Toys

Wooden climbing frames, busy boards, sorting sets and sensory toys for babies and toddlers — chosen for the kind of play a child comes back to more than once.

Most of what's here follows Montessori principles, which in practice means the toy corrects the child rather than the parent doing it. A peg only fits one hole. A shape only drops through one slot. That self-correction is why a two-year-old will sit with a wooden puzzle for forty minutes and abandon a noisier toy in four.

The range covers the first three years. Newborns get high-contrast mirrors and rattles for tummy time. Babies learning to sit get tumblers, stacking cups and sensory balls. Toddlers get busy boards, pounding benches and pretend play sets that build the fine motor control they'll need before they can fasten a coat or hold a pencil.

Where a product has a certification worth knowing about — FSC wood, ASTM or CPSIA testing — it's stated on the product page rather than implied here.