8 best Montessori toys that encourage imaginative play

Best: Overall

Created by parents, these super sweet doughs come in gorgeous natural colours, are free from any nasties and are packaged in environmentally friendly reusable glass jars. Although the age specifications recommend children use the dough from three upwards, our little tester was just 18 months and loved pushing and pulling the super soft homemade-style paste into different shapes, so we think this would make a great Montessori-style toy for a family with varying age ranges.

The possible activities are endless – encourage nature play by collecting objects from outdoors and pushing them into the dough to create impressions, roll out balls in different colours to aid number and counting skills or whip up some good old fashioned “mud pies”. The limit is your child’s imagination. We also loved that help was on hand for any queries from the owners themselves and that the dough didn’t leave any stains on our table top.

Best for: Counting

Scandinavian brand Stoy is exclusive to Alex and Alexa, and champions the importance of play as well as upholding beautiful design principles. We found the mass of small pieces on this counting bar to be a tiny bit troublesome, as they more often than not ended up scattered across the floor. But despite the tidy-up time we thought it was a great educational tool for little ones to learn through hands-on exploration.

The rings coupled with the numbered discs reinforce number skills, while the action element helps develop those all important fine motor skills. Younger children may struggle with this, but from around four and up we think it would be a great piece to see kids through primary school, reinforcing their confidence in counting.

Best for: Identifying food groups

These stylised fruits and vegetables are stocked by Mama Owl, a shop which specialises in toys crafted from natural materials fashioned by ethical makers. While on a grown-up level we appreciated the soft, muted tones, our mini tester loved how tactile each piece was, with soft curves that are easy for small hands to grip.

While playing it was clear that classification was being explored, with our tester sorting the fruit and vegetables into different categories, and vocabulary was also being improved with this easy and visual way to practice common food names.

Each piece has a good weight, however we did find one of the tops of the tomatoes easily sheared from the main body, making these perhaps best suited for slightly older children who know to be a little less rough.

Best: Lacing game

Coming in at under £15, this sweet Montessori style represents good value for money and would make a lovely gift for a child’s party or special occasion. The accompanying wooden “needle” that comes with the pear helps small hands to easily get to grips with the threading process while the wooden bead stopper is a useful control of error element, meaning children know when to stop the threading.

Made from natural materials this is nice and neutral and petite enough that it could be used in the car or on a train to keep little ones entertained out and about. The nature of the threading also means that fine motor skills are employed to complete the task.

Best for: Encouraging imagination

A bridge, a slide, a rocker, a reading nook... the beauty of a Wobbel Board is that the only limitations are imagination. We saw ours used as a road for toy trucks and a hill to climb and jump from, as well as it being a seesaw to rock back and forth on. While it may look unassuming and slightly ambiguous, that’s the beauty of giving your child something so open-ended. We really enjoyed seeing its uses evolve with our little one’s day-to-day development, and thought it was a great tool for allowing them to assess risk in a safe environment.

The wooden curve feels sturdy and there’s no setting up required, while the felt back is great for grip if you want to flip it over for climbing on. Beware though, your coffee table will never be free of a curved growth again as your kids use it to prop up their bridge, slide or mountain.

Best for: Climbing

Ready to go straight from the box, this sweet climbing frame is made from natural wood sourced from responsibly managed forests and provides a dynamic play space for curious kids. At just 18 months, our mini tester conquered the top straight away, which we were impressed by, and the whole thing felt super sturdy while also flat-packing away for easy storage.

The two rungs at the top are a unique feature, which make this climbing frame reassuring under foot, allowing children to immediately feel safe, an example of how detailed the development behind this piece is – no element is accidental.

Other features can be added on too, letting this Montessori-style toy grow with your kids to keep the development of their problem-solving skills ongoing. There’s an optional slide which we loved – which is great for toddlers getting to grips with their gross motor skills, which in turn helps to foster their self-confidence.

Best for: Tea parties

It’s a fact that kids love imitating adults, and Montessori education is all about allowing children access to real life scenarios. While you might not want your toddler getting hands on your actual cups and saucers, this adorable mini wooden version lets them play pretend and mimic grown up behaviours. This is a pretty dinky size, so better suited to little kids.

Our tester enjoyed keeping their cohort of stuffed animals well hydrated by means of forced tea parties. We loved the little details like the tea bags and stirring sticks, which help children go through the imaginary motions of making a cuppa, something they probably see the grown-ups around them do every day.

Best: Dolls’ house

Not all dolls’ houses are created equal, and we think this is a gorgeous example of one that stands out from the crowd. While it’s small enough to stash away in a cupboard, it’s still roomy enough to allow for free-flowing imaginative play. The sturdy vegan leather handle was a fun addition that our junior tester loved, giving them a sense of control in where they trundled their house to next.

It was also light enough for our toddler to carry themselves, which meant independent play was facilitated. We loved the crossover for other toys this instigated, with soft animals and tea sets introduced to the interior, although if you want to do things in a coordinating way, there is a whole range of furniture and dolls you can add to play with.