Montessori Wooden Toys
Bannor Toys makes Montessori-style wooden toys in Madrid, Iowa: simple grasping toys and rattles for babies, stackers, shape sorters and chunky puzzles for crawlers and new walkers, and blocks, matching tiles, push toys and pretend-play toys for toddlers, all handmade from natural, unstained hardwood since 2011. Montessori toys are meant to be made of real materials, do one thing well, and let the child do the work. That is how I've always built ours: no batteries, no lights, no paint to chip, just maple and cherry with an organic beeswax + flaxseed finish, sanded smooth for little hands. Every toy is CPSC Compliant and most can be engraved with a name. New to Montessori at home? Start with one grasping toy at 3 months, a stacker or shape sorter around a year, and matching tiles from 18 months on.
Montessori toy FAQs
What makes a toy Montessori?
Real materials (wood, not plastic), a simple design that lets the child do the work, and one skill at a time: grasping, stacking, sorting, matching. Nothing lights up or does the playing for them.
Are Bannor Toys made in the USA?
Yes. The wood toys are handmade in our family workshop in Madrid, Iowa. Silicone pieces are made in China and third-party safety tested in the USA.
What Montessori toys are best for a baby?
At 3 to 6 months, a lightweight grasping toy or classic rattle. At 6 to 12 months, a teether with silicone beads and the stacking cups. Around a year, the circle stacker and shape sorter.
What about toddlers?
From 18 months, matching tiles, chunky puzzles and the push toys. From 2 to 3, blocks, alphabet tiles and pretend play like the toy keys, phone, tractor and truck.
How are the toys finished?
Natural, unstained hardwood with an organic beeswax + flaxseed finish. No paint, stain or lacquer. Every toy is CPSC Compliant.