My Montessori Baby Registry

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This is the baby registry list I wish I had.

Between Instagram and real-life I have received a lot of requests for a favorite items list from people starting a baby registry (or looking to buy things for their new baby). I spent A LOT of time researching the best items before welcoming Yitzchak and yet I still made A LOT of mistakes. This list is especially good for you if you are interested in practicing Montessori at home as I have some less standard items (see the floor bed that I wish I bought from birth). Not all of the things are Montessori-musts but they are what we loved in our Montessori home.

I think there is a lot you don’t need too. I definitely over-bought (hello, tons of swaddle blankets). These are things that I really used very frequently. As Montessori says “a child’s needs are simple.” It’s even more true of a baby. Really what they need more than anything is you.

Nursery

Sprout floor bed: We originally got a crib but if I were to go back I would get the Sprout floor bed. It is very well made (strong enough to hold adults too). I am incredibly pro-floor bed. It makes it easier to lie with your baby to put them to sleep and it allows them the freedom to get in and out of their bed. It also means you don’t need to transition to a toddler bed from a crib later.

Mirror: One essential in a Montessori nursery is a mirror at the infant’s level. We love this mirror. It was easy to attach to the wall with command strips. It is lightweight and baby-safe. We got one when he was a newborn and a second when we got the pull-up bar.

Pull-up bar: a pull-up bar is a great addition for a baby starting around 6 months. I wouldn’t say it is an essential as babies will begin to pull up everywhere (including the Pikler) but it was nice to have in front of the mirror.

Floor mats: We love our Little Nomad House of Noa floor mats. They are the prettiest we found.

Shelf: Ours is thrifted from Marketplace. I feel any shelf works including the existing ones you have.

Nursing

Haakaa: This is such an essential in my opinion. I think using it on the other side while nursing was a large reason for my great supply.

Pump: I have the Elvie which I initially loved. I have had some issues since, but love how portable it is. I don’t pump much. I think it is a fantastic back-up pump but I don’t think it would work as a primary pump.

Getting out

Carrier: We have two carriers. We have the ErgoBaby Omni360 and an older ErgoBaby. Both are great but the Omni360 is more available these days.

Wrap: I loved using a wrap instead of a carrier in the early days.

Ring Sling: I wish I had this ring sling earlier. I didn’t get it until he was 10 months or so but it is amazing and would be great for contact napping.

Stroller: We have the UppaBaby Vista which we love. For us it is our “urban minivan.” If you live in the suburbs something like it might not be necessary but it is fantastic for the city.

Carseat: I cannot recommend the Evenflo Gold Swivel car seat enough. Being able to put him in from the side is a game-changer. I would use this convertible from birth next time. I know some want an infant seat for bringing in and out of the car. I, personally, do not recommend doing that because it extends the time your baby is in the carseat. This one is so much easier to use and he liked it more than the infant seat.

Lotus crib: I like this better than other portable cribs because it can become a floor bed by being unzipped. This lets him still get in and out of it himself but can be zipped up for sleeping in a non-baby-proofed area.

Toys

Lovevery Play Gym: We loved this play gym. It is simple and not overstimulating like most play gyms on the market. There was something he found fascinating at each age up until he started moving and we turned it into a tent.

Lovevery subscription boxes: I am a huge fan of the Lovevery subscription boxes. I found they had exactly the right toys at the right time for Yitzchak. The mobile that came in the first box was a favorite over the diaper change area until we switched to diaper changes on the floor.

Montessori mobiles: We enjoyed the classic set of Montessori mobiles. While Yitzchak preferred his Lovevery Munari mobile, we still loved this classic set. It comes with four different mobiles to use in the first several months following your infant’s developing eyesight.

Skwish: The Skwish is the only other toy we really bought for the first 6 months. It is a favorite for Yitzchak and has been for many months.

The Pikler: We love our Pikler triangle. We introduced it at 6 months and he started really climbing it at 7 months. We have the jumbo from RAD Children’s Furniture (code HOMEAWAY for discount). Sprout also has a good one (code OnTheWay10 for discount) as does Lily and River (code HOMEANDONTHEWAY for discount). We chose the RAD one since it is larger and should keep his interest longer.

Diapering

Bumbo changing mat: We love our Bumbo changing mat. In fact, we brought it when traveling across the country and used it as a place to put him down as a newborn. It is so easy to clean- just wipe it down. It is also the best price of that type I could find.

Diaper pail: We were happy with our locking diaper pail. It is big enough to put in a diaper bag for cloth diapers.

Cloth diapers: We use cloth diapers and are happy with the Mama Koala diapers. They were far more affordable than most options which allowed us to get a big set.

Eating

Tripp Trapp: We love love our Tripp Trapp high chair. We got it with the newborn seat so he could sit at the table even before he was sitting up and able to eat with us.

Bibs: I highly recommend these long sleeve bibs if you are doing Baby Led Weaning. It is messy.

Glasses: Montessori introduces an open cup (generally glass) instead of a sippy cup. We like these because they are pretty unbreakable despite being glass.

Spoons: I really like these spoons because they are metal and more adult-like.

Suction plate: We started with a stainless steel suction plate. I wouldn’t say suction plates are Montessori but I did find it helpful in the early days of BLW to have a plate that didn’t move. I recommend switching to real plates though pretty quickly once your baby is picking up the suction plate.

Ceramic plates: I like these ceramic plates because they are a bit heavier. You can also get from somewhere like the dollar store though for cheap. I recommend sticking to heavier plates though so there is less chance of accidentally knocking them.

Instant Pot: Not baby-led weaning, per se, but wow it made cooking for us easier.

Clothing

I recommend getting outfits that do not have built-in feet to allow for barefoot free movement and skipping the mittens.

Other Items

Learning tower: The learning tower is fantastic for involving your little one in the kitchen. We love the Sprout Kids one because it is smaller and minimalist. The smaller build made it cozy for him from when he could stand solidly. We got it when he was 9 months old. (Code OnTheWay10 for a discount)

Floor table: it is common to get a weaning table for eating meals. We did not get one because we do not have space in our apartment for one. Instead, we got the Sprout floor table and a corresponding chair. We love it for activities.

Nugget Play Couch: Not strictly Montessori or truly necessary but we love that it provides an accessible couch that Yitzchak can climb onto himself. It also is fun for gross motor play as he gets older.