Miss K is now 15 months old and to keep things interesting for her, I’ve started rotating her toys every month. Trying to keep with the Montessori philosophy, the bottom 2 shelves of our bookcase have been cleared for her.
Each cube contains a single toy/puzzle or theme of toys either on its own or displayed in a basket. There’s a also a table and chair set off to the side that sometimes has its own toy or is used to place the toy that she’s currently playing with. While there is room for improvement, the overall result is an uncluttered and organised space just for Miss K.
Top Shelf
- Bello Hammer Ball – this is a beautifully made 4-ball pound and hammer set that we purchased form Kidstuff but sadly doesn’t appear to be on their website at the moment. The base is angled so that the balls easily roll out. It’s great for hand-eye coordination, building arm strength, focus, colour matching, and understanding object permanence. At the moment Miss K isn’t strong enough to hammer hard enough for the balls to pop through but she loves to catch them and put them back when I do it for her! She’ll usually hand me the hammer when she wants me to play with her.
- Mini Discovery Boxes and Balls – borrowed from our local toy library and Miss K loves these! She loves picking them up, seeing what’s inside, shaking them, and putting them back inside the basket.
- Q Toys Montessori Baby Rings – when we first purchased these rings, she loved gnawing on the rings and banging them together. Now, she likes to take the rings off but hasn’t quite figured out how to put them back on yet.
- Schleich Farm Animals – after reading so many positive reviews about the quality and realism of Schleich toys, I purchased some common farm animals from Mini Zoo (cat missing in action at the time of the photo). They’re extremely well made and the attention to detail is amazing. They’ve also held up being chewed and thrown around by Miss K. She doesn’t play with these often but it’s a great way to introduce animals and their sounds to her. Funnily enough Miss K and her toddler friends love the little chicken!
Bottom Shelf
- Playgro Textured Sensory Balls and Bright Starts Oball with Rattle – now that Miss K is walking she doesn’t play with these often (close up above). She’ll usually pick them up for a closer look and then place them back in the basket. After this month, it’ll be time to put these away for a while.
- Wooden Ambulance – borrowed from our local toy library, this ambulance is one of 4 wooden vehicles that I’ve been rotating this month. These have been great for teaching Miss K how to roll objects backwards and forwards.
- Very Hungry Caterpillar Jack in a Box – received as a present from my mother-in-law, this has always been a hit whenever I’ve brought out the toy. Miss K still hasn’t figured out how to turn the handle yet but she loves seeing the caterpillar pop out and tries to push him back in! It’s great for teaching cause and effect, fine motor coordination, and delayed gratification.
- Woody The Worm – this beautiful and bright worm caught my eye at a local baby gift store in town. Unfortunately the paint doesn’t hold up very well, so I’ve had to keep it in storage until Miss K started chewing things less. This isn’t one of her favourites but she can keep herself entertained for a few minutes by swinging it around.
On the Table
- Large Wooden Farm Animal Puzzle – borrowed from our local toy library, this is one of 2 large wooden puzzles that I keep on her desk or our couch. The knobs are huge so their easy for her to grasp and pull the pieces out. At this point in time I’m not concerned with her being able to put the correct pieces back in their places. Instead, I’ll keep the puzzles in tact as she likes to pull the pieces out in her own time. Together, we’ll identify the animals/objects, ask for certain pieces, and show her how the pieces can be put back.
Marie xo