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a year of play: montessori-inspired monthly shelves
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items lots of ideas for monthly play shelf themes (ages 3-5), designed to follow the turning of the seasons. the focus in my house is on nature, imagination, and open-ended exploration so we can build our independent play skills. i love natural materials a...
Sections
12
january: cold & quiet worlds
february: storytelling & imagination
march: signs of spring
april: forest floor
may: dinosaurs & deep time
june: ocean worlds
january: cold & quiet worlds
january is a month of stillness and rest. winter is settling in and our themed shelf is focused on the quiet and calm of the natural world. we're thinking about snowflakes, ice, arctic animals, and the northern lights while we grow our imagination.
we love loose parts around here and this is such a fun kit for working with pattern recognition and fine motor skills! my kid is so fascinated by snow, so this is a perfect way to explore that.
Snowflake Exploration Activity Set | Nature-Inspired STEM Kit | Montessori Loose Parts Learning for Kids | Fine Motor Skills
movement cards are terrific for getting the wiggles out and connecting language with action. i love these winter themed cards - seeing your kiddo try to figure out how to “drip like an icicle” is too fun
Winter Movement Cards: Montessori Preschool (PDF Download)
small world play is my absolute favorite way to keep my kid's imagination growing, and this set is so beautiful! i love that the ice can be stacked so there's a built in game function too
Polar Paradise Glacier Stacker Set - Arctic/Igloo/Polar Bear/Penguin - Handcrafted Winter Playset / Montessori & Waldorf Inspired
this balancing toy is so sweet, and the figures double as small world play too!
Tender Leaf Toys Arctic Circle Balancing Toy
an adorable (and inexpensive!) activity to help your child think about how to get dressed for cold weather
Winter Paper Doll Printable Activity for Kids: Polar Bear & Penguin Paper Doll Dress up and Role-Play Kit, Montessori Inspired Animal Craft
super fun ice cliffs for building out your pretend play worlds
Iceberg Wooden Toy
play silks are so great for making your play worlds feel real, and this snowflake one delights me every day
Winter Snowflake Playsilk: Hand-Dyed Habotai Silk
felt story boards are great for building storytelling skills, and i particularly love this set because it has some more unusual additions like puffins and muskox!
Arctic Animals Felt Story
playdough stamps are a great addition to your sensory play
Wooden Arctic Animal Stampers
Schleich is really the top shelf for realistic animal toys, and we try to get ours second-hand whenever possible - they last forever because they're such great quality. this set has been super popular in my house for over a year and still going stron...
Schleich Antarctic Expedition Set
more Schleich because look how realistic!
5-Piece Arctic Animal Bundle
i love tender leaf toys - they have a sustainable production model and their wooden toys are absolutely stunning. these guys were on the christmas list this year and we can't wait to play with them
Polar Animals - Tender Leaf Toys Kids
these make the most intricate snowflake ice cubes i've found yet, and we love them in a winter-themed sensory table. adults might find them fun for a wintery cocktail too :)
Snowflake Silicone Ice Cube Tray
can't overstate how fun this extra large ice building blocks are. we have a lot of fun turning off the lights after building and using a flashlight to explore them.
Excellerations® Ice Blocks & Stacking Gems - Set of 40
sweet little felt puzzles for kids just learning how to puzzle
Winter Felt Puzzles
introduce a little project to start learning about the night sky with this fun board!
Constellations Board
another gorgeous play silk that brings the northern lights into your small world play
Aurora Borealis Northern Lights Playsilk Scarf
february: storytelling & imagination
february is for stories and symbols - our shelf this month is focused on imagination, relationships, and open-ended play. we're using simple materials with a little added magic to explore storytelling and role-play to support emotional development an...
we love a building block set with a little extra magic built in - this one is colorful and so fun
Wooden Building Blocks Set "Italy: Ancient City"
this whimsical color sorting toy does double duty for small world play - lots of storytelling potential!
Mushroom sorting toy
mushrooms and gnomes make a lot of appearances in our folklore-inspired small world play - we love these guys and they get a ton of use in our house
Woodland Gnome Family - Tender Leaf Toys
having a toddler seems to mean you'll always have a thousand cars around the house. i love the timber taxi because it fits the bill but also makes sense in our small play world. plus the merrywood characters are SO cute
Timber Taxi - Tender Leaf Toys
another merrywood adventure team! this sailboat expands our whimsical little universe to the sea
Sailaway Boat - Tender Leaf Toys
who doesn't want to travel via bird? so many fun stories in our pretend play with this adorable creature
Swifty Bird - Tender Leaf Toys
i diy-ed a treehouse for my son but this one closely resembles it. i can't overstate how much play this gets - we are forever redecorating, acting out stories, and thinking of new ways to explore it
Handmade Wooden Treehouse Dollhouse: Montessori Kids Playset
love these funny shaped trees - very magical!
Wooden Toy Trees Figurine Set
it's really important in my family to have diversity in our small play figures, and this set provides that simply and beautifully
Montessori Peg Dolls Multicultural Rainbow Color Set
get a few figures or collect them all to fill out the magical court
Vintage Ostheimer Style Wooden Figures
beautiful monarch butterfly costume for pretend play
Monarch Butterfly Costume Wings, Orange - Jack be Nimble Pretend Play
gorgeous wizard costume for quick and easy dress up games
Starry Night Wizard Cape & Hat - Great Pretenders
we love a dress-up piece that goes on and off easily and without a lot of parental help. this one is so well made and realistic - it makes imaginative play a delight as soon as it comes out of the trunk
Woodland Storybook Wolf Cape Size 4-6
this mushroom hat is no doubt a splurge but it is so special and fun - hard to overstate the delight of getting to *be* the mushroom emerging from the ground
Red Mushroom Hat: Woodland Costume, Fleece Earflaps
this crown gets worn virtually every day in our house - nothing beats being the king or queen of your very own kingdom
Hand Embroidered Wool Felt Crown
these beautiful felt masks are a great way to jump right into pretend play - no elaborate costume necessary
Children's Woodland Animals Felt Mask Combo Set of 4 Masks
love these artsy little stacking blocks - character creation can be so simple and beautiful
Montessori Wooden Character Stacking Blocks
there are literally hundreds of ways to put this puzzle together! a fun nod to valentine's day that will keep the whole family busy
Heart Puzzle: 16 Piece Brain Teaser
march: signs of spring
march is a month of noticing! we're all starting to notice changes as winter gives way to spring, and this is a wonderful time for children to learn about weather, growth, and the small movements happening in the natural world. this month we're invit...
we love this beautiful weather wheel - it makes learning fun and easy, and we keep it near the window so we can check it every day
Montessori Weather Wheel
super cute loose parts set for learning about weather
Felt Weather Set
adorable little gnomes representing different weather conditions for small world play
Waldorf Weather Gnome Peg Dolls: Montessori Inspired Learning Toy
very cool (and beautiful!) counting set with clouds and raindrops
Make it Rain set. Montessori neuro-trainer and math set for counting learning
use your best judgement about hanging this within reach of tiny hands, but a propagation station is an awesome way for kids to observe root formation in real time. the sun is starting to come back and plants are beginning to emerge - bring that proce...
Hanging Ladder Propagation Station | Three Tier Tube Vase Display
really lovely wooden life cycle puzzle that includes multiple organisms to learn about
Montessori life cycle puzzle
we LOVED this loose parts set. my kid had so much fun constructing a nest, and now we are forever noticing “nest parts” on our walks outside
Bird Nest Building Kit: Montessori Fine Motor Activity
gorgeous little bugs for small world play, and the set can also function as a matching game due to the silhouettes inside the box. my kid absolutely lovely
The Bug Hotel - Tender Leaf Toys
this is a little more on the advanced side for young artists but i love to do the drawings with my child and have him try to copy each step as i draw it. i think it really helps with his observation skills!
How to Draw Spring Things for Kids
not only are they fun for building, these blocks are a terrific way to save some of the things your toddler stuffs in their pockets outside as you're observing the first signs of spring. we love keeping these on the shelf or in a window, but they can...
Excellerations® Refillable Window Blocks - Set of 10
great for pretend play inside and outside, and a really cool way to get your budding scientist to work on their observation skills. we are especially enamoured with the microscope!
Hape 8 in 1 Nature Fun Kids Plastic Explorer Kit, Working Flashlight, Telescope, Compass, Periscope, and Specimen Jar
i'm not sure what it is about a harp that just screams spring to me, but any instrument that can sound beautiful while a toddler plays it is a huge win in my book
Happy Harp
this one requires a little bit of adult help to set up for this age group, but it is well worth the effort. we like to try drawing and painting the art created inside the kaleidoscope - makes for a very fun dual activity
Nature Kaleidoscope Set
april: forest floor
april invites us into the woods to see what is unfolding as spring reaches the forest floor. animals are sheltering, mushrooms are emerging, and little details are coming to life all around us. we're working on close observation, imaginative play, an...
the bees are hard at work now and it's a great time for kids to start learning about all the ways they support the world around us. this set is so cute and soft, and it makes for great small world play
Felt Beehive Play House
get little bodies moving and grooving as they try to flap as fast as a hummingbird or throw spines like a porcupine. lots of imagination and physical movement!
Animal Actions Wood Dice Game
we received one of these as a gift and it's honestly magical. plus, it's soft and light, making it easy to take on the go and roll out for play anywhere
Waldorf Felt Play Mat with pond
nothing builds out small world play in the forest quite like these stacking tree blocks. they are gorgeous *and* you can order them in different colors to represent different seasons! we have green but i am definitely coveting some fall colors too
Large Stacking tree blocks
i actually can't overstate how beautiful this handmade busy book is. wonderful for travel or if you just need a moment to drink your coffee in peace
Forest Themed Busy Book
grandpa is a bug guy and thus we are a bug family. this matching game was a gift from grandpa and my kid loves it - the colors are beautiful and the pieces are sturdy
Montessori Wooden Butterfly Matching Game
beautifully made wooden loose parts set that can be lovely in sensory bins or small world play. lots of fine motor manipulation in stacking activities too
Wooden Forest Sensory Bin
another lovely wooden stacking toy with forest animals that work beautifully in small world play
Stacking Forest - Tender Leaf Toys
i looove this croquet set and i'm always excited when my kid pulls it out. do i have to periodically remind him that the mallet is only for the ball and not a giant hammer for working on our house? yes. is it worth it? also yes.
Woodland Indoor Croquet Set - Tender Leaf Toys
there's a whole world of these little foxy soft toys and they're all adorable. we love them for pretend play but they are also often on bedtime duty - especially since they come with their own little bed
Foxy Burrow Red Fox
another delightful toy for traveling or a quick moment of peace. the characters are sweet and colorful, and this toy packs a lot of punch for being so small
Treehouse Party Magnetic Play Scene
this is recommended 6+ so it's definitely a parental involvement craft for the preschool kids, but since a lot of montessori schools practice sewing early on, your child may already have some experience! we loved this craft and it makes an *excellent...
DIY Woodland Fox Felt Bag
gorgeous loose parts boxes with all kinds of magical items from the forest floor
Kids Nature Sensory Crafting Boxes
another really fun set of wooden trees to add to your playscape - you can buy these as a set or just get a couple to bring some extra magic to the forest scene
Montessori inspired wooden tree set
air dry clay has become a staple in our house - it's easier to work with and lighter than playdough, and we love that our little creations dry out and can be added into small world play. getting these figures to look like the box will require an adul...
Hey Clay Forest Animals
we go wild for a floor puzzle in this house and this one is great for our forest floor theme. lots of opportunities to identify animal friends and talk about their home
Hide & Seek Animals in the Forest 48pc Puzzle
this kit is rated 8+ so it's not specifically designed for this age group, but i've found that introducing some of the tools and concepts can be a really great collaborative project with a toddler. mine *loves* to keep flowers and leaves, so we get t...
From Structure to Survival: Press, Preserve & Discover Plants
we recently moved to a much more urban area and so we see different wildlife in our day to day than we used to! i love to talk with my kid about how forest friends find their way into the city and how we co-exist here. these figures are so realistic ...
Nutty Mischief
you gotta have a mama bear and baby bear in your forest. those are the rules.
Grizzly bear mother with cub
the fox was one of the first animals my child could identify, and this little guy has been carried on many adventures. he's been through the wringer but looks as new as the day he came to live with us.
Fox
my child calls footprints “foot tracks” and he notices them everywhere! we love this set for our playdough and clay explorations
Wooden Play Dough Stamps & Roller Set – Forest Animal Footprints
may: dinosaurs & deep time
may is throwing open the windows to deep time! children are drawn to ancient worlds, and this month we're exploring the wonder of dinosaurs, fossils, and ancient landscapes. this is an invitation to imagine what life might have been like through play...
beautiful small world play with a volcano?? sold
Volcano Valley Playscape
not all of ancient history is dinos! we love including early humans and mammals like sabertooth tigers in our small world play. this set is so lovely
Wooden Figurines Animals and People
this is a splurge for sure but it adds so much realism to the play space that it's totally worth it
Waldorf-Inspired Wooden Volcano & Clouds Play Set
cool wooden stencils for drawing and coloring your own dinosaurs! fun for shadow play too
Dinosaur Stencil Set
one of the great mysteries of childhood is how a toddler can learn to say "ankylosaurus" correctly before “grandma”. give in to it and start practicing with this fun matching toy
Wooden Dinosaurs track skeleton Matching Puzzle
we tend toward more realistic depictions of nature in our house but this playhouse is an exception. bust out the crayons and you might just get dinner cooked uninterrupted while your child is busy coloring away on their own private dino island.
Cardboard Coloring Dinosaur House
really colorful and delightful matching game that's easy enough for a toddler and fun enough for mom. we love it
Dinosaur Jumble Game
this addition to the magna tiles collection was key - the dinos are fun, and i personally love to steal the trees to do a little landscaping on my architecture projects.
Magna-Tiles Dino World XL
this floor puzzle is a banger - dinos, fossils, and a little geology for fun. lots of facts on the back so everyone can learn a little something at the same time
Hape Underground World Puzzle
the Schleich dinos are the most realistic and sturdy out there. i try to find mine on ebay whenever possible, but if that's not how you want to spend your time, get them brand spankin' new from the source
Limited-Edition Yellow Triceratops
this is the OG dino. your child's collection starts here, full stop
Tyrannosaurus Rex
my kid is *obsessed* with fossils, so this was an extremely worthwhile purchase for us. the shark tooth gets admired from afar but everything else has been incorporated into light table play, sensory tables, and even small world play! some of them ma...
Fossil & Mineral Gift Box - Ammonite, Trilobite, Shark Tooth, Fulgurite, Orthoceras, Petrified Wood Slab and Break Your Own Geode
fish! fossil! how cool to be able to hold something like this in your hand
Knightia Fossil Fish Plate
really lovely print for the tiny dino lover in your life
Evolution of Dinosaurs Print
june: ocean worlds
june invites us into the water! summer is beginning and our attention is drawn outward toward movement and wide-open worlds. this shelf theme is inspired by the ocean with lots of rich sensory experiences.
really stunning felt mat for small world play!
Waldorf Felt Seaside Play Mat
this gorgeous beachy play silk is perfect for all your seafaring adventures
Playsilk Pastel Beach Playsilk
if your little one loves fisherman pretend play like mine, a tacklebox full of the catch of the day is a perfect addition to the toy shelf
Felt toys seafood for little explorers
these beautiful wooden waves add so much depth and color to the playscape
Montessori Wooden Water Waves Toy with Safe Paint
why are these pirates so stinkin' cute?? we love them for small world play on the ocean
Pirate Peg Doll Set | Handpainted Nautical Toys
i didn't realize before i became a parent how greatly treasure hunts would feature in my life. this felted map is amazing - it doesn't rip in little hands so there are no breaks to tape up ripped maps anymore
Felt Pirate Play Mat
this octopus is a constant companion for both pretend play and bed time. we love her!
Octopus Plushie by Wild Republic
this is the sweetest little wooden ship, and it has braved many high seas adventures in our home! it's beautifully made and super sturdy
Handmade Wooden Ship Toy
colorful, sturdy, and shockingly affordable pirate ships! my child adores this toy and often asks to take it to bed
Hand-Painted Wooden Pirate Ship
your playscape definitely needs a lighthouse if you want your ships to make it home safely!
Wooden Lighthouse
delightfully fun fish toy that's great for working on fine motor skills, colors, and much more
Montessori Wooden Balance Toy
introduce your little navigator to using a compass with this cute busy board. it also makes a great control panel for when you're pretending to be exploring in a submarine!
Montessori Busy Board: Toddler Sensory Toy with LED Lights & Compass
my child *loves* rays, and this is such an easy costume for him to get on so he's forever running around pretending to be a manta ray. i've never seen another ray costume so it's definitely unique!
Stingray Costume Wings
this puzzle gets pulled out at least once a week in our house. my child knows all the animals and it's amazing to see how quick he has gotten at putting it together
Ocean Life 24-Piece Floor Puzzle
this kit is made for older kids but it super fun for smaller children with some parental help. watching the crystals grow is phenomenal, and it's a wonderful way to start learning about how important coral reefs are to our oceans
National Geographic Crystal Reef
i really love this matching game - it's cool for working on observation and pattern recognition, but also a great way to learn about things like biodiversity or biomimicry!
Fish Matching Wheel: Montessori Fine Motor Game (PDF Printable Activity)
a really fun game with a super simple set up. you can work on motor skills by tossing the rings, or scale up to math later by adding points
Happy Octopus Wooden Hoopla
this wooden submarine toy is sturdy enough to go anywhere with you but also makes a great addition to the ocean playscape
Wooden Submarine Toy
we love our orcas in the pacific northwest and you better believe this orca toy has visited the coast with us many times to say hi to her family.
Orca Whale
i'm not saying your kid will definitely chase you around the house with this shark but it happens almost daily at my house
Great white shark
another gorgeous schleich animal figure, and this sea turtle is made of materials that can be recycled into a new toy someday. beautiful and sustainable!
Hawksbill Sea Turtle (Circular)
july: movement & making
july is a month for movers, shakers, and makers! summer energy is high and we are building, testing, and shaping the world with our hands. this shelf theme is focused on active exploration through construction, motion, and simple tools so we can work...
this thing is huge and actually incredible. it adds a real sense of scale to your construction projects, especially if you live in a city like us and your kiddo regularly sees the giant construction cranes around town
Personalized Wooden Toy Crane
this style of blocks is a classic for a reason - open-ended, neutral, and a perfect canvas for the imagination
Wood Building Blocks
a simple screw board for beginning handypeople - easy to use and fun!
Graded Montessori Screw Board
a beginning hammer board that is super easy to use for little hands
Montessori Hammer Board: Wooden Pounding Toy
when your little constructor is ready to step up their game, this building set is the perfect way to start learning about gears and how different pieces work together to achieve movement. it's one of the most popular toys in my child's classroom!
Building Toys for Kids - Versatile 4-in-1 Toy, Screw Board for Toddler
we got our classic lincoln logs on ebay but if you don't have the time or patience to hunt for some, these handmade toys are beautiful and so fun
665 PCS Wooden Log Cabin Building Set
i was unprepared for how much my child would love this kit and how it would be a gateway into learning about architecture. we had to up our loose parts game to make the projects more realistic!
Building Construction Exploration Activity Set
adorable crane that works great for pretend play and is a slightly more affordable option than the supersized one at the beginning of this list
Wooden Crane Truck with Magnetic Blocks
i really wanted a slightly non-traditional train set for my kid and this is the one we settled on - it has a very pacific northwest vibe that we love!
Wild Pines Train Set - Tender Leaf Toys
a very classic ball run set that integrates beautifully with regular wood building blocks
Large Classic Marble Run Basic Set - HABA STEM Toys
my child *loves* a ball run and this set we received as a gift has been an all-time favorite. there are a ton of expansion packs for different ecosystems, and it's so fun to take it apart and try many configurations
GraviTrax Junior - My Jungle Starter Set
if you already have some transporation-related magnatiles, do yourself a favor and get the road expansion pack. there is nothing more fun than a road that extends from one room to another!
Magna-Tiles XTRAS Roads 12-Piece Set
this is a huge splurge and we've only gotten to play with it at a local makerspace so far, but we desperately want one at home for all of our many, many art projects. it's a phenomenal piece of equipment and gives kids a ton of independence to start ...
ChompSaw (with Hole Punch & Scoring Tool)
love this game as a way to introduce some basic critical thinking concepts
Wooden Educational Game Motor Skill Development Family Game Kid Learning Toy Montessori Gift Eco Friendly Wood Preschool Activity Age 3
this is a classic montessori toy for a reason! the marble run combined with sound is so fun
Rainbow Sound Tree
gorgeous rainbow scarf for experimenting with the wind
Hand Painted Rainbow Silk Scarf
we keep pinwheels around all the time - they're fun for small world play, for experimenting with wind, and for practicing deep breaths to help calm the body
Rainbow Stripe Paper Pinwheels
if you have a ton of cars underfoot in your house like we do, one of these awesome garages is a great tool for making clean up fun and part of play!
Toy Car Parking Garage
a map rug is a shortcut to pretend play, and i particularly love this one. it's colorful but not the fluorescent green that so many are, and it's held up well over a full year of use
Around Town Play Mat
august: magical places
august is a magical time! summer is in full swing, and we're looking to fantasy and storytelling to let imagination and creativity unfold without direction.
love this awesome dragon floor puzzle! it's a cool shape so typical puzzle skills (find the corner!) go out the window, and it's a little extra challenging
Djeco Leon The Dragon Giant Puzzle
these soft fairy dolls are so special - they're beautifully made and come in a wide variety of appearances. we love this one!
PICCA LOULOU FAIRY FELICITY
Schleich once again with some amazing figures. they have a fantastic collection of both cute and fierce fantasy figures, and this axolotl family is one of my favorite sets
Axolotl discovery Set
i'll be honest - this is my go-to toy when the dragons and knights come out. i *love* this owl and fairy team
Fairy in Flight on Glam-Owl
we got this lunar new year dragon while learning about the holiday, but he's become a fixture in all kinds of other play. he's so beautiful that he often sits up on a high shelf just to be admired when he's not hard at work in the playscape
Lunar New Year Dragon
love this craft kit so much - my kid was delighted by building his own fairy garden that can live on the play shelf
DIY Fairy Garden Kit: Nature Craft Project with Wood Base
these felt trees add so much texture and life to the playscape - a must
Felt Summer Seasonal Tree
these delightful little acorn folks make for so much imaginative small world play
Educational and Imaginative: Waldorf and Montessori Inspired Acorn Family Peg Dolls (Finished with Beeswax)
beautifully made wooden dragon and cave set! incredibly detailed and colorful
Handcrafted Wooden Dragon Set
we've really enjoyed this counting set. the acorns are so cute and your child gets to work on their fine motor control at the same time as counting!
Acorn sorting
total perfection - are you even doing magic if a wizard isn't present?
Handcrafted Open Ended Wooden Toy Figure Fairy Tale - Wizard with Staff
this wand is ideal for pretend play. my kid has a tendency to use anything in this general shape as more of a baton than a wand, so i love that it has a nice, soft felted star on the end
Magic Fairy Wand
every wizard worth their salt has a mortar and pestle on deck for potion mixing. don't be caught without one!
Wooden Pestle and Mortar for kids
this potion is so fun! younger kids might need to use with supervision (we keep it up high when a grown up isn't involved in the play) but older kids will really enjoy this color changing bottle
Color Changing Potion
resin jewels are so fun for pretend play, small worlds, and sensory bins. they do a lot of heavy lifting in my house because my kid *loves* treasure
Resin Jewels Random Assortment
another amazing sensory toy for adding some swirling, shifting magic to your playscape
Sensory Disk
i firmly believe you can never have too many potions on the play shelf
Glitter Wand
you obviously need a spell book for this set up and this froggy wizard is obviously an expert in the higher magics, so you'll want to run any spell ideas by him
Frog Wizard Forest Whimsical Notebook
september: harvest & home
in september we're starting to slow down from summer, getting back to routines, and working around the home. we're thinking about nourishment, care, and tasks that support independence and a sense of belonging.
the highest quality wooden kitchen set we've ever used - this one has tons of fun options for cooking any meal your child can dream up
Montessori Wooden Kitchen Set: Pretend Play Cooking Toys for Toddlers
obviously you'll need some matching dishes and cutlery to give you the full restaurant experience
Wooden Pretend Play Kitchen Dishes Set
we started out with a toy cleaning set and upgraded to this when we saw how much my child loves to clean, and how much easier it is with real tools made for small hands. this set is a bit of a splurge but so worth it
Montessori Cleaning Set for Toddlers
so many beautiful felt fruit and veg options for the play kitchen! i especially love the colors of this set
Handmade Felt Vegetable Play Food Set
if you've got apple orchards on your fall activity list, your kid is going to love making apple pie over and over in the play kitchen. delicious home baked pie smell not included!
Felt Play Apple Pie Baking Food Set
i order pasta every time i visit my child's pretend play kitchen because it's just so realistic! i love all the shapes
Felt Pasta Play Set
every other morning i get a request for pancakes and now i can start asking for them back. they're so realistic!
Pancake Breakfast Felt Play Food Set
there's no better time to start teaching your child about caring for their own clothes, and a folding board basically gamifies the process!
Shirt Folding Board
i love this root veggie puzzle - great for learning about food, working on pattern recognition, and talking about what's growing underneath the ground where we can't see it
Root Vegetable Puzzle
this simple, beautiful barn really shines on the play shelf. it has a bunch of room for animals and little hands to maneuver
Handcrafted Wooden Barn: Waldorf Montessori Farm Toy
we have the chicken coop and garden set, and it perfectly rounds out our farm set up! i love especially that the farm can functio as a small sensory tray - it's so fun to bury things in the “dirt”
Wooden Farm Toy Set
a perfect little wooden horse family! these are so durable and fun to play with
Handmade Wooden Horse Family Toy Set
goats are my favorite farm animal and i was so excited to add these to our farm collection. they're really beautiful and high quality
Wooden Goat Family Toy
love this vibrant stacking toy - the pieces make for fun bridges in our small world play too
Apple stacker puzzle
pizza! puzzle! love a toy that meets lots of needs, and this one is great for critical thinking, pretend play, and more
Handcrafted Wooden Pizza Puzzle
we had to get a little sushi into the play kitchen. don't skimp on the wasabi!
Sushi Pretend Play Food - HABA
october: transformation
october is a time of big transformations - we're seeing the leaves fall and the light is shifting, so this shelf theme is meant to help children work on their observation skills to notice those changes. we're talking about cycles, color, and contrast...
the seasons are changing and this puzzle is a great way to help your child notice those changes in the world around them
Seasons 25-Piece Floor Puzzle
we've had a lot of fun with these seasonal matching game, especially finding leaves on our walks and bringing them home to try and ID them. great for a budding naturalist!
Montessori Wood leaf Memory Game
in a similar vein, this tree wheel helps connect the dots between seeds and trees while assisting with identification. we find it to be a really useful support in talking about seasonal transformation
Montessori tree leaf wooden wheels activity
our spooky tree doesn't even wait until october to make an appearance - she is a fixture of small world play year round
Wooden Spooky Tree Set
phenomenal fall color in this wooden tree for your playscape! it's really the star of the show
Natural Autumn Oak Wooden Tree
i love the gorgeous autumn colors in this play silk - great for all kinds of pretend and small world play
Autumn Play Silk
it's not october without pumpkins on the shelf! i love these wooden ones for all kinds of play
Halloween Wooden Pumpkins
love love love this spooky house for our playscape! makes for great storytelling opportunities
Handmade Wooden Witch Hut
this lovely witch and her sweet cat make for great storytelling opportunities! sometimes she's spooky and sometimes she's just a misunderstood lady who really likes to cook and hang out with her cats. relatable.
Wooden Witch and Scaredy Cat
we have a few of these throughout the playscape for *ambiance* (along with some battery operated flame candles) and they really add to the vibes. great for our december celebration shelf too!
Handcrafted Wooden Candle Set
we're finally at the point where my child has a ton of costume ideas and wants to experiment with all of them! i like these peg dolls for playing around until the final idea settles in
Halloween Trick-or-Treater Peg Dolls with Custom Skin Tones
who wouldn't want to live in this absolutely magical pumpkin house?? it makes me want to shrink right down into our tiny world to play
Handmade Wool Felt Pumpkin House
another felted pumpkin that comes in a variety of beautiful colors! we love making a little pumpkin patch for our figures to play in
Wool Felt Large Pumpkin
i actually can't overstate how obsessed i am with these tiny felted mice. they are so magical and yet somehow so realistic? they add the exact amount of whimsey i'm looking for in small world play
Adorable Halloween Pumpkin Mouse Handmade Wool Felt Ornaments
i love how whimsical this little autumnal fellows are - we like to pretend that when they arrive, they gather all the leaves up and take them away when they leave
Fall Leaf Gnome
these little trees are beautifully colored and make for a great counting tool, but we've also used them in sensory play and even as background for small world play. so versatile!
seasonal tree math counters
love these spooky sensory trays! we keep a lot of loose parts in these on our october shelf
Wood Bat Sensory Tray: Montessori Halloween Decor
another “how to draw” seasonal book that we really love around here. little kids may need some help getting started but it's great practice for observation and hand-eye coordination
Fall Things: How to Draw Books for Kids
this top is beautifully made and super fun, and i like using it to talk about seasonal cycles too - the world keeps spinning around the sun, just like the top!
Turnip shaped toy spinning top
the light is receding in the natural world and it's a great time to start playing with light and shadows! this little theater is super compact and great fun
Shadow theatre for kids
love this set of woodland shadow puppets for our storytelling adventures!
Woodland Forest Animals Shadow Puppet Set
november: gratitude & family
in november we are slowing way down and turning toward connection with family and care for community. this shelf is focused on helping, sharing, and reaching out to the people around us while practicing gratitude.
this stacking puzzle is a really beautiful way to demonstrate how all the members of a community or a family depend on each other to succeed. it's made so well and we come back to it often
15 pcs Wooden Stacking Puzzle Toy for Kids
the braiding board is a wonderful practical life tool that teaches lots of useful skills, and we also use it to talk about how a few single strands braided together are stronger than they are alone. a wonderful metaphor for working together!
Montessori Braiding Board
we really enjoyed this DIY kit for building a tiny neighborhood that could be decorated however my child wished. it was also a great teaching tool for talking about different parts of our community!
DIY Cardboard Cottage Kit | Mini Village Craft, Eco Friendly
lovely little peg dolls that illustrate some of the helping professions
People who help us - Montessori Peg Dolls
i really appreciate the diversity of these felt dolls for our storytelling play. representation matters and it makes me so happy to see our toys reflect the world we live in
Community Helpers Felt Board/Policeman/Fireman/Chef/Nurse multicultural/diversity/Flannel Board Felt story/ECE/Storytelling Set/kids
we've been talking about tea as ceremony and how small gestures can be really important for showing people you care about them. this tea set has been a fun support for acting this out!
Hape Tea Time Playset
i've loved adding this simple and beautiful chef outfit to our pretend play rotation - cooking and sharing food is one of the ways we give back in our family and this makes the idea feel more personal for my child
Play Chef Dress-Up Set
it's a classic part of the dress up trunk for a reason, and an important helper profession!
Firefighter Set
my child *loves* going to the doctor, and i attribute that in part to all the play acting we do to make it seem less scary. mostly it's our wonderful health care team though!
Green Doctor Set, Includes 6 Accessories
something about the mail system is endlessly exciting to kids, and mine is no different. he loves writing letters and delivering them to everyone in the family in this super fun costume
Letter Carrier
these felt envelopes are the source of much delight in our house - we think a lot about nice notes to send to family members!
Little Love Letter, Felt Envelope Toy
love this sweet little puzzle with different ways to create a family!
Rainbow Family
we really love this little family from tender leaf toys. i also recommend going on their actual website to find individual figures if you have a multiracial family like mine - my child loves to have a figure that looks like each of us for their small...
Sunny Doll Family - Tender Leaf Toys
gratitude is a practice, and we're starting it early in my family! this is a great way for kids to help generate ideas about what they might be grateful for, and why.
Gratitude Chart | Educational Craft Kit For Kids
december: light & celebration
december is a month of celebration for many, and we focus our shelf on warmth, ritual, and some small moments of wonder. we're talking about how people celebrate differently and what makes the season special.
a sweet lacing toy in a very seasonal shape!
Learn to sew Lacing toy
we get lots of beads out at this time of year because my child loves to make bracelets for gifts. i like the beautiful holiday colors in this set!
Winter Holiday Silver & Blue DIY Letter Bead Kit
a puzzle that smells delicious? count me in
Hot Cocoa Penguin 48 Piece Scratch & Sniff Puzzle
your kid will have a blast making their own snow globe - an even smaller world for their small world play!
Snowglobe Kit: Holiday Craft Activity with Figurines
if you live in a climate where snow is a rare occurence, an indoor snowball fight is just the thing to set the holiday mood
Snowball Fight, Indoor snowball toy
we received this super special advent calendar this year and it was so much fun! it definitely requires some help from parents for younger kids, but it also helps them have some ownership in decorating and making their own gifts
12 Crafts of Christmas Advent Calendar
the real gingerbread house is a fun (and messy) activity, but it only lasts a short time! this cool play set has tons of replay value so you can keep the gingerbread magic going day after day
Wooden Gingerbread House Play Set
another super special and incredibly beautiful advent calendar that your kids will be dying to set up
Beneath the Tree Snowy Sanctuary Pop and Slot Roger la Borde 3D Advent Calendar
in love with these little felt dolls! so festive
Santa Lucia with Candle Crown Waldorf Doll
this gorgeous toy makes appearances year-round in our home, but we especially love how festive it feels over the holidays
Winter Woodland Storytelling Wooden Cake
my child was absolutely delighted by his first carousel ride at the christmas fair and we had to keep the magic going with this simple, beautiful toy
Wooden Corded Funfair Carousel Toy
there can be a lot of moments over the holidays where we need a moment to decompress, and this sensory star is beautiful and hypnotic
Fidget Star with Handle
we love paper dolls, and this play scene is so cute! this was a lifesaver during holiday travel - very light and easy to pack around
Moon Hike Play Scene
build a snowman in your playscape!
Felt Snowman Stacker Toy
these super cute snowflake trays were a hit in the sensory table this season
Wood Snowflake Sensory Tray
these little guys are so fun - we've hung them up in the playscape to represent the night sky, carried them on trips, and they've been night time companions many a time
Felt Star Constellation Animal Space Plushies
sometimes you want to contemplate the mysteries of the universe from under the covers, and that's where this wonderful toy comes in handy
Deep Space Home Planetarium and Projector