The Best Montessori Inspired Toy Storage and Organization
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Best Overall Playshelf
The Montessori Playshelf by Lovevery
Best Budget Friendly Toy Shelf
ECR4Kids 5-Compartment Storage Cabinet
Best for Toy Rotation Storage
Best Overall Montessori Bookshelf
Best Budget Friendly Montessori Bookshelf
How to Create a Montessori Environment with Toy Storage
Are you looking to organize your child's play area using a Montessori method? Look no further! I went on this journey when I created a Montessori inspired home for my daughter, and after countless hours of researching and comparing items, I found the best options - which I compiled onto this list for you!
When it comes to Montessori toy storage, some key things to look for are:
Low shelves so your child can reach toys independently
Open shelf concept that easily and visibly displays toys
Sturdy construction for safety
What Makes a Great Montessori Toy?
Montessori toys can be many different things, but our favorites are open-ended toys. These encourage open-ended play, which really fosters creative play! Simply put, an open-ended toy is one that can be used many different ways, and as many different things. Picture a bucket of wooden blocks versus an electronic toy that has several buttons your child can press to make it light up or make a sound. That bucket of blocks can be used to build castles, barns, cars, used as pretend food in a play kitchen - you name it, whereas the button toy has one feature - simply pressing a button.
Our favorite Montessori based toys have been through our Lovevery Play Kit subscription. I was hesitant at first due to the higher price point, but it has been the best thing we’ve done to avoid screen time and really encourage more independent, creative play.
Additionally, when you display these toys the right way (on a Montessori shelf), you give your kids easy access and foster independence and problem-solving skills. It might sound too good and too simple to be true, but I'm telling you this from first hand experience! When we create an environment that allows our children to access their things safely and more independently, we help them develop confidence, which is so important!!
If you’re interested in the Lovevery play kit subscription, you can use my referral link below for a discount on your order!
How to Organize Montessori Shelves
Keep it simple! To really encourage creative, independent play, you need to ensure your child does not feel overwhelmed by their toy shelf! Using a toy rotation and placing fewer toys out at once will actually encourage your child to play longer and more creatively with the toys!
We do this in our home by keeping the bulk of my daughters toys upstairs and using an open shelf unit in her main play space downstairs. We make sure her toys are easy to see (not cluttered or crowded), put a puzzle on the bottom shelf, and then space the rest of the toys out wherever they fit best! This has been a great way to prevent boredom with toys, and her creative play has blossomed since implementing this into our routine!
The play shelf we use is the focal point of our play space downstairs. We also have a play kitchen, play couch, and sensory table. Some bigger items that we rotate in and out are a ball pit, ride on car, mini trampoline and climbing furniture - we only have one of these out at a time downstairs to make sure our daughter has ample space to move around (and by that I mean silly dance and run around haha!!). If you are working with small spaces in your home, this is another great way to create more space - rotate, rotate, rotate your child's toys!
The Best Montessori Inspired Storage and Organization for Toys and Books
1. The Montessori Playshelf by Lovevery
Okay, I'm going to start by saying that this is the most expensive Montessori storage option on the list - but Lovevery blew it out of the park with this Playshelf! This piece of wooden furniture could easily be the focus piece in your child's playroom! Not only are the open shelves the perfect height and length for toy placement and toddlers to independently reach things, but the back compartments contain ample toy storage space, which makes for a very convenient toy rotation system! This is a simple way to introduce a Montessori style toy rotation into your home!
100% FSC-certified Baltic birch
Soft-Close
Holds up to 6 Lovevery Play Kits
If you’re interested in the Lovevery play kit subscription, you can use my referral link below for a discount on your order!
2. ECR4Kids 5-Compartment Storage Cabinet
I love this Montessori toy shelf option! The sectioned off shelves are similar to that of the Lovevery design, however the price point on this shelf is significantly lower! It would look great in your child's playroom, and the shelves are the perfect height to allow your little one to independently access his or her toys!
48" W x 13" D x 30" H
Greenguard Gold Certified
(affiliate link)
3. ECR4Kids Streamline 2-Shelf Storage Cabinet
I love the clean, simple look of the ECR4Kids Streamline Cabinet. The open concept design allows for easy toy placement, and the height of the shelves is perfect for little ones! This would work great in Montessori homes!
36"D x 12"W x 24"H
Greenguard Gold Certified
(affiliate link)
4. TROFAST Storage
This TROFAST Storage System from Ikea is what we use for our daughters toy rotation. It was in our budget and checked most of our boxes! We use three of them side-by-side, and I am obsessed with them if I'm being honest! I searched for a long time to find something that was multi-functional, meaning I could use it for toy rotation storage now, and something else down the road when my daughter is older - and this is by far the most optimal storage solution I could find!
We selected the largest bin option, because each bin can hold and entire toy rotation including books (we do a book rotation as well with a forward-facing bookshelf - we rotate in about 10 books at a time!)
Not only do these bins store toys and books perfectly, the top is also the perfect height to display wooden toys that are on the larger side. I even display some of my favorite toys on top just because I think it looks cute! The way I remember to rotate toys that do not fit in the rotation boxes is by placing an index card in the rotation bins with the name of the larger toy. When I am unloading that box onto her toy shelf downstairs, if I come across an index card, that is my reminder to bring down that larger toy as well!
I appreciate the fact that these are solid wood, however I do wish that they had non-toxic certifications. I am not sure if there are any questionable chemicals in the "acrylic lacquer" that is used on this piece, but if I am being honest the possibility is definitely there. I do still feel better about using wood over plastic, as I try to choose a natural material whenever possible.
Solid pine with a tinted clear acrylic lacquer
Width: 36 5/8 "
Depth: 17 3/8 "
Height: 20 1/2 "
5. Madison 3-Shelf Bookrack by Pottery Barn Kids
This Madison 3-Shelf Bookrack is what we use in my daughters book nook downstairs in our living room! We do a book rotation for her, and display around 10 books at a time (forward-facing). Every week we rotate “new” books in, which has really sparked her interest in reading! She gets excited to see the “new” books on her shelf each week, and flips through them throughout the day while playing downstairs. (My daughter is 2 1/2 years old for reference)
This bookshelf is really good quality and will get a lot of use over the years! We bought ours on facebook marketplace - I love when we can extend the life of furniture pieces by giving them a new home! Using and loving a piece of furniture for another generation after it was no longer useful in its original home is a great way to practice sustainability!
Greenguard Gold Certified
Overall: 38.5" wide x 5.5" deep x 44.5" high
6. ECR4Kids Single-Sided Book Display
We have this bookshelf set up in our bedroom upstairs with all of my daughters bedtime story books forward facing on it. After she is ready for bed, she excitedly runs up and picks out a few bedtime stories for us to read together. It is the perfect height, and having the books forward facing allows her to see the options more easily, which I have noticed makes a positive difference!
35.8"D x 15"W x 30"H
Greenguard Gold Certified
(affiliate link)