I like to think of our in-home play space as “modern Montessori” as I am big on fostering independence in my kids. As a stay-at-home mom and entrepreneur, having my kids be able to entertain themselves while I work is vital. So when Lamie was a baby, I set out to find open-ended toys that would arouse his curiosity, help him develop problem-solving skills and guide him into imaginative play—all the while, keeping him entertained long enough for me to answer emails or edit photos. This is a collective list of open-ended toys that we’ve grown to love.
There are no bells and whistles here. These open-ended toys are specifically designed to encourage creativity, imagination and learning. These items are tried and true; I own them all and have used them with my kids to strengthen their gross and fine motor skills, teach them the alphabets, counting, sorting, matching, etc. They have been great not only for Lamie (2.5 yo), but also for Monroe (15 mo) as she grows and develops. All of these items can be played with in innumerable ways and most of them will grow with your child over the years.
If you’re struggling to keep your toddler entertained during quarantine, or just need some fresh ideas for holiday gifts, look no further. Everything you need is right here! (See links below)
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One >>Montessori Pikler Triangle Climbing Set<<
I am so thrilled about this climbing set! I was on the fence about getting one of these for years, but once Covid hit, I knew I needed something for the kids to climb on to further the development of their gross motor skills, cos lord knows, my couch has taken quite a beating this year. Poor Monroe has never played on the playground yet, nor gone down a slide, since she was born a few months before the pandemic started. So this climbing set is going to help her tremendously and keep them both occupied for a long while. This set is handmade and beautifully crafted. The rock wall flips over into a slide and the entire set can fold away and be stored in a coat closet or behind the couch. Perfect for kids from 8 months to 8 years old! The international shipping on this thing is a beast, but this is thee best price I’ve found online for a 3-piece handcrafted set. So it was definitely worth it for me. I spoke with several moms who already owned this set and they all had nothing but good things to say. Most of them reported that their children played on the set DAILY even after owning it for almost a year!
Two >>Play Kitchen Set<<
This kitchen set will absolutely grow with your kids. As soon as Monroe started cruising, she’d standup at the sink and dump all the dishes in there. It’s the perfect size too! It’s not too big and not teeny tiny. Bigger kids up to about age 6 or 7 will enjoy playing with this kitchen too. It encourages pretend play. We purchased it for Christmas right before Lamie turned 2. At his 2nd birthday party when all the kids saw it they all ran over and pounced on this kitchen at one time—it was a hit! The doors, the clicking knobs, the faux water dispenser. There’s enough to keep your kids entertained for days!
Outfit your kitchen with all the things:
Three >>Rubber Blocks<<
These are a baby favorite! They’re designed with a beveled edge to make stacking easy for unsteady baby hands. They are also super soft and durable for nibbling. I started both babies off with these rubber blocks before transitioning to plastic or wood blocks.
Four >>Grimm’s Wooden Rainbow Friends<<
I got these little wooden people this year for the kids so they can begin to incorporate “people” into their imaginary play with their farm animals and dinosaurs. What I love most about this set is that the peg people are “multi-racial” as they come in all different shades of natural wood, which I think will be helpful once my children start to recognize those differences in real life. These are handcrafted as well.
Five >>Allobebe Balance Bike<<
I have two tricycles for the kids, but every time Lamie is on them he only uses his feet to push around. The rear wheels and pedals actually get in the way and limit his mobility which inevitably lead to frustration. I got this bike to help him get around easier. It will help him improve his balance and increase his confidence for when it’s time to transition to a tricycle. I also purchased one for Roe too! Here’s a balance bike for older children as well ages 3-5: Velo Balance Bike
Six >>Grimm’s Rainbow (Large)<<
We love love LOVE Grimm’s rainbow! My son plays with this rainbow daily. It has been a ramp for cars, a tunnel for trains, art sculptures, and has also aided in helping him with color identification. This is a staple on many Montessori shelves and I finally know why. He needs absolutely no prompting when playing with this rainbow and it has taken his creativity and imaginative play to new heights. This is also handcrafted from natural wood so this baby ain’t cheap. If you’re looking for an alternative, check out this one: Wood City Rainbow
Seven >>Jumbo Farm Animals<<
I used these farm animals to help teach Lamie the names and sounds of each. Since it was a tangible tool, it didn’t take him long to learn. Now whenever he’s watching something that features animals, he’ll run over and grab the toy animal that’s being shown on the screen and observe it. It’s awesome to watch him put 2 and 2 together! Monroe loves to walk these animals around the house and yell out the sounds they make. They’re great for matching (animal identification) with a board book or with a song like “Old McDonald Had A Farm”
Eight >>Foam Activity Set<<
Toddlers have so.much.energy and they need to get it out! This helps with coordination, balance, climbing, jumping and fort building. Another tool for helping them stay active and burn off energy while indoors! Here’s a larger set with a tunnel if you have the space: BIG Foam Activity Set
Nine >>Wooden Peg Puzzles<<
These puzzles are the best! I did the ABC puzzle with Lamie everyday when he was 1 and he was able to identify numbers 0-9 and ALL the letters in the alphabet by the time he was 17 months old. These are a must in every household if you ask me. These puzzles come in a pack of 6. Letters, numbers, vehicles and various animals. Also good for developing baby’s fine motor skills from when they’re learning to hold the knobs and twisting their wrist to rotate the pieces. Lamie’s pincer grasps was solid because of these puzzles.
Ten >>Wooden Barn<<
This barn is to help them take their imaginative play to the next level. My kids love playing with their farm animals around the house, but the animals don’t have a home. This will give their animals a home. The kids will incorporate this barn with their “town” rug and train set to create a little town. Solid barn built from natural wood. Great quality. Requires assembly.
Eleven >>PicassoTiles<<
These are magnetic building tiles and my kids love love LOVE these! They are so versatile. My kids use them to build houses and castles, to make roads for their cars, and as pretend sunglasses to view their environment the through different colors. These will be a favorite for years to come! Worth every single penny and compatible with Magna-Tiles.
Twelve >>Color Discovery Boxes<<
These quality vinyl boxes give babies a hands-on way to learn color recognition. I used these boxes to teach Lamie color sorting and matching. The soft cushiony items are fun for other types of play as well. We also own the Shapes Discovery Box because, why not?!. Use COUPON CODE 2525 for 25% off a single non-sale item!
Thirteen >>Pre-Handwritting Dry-Erase Notepads<<
These dry-erase notepads are amazing!! This is a great way to transition kids from active play into sitting-still activities. It also helps them fine tune their fine motor skills by helping them get comfortable holding pens while drawing lines and tracing letters. Lamie loves tracing the lines and connecting the dots, it helps him feel like he’s accomplishing something. Monroe enjoys scribbling on them as well. Once they’re done for the day, I wipe the notepads clean with a microfiber cloth and they’re ready to go for the next day. They’re also great for on-the-go activities in the car, grocery story or waiting room!
We have these notepads as well: Letters with Frozen and Letters & Words
Fourteen >>Train Set<<
The train set knows no gender—it’s a toy for ALL children and Brio is by far thee best train set on the market, hands down. Imaginative play knows no limits when kids play with a train set. I keep the tracks in a basket on the floor so it’s super accessible for the kids. They are able to grab them and build out on the floor as long as their hearts desire. The opportunities are endless. For birthdays, I simply purchase expansion track packs and the train set just grows and grows. I’ve even found the most adorable princess train for Monroe!
Fifteen >>Stacking & Nesting Cups<<
Lamie loved these cups when he was younger and now Monroe lives with them in her hands. She’s using them to explore stacking and nesting. She enjoys the challenge of getting them to fit together either way!
Sixteen >>Mega Bloks<<
I cannot rave about these blocks enough especially for your little one-year-olds. I used the singular blocks with Lamie daily when he was younger to teach him how to stack and by the time he was 15 months old, he was able to stack 20 single blocks all on his own!! These blocks where fun yet challenging enough to hold his attention for a long while… talk about independent play! Now that he’s older he likes to use them to build castles and arcs for his animals.
I’m a fan of adding on to what my kids already love in order to encourage deeper imaginative play. So we’ve recently added this to our collection, considering Lamie’s love for trains right now: Mega Bloks Train
Seventeen >>Personalized Name Puzzle<<
This is a great hands-on way for kids to learn how to spell their names. Lamie loved playing with the individual letters by rearranging them and trying to build other words. Pair this name puzzle with the tv show “Word World” and your child will be building words all day long! Lamie loved doing this. This would also make a great gift for other babies & toddlers in your life or your next baby shower gift.
Eighteen >>Round the Town Road Rug & Wooden Cars<<
As Lamie’s car collection grew, I realized that he didn’t have a place to drive them to. I loved watching him race the cars across the floor but felt like he needed more to do with his cars. It took him a little while to start incorporating this into his play, but now he plays on this rug often even with his trains and dinosaurs. He loves to have his dinosaurs eat the trees in the neighborhood. Again, this has been another toy that has sparked imaginative play.
Nineteen >>Indoor Outdoor Roller Coaster<<
This roller coaster isn’t really “open-ended” per se but I added it because it does beef up our backyard play during the pandemic. When Covid hit, we tried to buy this back in the spring but it was sold out everywhere. I snagged this in the Fall before it happened again and now so can you!