Montessori Mom

Babies are such delightful and mysterious creatures. One day your baby is lying on his or her back, and a few minutes later baby is two feet away on his or her tummy! The first activities we do with our babies are hold them, touch them, look them in the eyes, and talk to them like we have known them forever. Your love and attention helps your baby adjust to his or her new environment.

Materials for Baby's First Year

• Soft textured toys and balls
• Simple wooden rattles
• Stacking blocks and cups
• Board books with vivid illustrations
• A safe "nest" with blankets in each room

Recommended:

• Montessori Sensory Toys Set (0-12 months) — Textured teething toys that stimulate tactile, visual, and auditory development.
• 6-in-1 Montessori Baby Toy Set — Includes building blocks, stacking cups, sensory balls, suction cup spinners, and pull string toy.

Birth to 3 Months

Babies who are held a lot, talked and sang to, and just well nurtured and loved tend to have higher IQs. By 3 months, you can tell when your baby is hungry, tired, or in pain by his or her cry — crying is the main form of vocal communication.

Cooing and communication: Respond to your baby's first sounds! Coo back or say "hi." Your baby will start playing this game with you, and the more you play, the more complex the games become. It's okay if you get blank stares at first — just keep talking and playing.

This is a great time to rock your baby and read a first illustrated book (start with just one page!). Simple finger plays and songs are wonderful — hold your baby's hands or feet while singing.

Activities for 0-3 Months

• Bath time kicking: Hold baby securely in the water and say "kick, kick, kick!" when they start kicking — this helps with swimming later
• Counting fingers and toes: Touch each one lightly as you count during dressing time
• Make a nest in every room: Use a strong box with a soft blanket and safe toys to grab at. Each nest can have different colored and textured blankets. In the kitchen, baby's sense of smell is very acute!
• Art walks: Take walks around the house — babies love looking at paintings on the wall (the more vivid and bright, the better). Hold baby close enough to see — babies are nearsighted. Take your happy baby to a family-friendly art gallery!

4 to 6 Months

At 4 months, eye-hand coordination starts to develop. At first your baby will swipe at an object, but will eventually be able to grab it. Soft, textured objects are a great tactile experience. The reflexive grasp starts to disappear at this stage.

Let your child grasp and hold as many safe objects as possible!

Activities for 4-6 Months

• Pat-a-cake: At 6-7 months, baby can sit with a little support — gently hold hands and play "Pat-a-cake, pat-a-cake, baker's man!"
• Body parts fingerplay: Touch near baby's eye and say "eye blinker," nose and say "nose smeller," mouth — "mouth taster," chin — "chin chopper, chin!" (with a gentle tickle). Smile and laugh!
• Peek-a-boo puppet play: Cover a puppet's eyes, vary your voice, and say "Peek-a-boo!"
• Dramatic play with stuffed animals: "Mary had a little lamb, its fleece was white as snow" (hold up the lamb and say "baa!") — you will get good laughs!

6 to 9 Months

Babies at this age are really listening to you and much more attentive when you sing or read to them. Musical instruments during playtime are wonderful — hit a high note and sing baby's name, then a low note. You'll definitely get a smile!

Make up stories using your baby's name and family members. Your baby can handle objects while you tell the story.

Activities for 6-9 Months

• Dump and fill: Babies love to dump out containers of toys. In a high chair, they'll play the "Pick Up What I Dropped" game (gravity is real!). They'll crawl behind you and dump everything out again — it's learning about parts and wholes!
• Stacking: Soft, stackable blocks are perfect — you can even make them with material squares and stuffing
• Language games: Your baby's favorite toy at this age might be a toy phone — yes, they're watching you!

9 to 12 Months

Nine to eleven month old babies love simple games like rolling a ball back and forth. First puzzles that develop small motor skills are great for prewriting skills — they help children observe differences in shapes and sizes, indirectly preparing for reading and math.

Activities for 9-12 Months

• Ball rolling: Choose a ball with easy grip — baby can really grab onto it
• Shape sorters and first puzzles: Great for observing differences in shapes and sizes
• Farm play sets: By 12 months, baby can grasp different-sized objects with purposeful reaching
• Push and pull toys: Walking babies love pull-along toys and push toys
• Music and movement: Any percussion instrument helps rhythm, coordination, and instills a love for music
• Boxes and pots: "Will I fit in this?" Children squeeze into everything — it's learning about size!

Key Montessori Principles for Babies

• Talk, sing, and read — constantly. Language development starts from day one
• Respond to communication — every coo, cry, and gesture is your baby talking to you
• Provide a prepared environment — safe spaces with appropriate materials at each stage
• Follow the child — observe what interests your baby and provide more of it
• Allow independence — let baby grasp, reach, explore, and even make messes
• Take time — these precious moments of baby's first year go by so fast

What This Develops

• Sensory development — textures, sounds, colors, and movement
• Motor skills — from reflexive grasping to purposeful reaching
• Language — the foundation for all communication and reading
• Cognitive development — cause and effect, object permanence, spatial awareness
• Emotional bonding — secure attachment through responsive interaction

See also: Practical Life — the next stage of development as your baby becomes a toddler.