Thoughtful Toys: Baby Edition

My parenting style has changed a bit since having Safa. I had knowledge of child development but not a lot about baby development. I remember though always disliking certain toys for kids and especially electronic ones. This isn’t to say those are wrong toys, everyone has their own preference. For myself, I always thought it was too much so I couldn’t imagine how overstimulating it was for a baby! As Safa grew up, I kept her toys simple as possible and always tried to get ones that were “learning”.

Now three years later, as I am getting ready to put Safa in full time school I came across the Montessori method. I was so surprised I never came across it before. It was exactly how I wanted to teach my kids! I had been doing a lot of Montessori teaching unknowingly at home such as encouraging independent actions, cleaning up, help prepare food and using simple toys such as blocks and open ended ones.

Floor Time

I started to look into Montessori for babies and came across so much. My first purchase was this Lovevery Activity Gym. It is a little costly but I got lucky with an amazon gift card. I loved how simple it was. It comes with a little binder of what to do with babies up to a year with all the items given. If this is too pricey, there is also an IKEA gym that is similar in style and very affordable. IKEA is a great place for simple and Montessori inspired toys. Another simple wooden one is here on Amazon. Floor time and Tummy time is extremely important for babies. If Musa isn’t hungry or sleepy, he’s always on this playmat and he loves it! He’ll stay on it for long periods of time too up to 45 mins some days! He recently started crunching his legs and turning to the side so probably will be rolling over soon. Tummy time is just as important for their body and neck strength. He although does not like tummy time but we try do 5-10 minutes a day.

Toy Selection

All the toys I have for Musa for now are Montessori inspired. I received them (besides the Manhattan Rattle and Vehicles) from a subscription called MontiKids. She just was on Shark Tank and even better she’s a Muslim mama too! I love supporting small businesses so I tried it for Level 2 (3-6) months. I understand this is pricey, Lovevery also has a monthly subscription for its Play Kits which is more affordable at about $36 a month. For MontiKids they send you a box of toys, tell you how to use them and when and have videos online to follow. I love it and so does Musa.

Toy Set Up

Montessori encourages toys to be on the floor and accessible for babies. I wasn’t going to make a toy area as I thought he wouldn’t need one since we’ll be moving in a few months but I changed my mind. It is reluctantly in my living room since our space is small but it works! This small cube shelf was from Amazon and each toy is placed in each compartment.

Now I don’t consider myself a Montessori expert because I am not. I also don’t like fixing myself to one school of thought. I also don’t think this is the best way, every parent chooses what they see fit for their children. What I do know is, I love its choice of toys, how much they encourage independence and it’s minimalsitic appeal. The colors are soothing, there are no electronic devices and are encouraging to a child’s developing brain. For me, It’s about having simple and accessible toys.