DIY Montessori Toys (25+ Creative Stuff You Can Do At Home)

Can I Make DIY Toys For Montessori At Home?

Absolutely! When Dr. Maria Montessori developed what is now known as “the Montessori method” in the 1900s, she experimented with different toys and learning materials. (1)

You can, too.

Check if your DIY Montessori toys meet the characteristics that make them Montessori (see below). But don’t worry if you can’t make them 100% Montessori. Blended and Montessori-inspired DIY toys are also useful educational toys for kids.

What Factors Make Toys Montessori?

Made of natural materials and based on real-life
Open-ended toys designed for independent play
Simple but beautiful
Montessori toys teach one particular skill at a time
Useful, practical, and purposeful toys
Targeted for specific age groups (e.g., Montessori baby toys, Montessori toddler activities, toys for school-age children, etc.)
Toys that motivate STEM learning (science, technology, engineering, and mathematics)

What Toys Aren’t Montessori?

Plastic toys (e.g., LEGOs, etc.)
Make-believe toys (e.g., Disney princess dolls, dragons, fairies, etc.)
Pikler triangles and other climbing toys

Although many of these toys weren’t designed by Dr. Montessori or meet all the requirements for Montessori toys, they can still be educational toys for your children.

Many can also be considered “Montessori-inspired toys” if they meet most of the factors we listed above.

Why Is Montessori Against Plastic Toys?

Dr. Montessori preferred wooden toys because they’re heavier (closer to the natural world), more durable, and can be safer than plastic toys which might have toxic chemicals.

DIY Toys For Homeschool & Traditional Montessori Classrooms

What Are Homemade Montessori Materials & Supplies For Toddlers (Or Other Age Groups)?

You can use materials you have at home or get popular DIY supplies from ETSY, Amazon, or craft stores. Some of these can include:

Popsicle sticks

Paper Straws

Cardboard boxes

Ribbons

Pipe cleaners

Zippers

Egg boxes

Pompoms

DIY wood craft sets or pieces

Bamboo Straws

Printable DIY guides or blueprints

Tips & Important Concerns For DIY Montessori Toys

Safety remains the top priority when making DIY Montessori toys, especially because there aren’t any “company guidelines” or third-party labs to test your homemade products.

Keep the following in mind:

Avoid choking or strangulation hazards (e.g., small objects, long strings, sticky and round items, etc.); toys must be at least 1 ¼ inches (3 cm) in diameter and/or 2 ¼ inches (6 cm) in length to reduce choking risks. (2)
Thoroughly wash used containers, lids, and other items you want to upcycle as toys.
Avoid using containers or boxes previously used to store chemicals (e.g., bleach containers) for your DIY toys.
Check for other potential safety risks (e.g., sharp points, toxic emissions, etc.) before giving the DIY toy to your child.

DIY Montessori-Friendly Toys For Young Children

1. Egg Carton & Straws

Skills

Hand-eye coordination
One-pointed focus
Concentration
Fine motor skills
Pincer grasp practice

Materials & Supplies

Egg carton
Bamboo or paper straws

Procedure

Punch holes in the protruding sections of the egg carton.
Provide your child with straws that they can use to insert into these holes.

Tip: You can also try other materials aside from the egg carton.

2. Puffs Container & Pompoms

Skills

Hand-eye coordination
Depth perception practice
Fine motor skills

Materials & Supplies

Empty puffs container (e.g., Serenity Kids puff containers)
Large and non-toxic pompoms

Procedure

Remove the label of an empty puffs container.
Create a hole that’s enough to let the pompoms pop through.

Tip: Other snack containers can also be fine for this DIY toy.

3. DIY Stacking Toys

Skills

Hand-eye coordination
Problem-solving
STEM concepts on gravity, balance, etc.

Materials & Supplies

Mason jar lids
Empty ribbon spools
Empty boxes that fit your little one’s hands
Popsicle sticks

Procedure

Choose any or all of the materials listed above.
Let your child discover ways to play with these toddler toys.

Tip: Keeping or storing these stacking objects in a bigger box or container is a good idea.

4. DIY Treasure & Object Permanence Box (Coins Or Balls & Drawers)

Skills

Cognitive learning
STEM concepts (e.g., object permanence, which means an object or thing still exists even if you can’t always see that it’s there)
Fine motor skills
Hand-eye coordination

Materials & Supplies

Box or container with a drawer (you can get one from a craft store or make your own)
Objects to insert in your box (balls or wooden craft coins)

Procedure

Create a hole on the top of the box that can fit the objects you chose for this activity.
Let your child explore and insert the objects through the hole.
Once they discover how the drawer works, they’ll learn that the objects they inserted through the hole still exist inside the box.

Safety tip: Check for choking risks and avoid small objects.

5. DIY Musical Instruments

Skills

Musical skills
Cognitive learning
Gross motor skills
Hand-eye coordination

Materials & Supplies

Used containers (for creating drums)
Bamboo sticks or ladles (for use as drumsticks)
Small stainless steel pots and pans
Cardboard boxes

Procedure

Clean the materials and check for sharp parts.
Put them upside down and provide your child with sticks or other materials (e.g., bamboo ladle) for use as drumsticks.
You can also put strings across a box to create a DIY harp. However, keep the strings short to avoid choking or strangulation risks. Also, keep this out of reach of children younger than 12 months old.

6. Object In Cup Or Basic Insert Toy

Skills

Problem-solving
Fine motor skills
Hand-eye coordination

Materials & Supplies

Empty container or small cup
Egg boxes or cups
Wooden egg toy or ball

Procedure

Clean the egg box or container.
Show your child the egg toys or balls and let them discover that the objects can fit inside the container or box.

Tip: The object doesn’t have to be an egg or a ball. It can be anything that can fit a container, and your child can put in and take out.

7. DIY Montessori Math Spindle Box

(source: Facebook / @MontessoriFromTheHeart)

Skills

Montessori math skills
Pincer grasp
Cognitive skills

Materials & Supplies

Spindles or popsicle sticks
Cardboard boxes
Markers
Non-toxic coloring materials (if you want to color the popsicle sticks)
Glue

Procedure

If you’re making cardboard boxes from scratch, you can create a form with an open top.
If you’re upcycling used boxes, you can simply cut off the top and one of the narrower ends.
Create 10 cardboard boxes, and line them up (similar to the formation of the money box in a cash register).
Label the boxes from “0” to “9.”
Provide your child with 45 popsicle sticks. You can choose colored popsicle sticks or color some, but uncolored sticks are also fine.
Let your child sort the correct number of sticks into the labeled boxes.

8. Color & Shape Sorter Box

(source: instagram.com / @littleoneslearn)

Skills

Color and shape recognition
Problem-solving skills
Hand-eye coordination
Fine motor skills
Pincer grasp

Materials & Supplies

Empty box or container
Wooden blocks or cubes, plywood, or thick cardboard
Toys of different shapes
Non-toxic coloring materials

Procedure

Using wooden blocks or cubes, create different 3D shapes. This toy requires some woodworking skills, but you can also use plywood materials or thick cardboard to create 2D shapes.
Cut out shapes on the empty box or container, making sure that the matching shape pieces can easily fit the shapes you made or the toys you collected.
You can also use non-toxic coloring materials for the shapes and their matching holes.

Tip: You can also use wooden shapes from a regular toy set and simply create a puzzle container or box.

9. Color Sorter Toy

Skills

Color matching
Cognitive learning
Pincer grasp
Problem-solving
Fine motor skills

Materials & Supplies

Boxes or containers in different colors (a muffin tin can also be useful, but check for sharp parts)
Objects that match these boxes or containers (you can choose crayons, fruits and veggies, colored popsicle sticks, etc.)

Procedure

Arrange the colored containers in a row. Some parents try to follow the rainbow (ROYGBIV – the colors in order: red, orange, yellow, green, blue, indigo, and violet) configuration, but you can also opt to arrange the containers in random order. The important thing here is color recognition and sorting, not the correct order.
Put the sticks, crayons, or other colored objects in a box or tray.
Encourage your child to find the right containers to sort the colors into.
Start with the main colors linked to the containers. You can add other color variations as your child understands more about the color concepts. For example, you can add carnation pink and fuchsia pink objects for the pink container.

10. Peg Sorter Toy

Skills

Cognitive skills
Color-matching
Fine motor skills
Hand-eye coordination

Materials & Supplies

Wooden pegs
Peg board
Non-toxic coloring materials
Wooden tray or shallow box
Glue

Procedure

Use a peg board, create stands for the pegs on the tray, or make holes in the shallow box. Be wary of choking risks if you create makeshift stands for the pegs.
You can also color the stands to upgrade this peg sorter into a color sorter toy.
Let your child enjoy matching the pegs on the color-coded tray or peg board.

Tip: You can also use an egg carton for this DIY toy.

11. Size Sorter Toy

Skills

Hand-eye coordination
Cognitive skills
Problem-solving skills
Size recognition

Materials & Supplies

Tray or shallow box
Things that come in different sizes (e.g., cups, cutlery, measuring cups or spoons, hard vegetables such as potatoes or ginger, etc.)

Procedure

Check the materials for choking risks or sharp parts. If you’re using vegetables or fruits, be sure to get them cleaned up and dried before letting your child play with them.
Ask your child to arrange the objects according to size on a tray or shallow box.

12. Hammering Toys

Skills

Fine motor skills
Concentration
Motor planning
Hand-eye coordination
Arm and hand strengthening

Materials & Supplies

Egg carton or a thick but small box
Wooden toy mallet
Long nails or screws (only when used under adult supervision)
Wooden sticks or bamboo straws

Procedure

Punch small holes in the egg carton or small box.
Fit the nails, screws, sticks, or bamboo straws in. Be sure to check for splinters on the wooden sticks or bamboo straws.
Let your child hammer these things into the box or egg carton with a wooden toy mallet.

Tip: You can also use a corkboard or thick plywood or wood slab for this toy, but you’ll need to pre-drill the holes in the thick plywood or wood slab to make this toy work.

13. Nesting Toys

Skills

Shape and size recognition
Problem-solving skills
Visual discrimination
Critical thinking skills
Visual and spatial perception

Materials & Supplies

Objects of about the same shape in different sizes (such as lids of different containers or jars)
Wooden tray (optional; for arranging the shapes)

Procedure

Clean the objects and check for possible hazards, such as sharp sections that can cause laceration risks.
Let your child discover how they can “nest” inside each other. This works like a reverse stacking toy.

14. Velcro Shapes Or Zipper & Latch Busy Board

(source: instagram.com / @busybeessl)

Skills

Fine motor skills
Cognitive skills
Practical life skills
Pincer grasp

Materials & Supplies

Cloth, canvas, or craft board
Latches
Zippers
Buttons
Velcro
Ribbons or cords
Glue or sewing materials
Scissors

Procedure

Gather the supplies and attach them to the canvas, cloth, or craft board using glue or sewing materials.
Double-check to ensure that the buttons are tightly sewn on the cloth pieces. If using strings, ribbons, or cords, ensure that they aren’t too long (can cause strangulation risk).
Let your child play with the busy board, but be sure to regularly check for loose parts that can become choking risks.

15. Mailbox Or Coin Insert Toy

Skills

Pincer grasp
Problem-solving skills
Object permanence concept

Materials & Supplies

Wooden coins
Cardboard box or container
Wooden tray

Procedure

Make holes in the cardboard box or container, large enough to let the wooden coins through.
You can also fashion a drawer under the container or box to make it easier for your child to open it and get the toy coins inside.

Tip: Beware of choking risks. Be sure the coins are at least 1 ¼ inches (3 cm) in diameter.

16. Ribbon-Pulling Toys Or Tugging Box

Skills

Pincer grasp
Fine motor skills
Cause-and-effect concepts

Materials & Supplies

Cylinder or an empty canister
Ribbons (it’s best to pick different colors and textures)
Colorful construction paper (sticker sheets or adhesive construction paper can make this craft easier to make)
Scissors
Glue

Procedure

Wrap the canister or cylinder with construction paper.
Punch holes in the sides of the cylinder.
Cut the ribbons to about 10-12 inches in length.
Insert the ribbons inside a hole on one side and let it through another hole on the opposite side.
Tie the ribbons’ ends into a thick knot.

17. Threading & Sewing Toys

Skills

Concentration
Fine motor skills
Problem-solving skills

Materials & Supplies

Things for threading (e.g., toilet paper rolls, elbow or penne pasta pieces, etc.)
Cardboard (you can also use paper plates or used boxes)
Strings, ribbons, or cords
Pipe cleaner

Procedure

If using cardboard or similar materials, you can punch holes that your child can use for threading.
Tie the string or ribbon to one end of the pipe cleaner.
Use the pipe cleaner to thread the ribbon or string through the holes in the cardboard box or the other materials you prepared for threading.

Safety tip: Be wary of choking or strangulation risks if used by children younger than three years old. Always use it with adult supervision.

18. Straw Or Stick Insert Toys

Skills

Fine motor skills
Problem-solving skills
Concentration

Materials & Supplies

Bamboo straws or wooden sticks
Toilet paper rolls

Procedure

Punch holes around the toilet paper roll.
Let your child insert the straws or wooden sticks through the holes from one side to a hole on the opposite side.

19. DIY Number Board & Activity Box

Skills

Number recognition and sequencing
Cognitive skills

Materials & Supplies

Wooden tray, plywood board, or thick cardboard (you can also use a box or egg carton)
Wooden coins or balls (you can also use bottle caps or container lids)
Markers

Procedure

Smoothen the sides of your wooden board or clean the used box/carton.
Number the wooden coins or the other things you gathered for this toy.
Let your child arrange the numbered pieces on the board or egg carton.

Tip: Always check for splinters on the wood or choking risks (bottle caps or wooden coins).

20. Toys For Scooping & Pouring

(source: instagram.com / @jessica.south_)

Skills

Fine motor skills
Dexterity
Hand-eye coordination
Concentration

Materials & Supplies

Bowl of objects for scooping (e.g., popcorn, salt, beans, etc.)
Smaller bowls
Tray or box
Scoop (can also be a ladle from your kitchen)

Procedure

Arrange the materials on a tray or box that can help catch the spills to minimize clutter.
Let your child scoop the materials from the bigger bowl to the smaller ones using their hands or a scooping tool.

Tips: Beware of choking risks. Always supervise your children when they’re using this DIY toy.

21. Peek-A-Boo Activity & Sensory Board

Skills

Sensory learning

Materials & Supplies

Small boxes, containers, or a board
Different materials with varied textures (e.g., fuzzy pipe cleaners or craft materials, sponge, sandpaper, soft cloth, etc.)
Scissors
Glue

Procedure

Cut the materials and glue them at the bottom of the small boxes or on a board (put spaces between the different items).
If you’re using a board, you can also glue some used baby wipes lids to create a peek-a-boo board.
Let your child explore the materials inside the boxes or the peek-a-boo board and try to identify their textures.

DIY Toys For Practical Life Skills

22. Washing Fruits & Veggies

Skills

Practical life skills
Cleaning things

Materials & Supplies

Objects they can use for cleaning (e.g., veggies, fruits, etc.)
Bin or basin with water
Sponge or brush
Towels or colander

Procedure

Teach your child to clean the fruits and vegetables inside the bin.
Let them place the clean items on the towels or colander to dry.

23. Child-Sized Cleaning Toys

Skills

Practical life skills
Gross motor skills

Materials & Supplies

Cleaning supplies
Saw, scissors, or other cutting materials
Sandpaper
Wooden child-sized caddy

Procedure

Shorten a broom or mop using your child’s height as a reference.
Be sure to smoothen the cut edges using sandpaper.
You can also cut rags and sponges to make them easier for your child to grasp.
Let them clean the house using these adjusted, child-sized cleaning tools.

24. DIY Shoelace Tying Guide

Skills

Practical life skills
Problem-solving skills
Fine motor skills

Materials & Supplies

Cardboard, used box, or plywood material
Extra shoelaces, ribbons, or cords
Markers
Glue

Procedure

Draw a shoe on the cardboard, box, or plywood using your child’s feet as a guide.
Punch holes in the parts where the shoelaces are supposed to go.
Teach them to thread the shoelace into the shoes and tie them in the correct knot.

25. DIY Climbing Toys

Skills

Balance
Coordination
Gross motor skills
Self-confidence

Materials & Supplies

Blueprints (you can get printables from ETSY)
Woodworking materials
DIY construction tools (e.g., hammer, saw, drill, nails and screws, wood glue, sandpaper, etc.)
Non-toxic sealant or paint

Procedure

Using the blueprints, cut out the wooden pieces. Smoothen the edges using sandpaper.
Pre-drill the holes to ensure that the wood doesn’t split when you drive the screws or hammer the nails in.
Double-check the nails and screws to ensure they’re fully driven into the wood without sharp ends.
Smoothen all parts using sandpaper.
You can leave this in its natural state or use a non-toxic sealant or paint to brighten up your climbing toy.

26. Matching Cards

(source: instagram.com / @montessori_homeschooling_uk)

Skills

Cognitive learning
Memory

Materials & Supplies

Printable photos of real-life objects or things
Cardboard boxes
Printer
Bond paper or sticker paper

Procedure

Find printable photos of real-life things or objects related to each other (e.g., sets of photos for the Christmas season or fall/autumn, sets of animals and their babies, etc.)
Choose the size you want to print them (it might be ideal to print each photo in ¼ of a long-size bond paper for each image or four images per page).
Print the photos. For this project, you can opt for bond paper, construction paper, or even sticker paper.
Let your child mix and match the cards based on their similarities or differences, depending on your chosen photos.

Tip: You can also opt to laminate the images for durability.

27. Sensory Boxes Filled With Natural Objects From Your Yard

Skills

Sensory
Practical learning
Fine motor skills
STEM learning

Materials & Supplies

Small boxes or containers
Things in your yard or collected from nature (e.g., pebbles and leaves of varying sizes and textures, acorns, sticks, etc.)

Procedure

Gather the materials from nature or let your child collect these items on a nature walk.
Place them in small boxes or containers, arranged according to texture or size.

Safety tip: Check for choking risks or other hazards.

Other Homemade Montessori Activities To Make With Printables & Natural Materials

DIY Kaleidoscope Toys
Salt Sensory & Writing Tray
Sensory Bins & Bottles
Wallet With Used Or Expired Cards
Paper-Tearing Activities
DIY Wooden Toys

Gift Guide: High-Quality Toys For Montessori Education

The following are some toys we recommend for Montessori schools and playrooms at home:

LOVEVERY

Subscription boxes (e.g., The Thinker Play Kit or The Investigator Play Kit)
Play Gym
The Block Set

KiwiCo Toys

Subscription boxes (e.g., Panda Crate, Koala Crate, or Kiwi Crate)
Cell Shape Sorter
Marble Run + Art Easel

Hape Toys

Counting Stacker Wooden Stacking Block Set
Rainbow Pounder

Elm + Otter

Egg and Cup Sorting Set
Nature Number Flashcards
Felt Alphabet Letter & Flashcard Bundle

Montessori & Me

Ball Tracker
Counting Peg Board
Coin Box

Other Learning Toys For Different Age Groups

Toy Recalls To Monitor

References

(1) https://amshq.org/About-Montessori/History-of-Montessori/Who-Was-Maria-Montessori

(2) https://kidshealth.org/en/parents/safetoys-young.html