Inspired Montessori Gifts for the Holidays!

Would Maria Montessori Say Yes to Presents?

If I were to guess, I would say that Maria Montessori was not about giving a lot of gifts. She lived during a different time of course when gift giving was definitely not as extravagant as it has become today, but I’m pretty sure if she lived now, she would have some strong feelings about the kinds of things we should give our children.
Don’t get me wrong…..I am a gift giver by nature. I have been known to spoil my little children, my adult children and my grandchildren just a tad 😉 but giving my children meaningful and intentional gifts have always played a large role in my gift giving!

Preparing to Choose a Gift

When the children were little, we were pretty careful about the things we spent our money on when it came to gifts. I wanted to make sure that what I gave them had meaning in some way whether it was a special traditional gift or whether it was something that I wanted them to have for years to come, I tried to be thoughtful in my approach to gift giving and hone in on things that they not just wanted because their friends had it but that they could learn and grow from because it was of interest to them.

This thought goes right along with the Montessori idea of Following the Child. And maybe just being aware of the next best step for our children would serve us well when choosing gifts too. Here are some great questions to ask yourself when thinking about your child’s Christmas wish list.

1. When you stop and observe your child while working or playing, what is it that he or she is interested in right now?
2. What skills are they trying to develop?
3. What holds their attention and builds long moments of concentration?

When we can see the patterns of development present, or development that is making its way to the surface in that moment, then we will better know the gifts for our children that would be meaningful and have purpose. This means that they will spend more time learning from and playing with their gifts. Let’s face it, we don’t want to bring home the latest fad gift with all the bells and whistles only to find out after a few days that our child isn’t interested in it anymore. Ever had that happen? I know I have.

Keep in mind Maria Montessori’s thought on this,

The whole purpose of Montessori work especially for young children in Practical Life spaces is to give them opportunities for learning and growth in independence and responsibility. This doesn’t mean that every toy we give our child needs to be rooted in that purpose but it does make selecting a gift a lot of fun when trying to decide what beautiful things could be created from open ended materials or materials with opportunities to teach valuable lessons.

What are Montessori inspired Toys or Activities?

Although there is no such thing as a “Montessori Toy” there are many things that you might call “Montessori inspired toys”. Maria Montessori developed a beautiful curriculum of wooden materials that we use in our classrooms and homes that are part of what we call Montessori Materials, but she didn’t develop toys. Since this time, many have created works and toys that are Montessori based in nature because of how they are made and the purpose behind them.

In my opinion, in order to be considered a Montessori inspired toy or activity, there are a few things to consider:

1. Is the activity or toy attractive?
2. Is it well made?
3. Are the components made with natural materials? (wood, stone, elements of the earth etc.)
4. Are they based in reality rather than fantasy?
5. Will your child learn from the activity or toy?
6. Does it promote practical living and or sensorial lessons?

I promise you there are many, many Montessori inspired activities and toys that will meet most, if not all of the criteria above. I should probably note here that because Montessori inspired materials are well made and mostly created with natural materials, they will be a little pricier at times. But with a little care, they will also last for long periods which is great for saving and passing materials down to younger siblings or even grandchildren. I still use materials today for my grandchildren that I used with my own children because the things I purchased were made to last a long long time. So in the end, my investment went really far.

The Gift of Simplicity

So this year, this crazy year of 2020, I encourage you to think about the kinds of toys you put under the tree. Use the above list as a kind of check off and try to purchase things that will not only bring joy to your child in that moment but will have a lasting effect on his/her development over the course of time.

Oh, and this is probably a good time to just mention that more isn’t always best! When your children are young, it’s the perfect time to give them “gift giving guidelines”. Here were the guidelines in our home, “In our family, we do two stocking stuffers, a little candy and an orange (a generational family tradition), a gift from mom and dad and a gift from Santa.” Most importantly, we always did a lot of fun things together during their time off from school which is where the real memories were created! I’m sure all of my children would say that they don’t necessarily remember a lot of the gifts they were given but they do remember the time we spent together. Just something to think about. :)

In an attempt to help you begin to figure out what your gift giving routine will be, we have gathered together some of our top Montessori inspired toys that we think your child would benefit from receiving this year. There are guides here for Toddlers and Preschool Age Children. These are coming straight off Lovey’s own gift list for the Grands! We’ve also included a Stocking Stuffer Guide for Toddlers and Preschoolers! Go check out both guides and tell us what you think!

Have a Joyous Holiday Season!

Barbara