Montessori Materials

​One of the ways Montessori schools differ is the level of emphasis placed on continuity and mutual support of the learning processes between home and school.

Effective communication between school and home is vital to the successful academic, social, and emotional well-being of students.

​Parent involvement

Children who are successful in school have strong and positive connections between family, school, and community. Parent involvement in the learning process strengthens learning at home and is linked to positive child outcomes. Parents are always welcome and encouraged to participate at the level they are most comfortable. We encourage parents to be involved by:
  •  Volunteering in the classroom (reading books, interacting in play, helping with projects)
  • Attending parent meetings/workshops/workbees
  • Attending family education events
  • Serving on an advisory committee
  • Sharing skills, talents, and interests with the class
The more engaged you are in your child’s learning the better!

The home environment

You can create a home environment supportive of the learning process. Parents can select activities and objects that reinforce the development you child experiences at school. Choose activities to stimulate any of numerous areas of development:
  • Music, movement, and eye-hand coordination
  • Language, vocabulary, art/self-expression, turn taking
  • Auditory or visual development, visual and auditory tracking
  • Tactile experiences, reaching, grasping, or batting
  • Care of self, care of the environment, food, and daily life
  • Classification abilities, stereognostic sense (the ability to feel around an object)
  • And more!

​Montessori Materials (activities and object) examples

Babies to six months:
  • Mobiles - such as Gobbi, Munari, Octahedron
  • Interlocking circles/rings, or grasping beads
  • Board books
Older baby from 6 months to around 15 months:
  • Knitted or crochet ball (or Hugg-A-Moon)
  • Visual tracker toys or puzzles
  • Rings on rocking or stable base
Toddler 15 months to 3 years:
  • Objects with similar cards for matching
  • Box with slide lid or bins
  • Care of self, care or environment. Brushing teeth, age-appropriate cleaning tasks
3+ years:
  • Calendar, refined threading such as small beads on a shoelace
  • Assisting with more advanced cooking
  • Help with recycling, feeding pets, or unloading dishwasher

Keep digging

The Montessori materials listed here are just a small sample of the ways you can bring the learning environment to your home. Talk to your child’s teacher, and read the communications your school puts out to get specific ideas for your child.

Learn more with a great guide: The ultimate list of Montessori activities for babies, toddlers and preschoolers. This guide was created by Simone Davies, a Montessori teacher and parent in Amsterdam. Her free guide is packed with even more products and activities organized by age groups and highlighting the area of development stimulated. While you’re at the Montessori Notebook, be sure to check out the Age Appropriate Chores for Children too!

Some of our favorite Montessori resources include:

​Stocking your home and classroom with Montessori materials

Get products that support your child and your school. Montessori Services has brought hard-to-find Montessori materials to homes and classrooms since 1976. They offer two promotions to purchase developmentally appropriate toys while helping your school earn free materials.

Be sure to check out our fundraising page to see other easy ways to support Leelanau Montessori. Among the numerous options, you can simply shop Amazon. Enjoy the same prices with a portion of each sale benefiting the Leelanau Montessori Forever Foundation using Amazon Smile.