Three to Six Months
Between 3 and 6 months, children start to spend more time awake, and begin intensive work on strength and dexterity. This is a good time to introduce a few simple toys that encourage reaching, grasping, and manipulating simple objects. Teething typically starts within this age range, so teethers can be helpful. Most items from the newborn to three month list continue to be useful for this age group.
Avoid any complicated or electronic toys, or items that restrict movement like swings, walkers, and "activity chairs." for extended periods of time. Babies need time and space to explore their bodies and build muscle tone and connection. A blanket on the floor or a safe playpen area with a few interesting objects offers far more developmental potential than a container that will restrict movement. Electronic and complicated toys are confusing at this age and can cause a baby to feel overwhelmed, as can screen time.
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Hanging Toys
This Montessori material is a simple object, usually a wooden ring or a bell, suspended with ribbon or elastic just out of reach of a child lying on a play mat. It encourages hand-eye coordination, depth perception and concentration. And the reaching motion helps build strong core muscles needed to sit up and turn over.
Hang these toys from the ceiling, a sturdy mobile hanger, or a wooden gym (see next entry).
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Wooden Gym Hanger
If you can't hang objects from your ceiling, this wooden gym hanger is a good alternative. Most gym hangers we see have way too much stuff hanging from them. This simple, sturdy wooden model is a good choice for hanging just one or two objects at a time, which allows for stronger focus and concentration skills.
Play Mat
A play mat is a comfortable, safe space for a child to spend time when she is feeling rested and content. A thin crib mattress works for this (and doubles as a floor bed), but our favorite play mat for rolling babies is a cotton (washable) rug. It is important this rug is relatively plain- play mats with lots of colors, shapes, letters, objects, activities, etc are overwhelming for this age and will disrupt the development of focused attention.
Play Gym and Mat
Our favorite play mat for these early months and beyond is from Lovevery. The play gym is larger than many other models, and has the ability to highlight one interesting feature at a time, and has removeable and changeable toys and accessories to keep it interesting well into toddlerhood.
LOVEVERY Play Kits
For ages 3-6 months, LOVEVERY has two play kits. The first includes the simplest infant toys, which are similar to others on our list. The second kit for ages 5-6 months has items that are slighter harder to manipulate or items that will roll away. This encourages rolling over and stretching to build muscles for crawling. US customers can get free shipping with orders over $75.
Grasping Toy
This interlocking disc is a first grasping toy for infants around 3 months. Its design is easy for small hands to grasp, and it is simple enough not to be overwhelming. It also tends to roll away, so it can be good for encouraging movement.
Grasping Toy
This set of interlocking triangles is a an interesting material for developing grip strength and practicing hand-eye coordination.
Grasping Toy
A slightly different grasping toy, this one uses elastic to hold colorful wooden balls together.
Grasping Toy
Another interesting wooden and elastic grasping toy. This one is easy for small hands to grasp, and makes an interesting sound when moved. It can roll, but not very far, making for a good balance of challenge and reward for a not-quite-mobile baby.
Indestructible Books
These are our favorite kind of books for young babies. Not only do many have beautiful pictures and simple, realistic text, the book itself is perfect for the way babies read. The indestructible books are washable, rip-proof, and feel and act like a paper book.
Teething Object
Teeth start to come in around four to six months. This teething ring is easy for small hands to grasp and hold, is washable, and can be put in the freezer to help soothe painful gums.
Teething Object
This is another teether we recommend. It’s 100% silicone, dishwasher safe, and easy to clean. It stands on its own, which makes it easy for a baby on her belly to get her mouth on it, or grab it from the floor.
Teething Necklace
This is a wonderful material to wear while holding a teething baby. It gives the child an interesting object to explore, and a nice material to chew on that she can't drop. It's made of food-grade BPA-free silicone, it's washable, and can be put in the freezer like other teething toys.
Bell Rattle
Once a child is comfortable with basic grasping toys, simple rattles can be introduced to add more sensory information and make the experience more interesting. The source of the sound should always be visible to make the experience more concrete. A bell rattle is a classic Montessori material that's small, lightweight, and easy to manipulate.
Rattle
This wooden rattle adds some interesting color to the experience, but keeps the source of the sound visible.
Image from Little Raven Toys Etsy Shop
Rattle
This wood and silicone ring rattle adds different textures to the experience.
Image from Brillibrum Etsy Shop
Metal Rattle
This enclosed silver rattle is another excellent gift for a 3-4 month old infant. The metal offers an interesting texture and temperature difference to explore, and the gentle rattle noise is soothing.
Soft Baskets
Along with child sized shelves, a few soft baskets are fantastic for organizing a child's play area. Only a few toys should be presented at a time, so it's helpful to have somewhere to stash all of the toys that are not in use. And the basket itself is an interesting material to explore.
Image from HeirLoomKids USA Etsy Shop
Handmade Toy Set
This 5 piece handmade toy set is the perfect gift for a 3-6 month old infant. It includes several toys listed above, like the interlocking wood discs, bell rattle, and the wood ring rattle. A rolling rattle with visible colored balls is interesting to both the ear and eye.
FLEECE BOOTIES
While it is helpful and important to have your 3-6 month baby’s feet uncovered, sometimes it’s just too cold to do so. These booties are warm and cozy and easy to take off and on.
DIY Mobile Kits
Offering beautiful, lightweight mobiles that will move slightly on their own with air currents is a magical experience for infants 3-6 months. There’s always something to see! Look for mobiles that are just as interesting viewed from the bottom (baby’s viewpoint) as they are from the side or top (adult viewpoint). These three paper mobiles from Montessori Edited are of realistic sea and air creatures. They do not come ready to hang, so either prepare them yourself or know that your gift recipient would enjoy a craft project.
Stretchy Pants
A great choice for mobile babies to give them opportunities to practice using their feet.
Sun Hat
Babies need protection from the sun, and a hat is far more convenient than constantly applying sunscreen. This sun hat has a nice wide brim, and is adjustable through a wide range of sizes.
Portable Play Yard
Creating a safe space for free movement without the need for parental interference is one of the best ways to encourage a baby's development. A play yard is more of a RIE material than a Montessori material, but it offers a practical solution for creating a clean, safe space for a child to move around and explore.