Tariff-Free U.S.-based Montessori Materials
All of our products our made in the USA, using wood from the USA, making them tariff-free.
Author Q&A: Travel Journal by Essential Montessori
My motivation was to have a travel journal for my own daughters that would help prompt them with essential questions while we were on family road trips. We had made these informally in blank notebooks in previous years, but this was a way to keep all of their lists, travel reflections and memories in one place.
Montessori From Birth: Series Wrap Up
Thank you for following along on this journey with us! We had so much fun going through some of our favorite Montessori materials from each month with you. For a quick reference guide to each month, please feel free to jump back to each month here:
Montessori From Birth: Month 12
Month 12:
Building blocks
Simple stacking or nesting toys
Large wooden puzzles
Montessori From Birth: Month 11
Month 11:
Shape sorters
Simple lacing or threading toys
Books with simple stories or concepts
Montessori From Birth: Month 10
Month 10:
Wooden push or pull toys
Stacking rings or towers
Simple matching games
Montessori From Birth: Month 9
Month 9:
Crawling tunnels or ramps
Simple peg puzzles
Large knob puzzles
Montessori From Birth: Month 8
Month 8:
Simple posting or sorting toys
Large wooden beads or rings for threading
Cloth or board books with flaps or textures
Montessori From Birth: Month 7
Month 7:
Nesting and stacking cups or boxes
Sensory balls
Simple musical instruments (e.g., shakers, bells)
Montessori From Birth: Month 6
Object permanence box
Small wooden stacking toys
Simple shape puzzles
Montessori From Birth: Month 5
Month 5:
Soft blocks
Simple wooden grasping toys
Cloth or board books with simple images
Montessori From Birth: Month 4
Month 4:
Montessori-inspired mobiles (e.g., Gobbi, Dancers)
Wooden grasping rings
Soft balls or sensory toys
Montessori From Birth: Month 3
Month 3:
Black and white or high-contrast visual mobiles
Soft grasping toys
Mirrors
Microbiology for Kids
In celebration of Dr. Eleanor Spicer Rice's new book Unseen Jungle: The Microbes that Secretly Control Our World, I wanted to pull together some of our favorite activities and books related to microbes that we enjoy as a family!
Montessori From Birth: Month 2
Month 2:
High-contrast images or books
Soft, musical toys
Different textured fabrics
Montessori From Birth: Month 1
Month 1: For the baby
High-contrast mobiles
Soft, textured blankets or cloths
Rattles with gentle sounds
Minimalist Camping Tips
Now that both of our daughters, at 7 and 9, are firmly in the second plane of development (between the ages of 6 and 12) we are enjoying a lot of family time, independent time and life adventures that involve question asking, introspection and lots of activity. The perfect summer activity for us the past three summers has been camping.
Montessori From Birth: Series Introduction
During the first few months of life, a baby's needs are primarily centered around basic physical needs such as eating, sleeping, and being held. However, even at this young age, Montessori materials can be used to support the development of the senses and promote early exploration.