery's playshelf is subtly ingenious: It's designed to keep a small selection of toys visible so as not to overwhelm kids, but also has a storage chest in the back so you can stash other toys away. It makes for an easy toy rotation. Good Housekeeping testers loved this so much it earned a Good Housekeeping Parenting Award. No age recommendation given

How we chose the best toys

Most of the toys in this story were vetted by the Good Housekeeping Institute for safety, durability, quality of construction, ease of use and educational value through programs like the Good Housekeeping Best Toy Awards or the Good Housekeeping Parenting Awards. In the instances where the toys could not be tested in person, we looked for trusted brands who have earned these accolades from Good Housekeeping in the past.

Why trust Good Housekeeping

For more than a century, the Good Housekeeping Institute has provided expert reviews and advice on everything parents and children love, including STEM toys, educational toys, sensory toys and more. Much of the toy testing for this article was overseen by Rachel Rothman, the Good Housekeeping Institute's chief technologist and director of engineering, with the help of Marisa LaScala, Good Housekeeping's senior parenting and relationships editor. Both Rachel and Marisa see and evaluate hundreds of new toys every year.

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