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My holy grails for open ended play 9 months and up -
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items These are the toys currently in our rotation—and honestly, they’re holy-grail status. Every single one is incredibly versatile, grows with your baby, and can last anywhere from 1–5 years depending on how creatively you use them. I’m intentional about...
This is honestly an amazing set. It’s super versatile and supports small hand coordination, counting, imagination, and understanding different shapes, sizes, and connections. It’s also beautifully colorful. I personally prefer it over plastic, and it...
48 PCS Wooden Sorting Stacking Rocks STEM Toy
One of my favorites. It’s perfect for introducing sounds for phonics using animal first letters, role-playing, and building hand coordination with chunky pieces. It’s also a great visual tool for cause and effect—being able to take it apart and put i...
Melissa & Doug Pop Blocs Farm Animals Toy
I love a good stacker set. It’s really great for fine motor skills and lets your baby explore different size cups in their hands. It’s also great for open ended play like putting items into the cups. Perfect for counting and making noises too
mushie Stacking Cups Toy | Made in Denmark (Retro)
These are honestly so fun. Texture exploration does require supervision, but they’re great for role play and animal sounds. My baby prefers toys that reflect real life, and these are also perfect for connecting with books if you have any featuring th...
Zippytots 9 PCS Zoo Animal Figurine Toys
Amazing for texture-interested babies, stacking, identifying colors, and versatile play. It also supports hand coordination by holding and placing smaller items into the baskets. It’s one of my favorites
Lovevery Nesting Felt Baskets (3) for Toddlers 13+ Months
Another stacking-style toy that helps identify small and large pieces, supports hand coordination, color identification, and sound through cause and effect. It’s very lightweight, so if it falls it isn’t a safety hazard. We mostly use this one for in...
Lovevery Wooden Stacking Stones (4) Toddler 11M+
An amazing way to identify if your baby is into specific play style like sensory: with texture in a safe beginner style before introducing or creating activities that would showcase this more for your little one to explore
PlanToys Wooden Tumbling Montessori Toy
My baby finds the sounds so satisfying, and it’s a great, easy way to practice hand coordination and counting while exploring cause and effect through the visual color
Adena Montessori Coin Box Toy 6-24 Months
A fun way to explore color. I gently bring this close to my baby’s eyes and he loves it because it’s transparent. I also use it to support fine motor skills and he does a wonderful job stacking. We use it for phonics with the first letters of the blo...
Woodtoe Large Montessori Building Blocks for Toddlers
This is such a visually satisfying toy. I introduced it before blocks to prevent any confusion or frustration while my baby learns to make different shapes. He reaches for it constantly and it stayed in rotation for about two months before I swapped ...
Pleykele 16PCS Magnetic Building Blocks 1.65"
These are amazing versatile for building , color identifying , creative design, and hand coordination overall toys can go on top such as play cars and will ride along smoothly
PicassoTiles 100pcs Clear Magnetic 3D Blocks
These are the best because it can create musical sounds , counting , creative play, learning colors , textured , identifying shapes and sizes
Chivao Wooden Mandala Toys Set 27 Colors
These are by far the best for
Interactive playtime with me and my baby he finds the magnetic style extremely visually satisfying and likes to see the cause and effect we talk about the colors and make pretend noises to build our phonics up with him.
Melissa & Doug Scoop & Stack Ice Cream Cone Toy
These are very useful for matching games pretend play and even creating sensory bins and as well hand coordination I honestly found these to be great tools to make a ton of fun activities for my baby and it definitely can grow and be used up to 5 yea...
MEROCO Montessori Marine Animal Match Cards
These are similar to another set I have but this magnetic I find these great as they can grow with him as he gets older and can be used with other magnetic toys for open independent play time
SmartMax: Animals
Am I obsessed with the farm vibes absolutely ! I often use the phonic songs with this toy and my baby loves to watch me put back the pieces together he also is into pretend play and moving the block shapes I find these to be a great way to make many ...
Melissa & Doug Blockables Farm Snap Play Set
Pre made sets are actually a vibe and he genuinely enjoys the themes we have weekly these are a great tool to introduce fine motor schools imaginative play and even some science too if you can find a creative way to combine a book with this
Melissa & Doug Take-Along Airport Play Set
My baby loves to accomplishment and have his own little morning routine while he doesn’t fully understand what he is doing now allowing him to have early exposure visually of this type of information can set you and your baby up for success
TOOKYLAND Kids Montessori Wooden Calendar
You need supervision for this please ! But my baby loves this I create a mini tent set up and show him how to use each item I often use 2-3 each time and he enjoys it a ton just for exploration and exposure to more realistic items
KOALA DIARY Kids Camping Toy Set with Food & Gear