Hi friends! I am really excited to put this post together before the holidays because I feel like many of you are probably on the same hunt as I was. I finished my shopping early (before baby girl #2 arrived) and in doing so, came across a ton of budget-friendly open-ended toys.
There are so many great brands out there for Montessori-style play. We don’t follow Montessori exclusively, but I do implement a lot of it into our style of play at home… or try to, at least. But I find that a lot of the recommended toys are often much more expensive than we can afford at the moment. It can be a bit discouraging, but fear not… because I am pulling together a list of alternatives.
I just want to be clear – I am in no way saying that there is anything wrong with the more expensive toys. They are more expensive for a reason! Better quality, materials, etc. Trust me… I would love to have all of the toys from Grimm. It just doesn’t happen to work with our budget at this point in time and that’s really the only reason why I had to search for alternatives. If you can afford to have them or splurge a bit, then go for it!! I hope we can do the same someday. But no matter what brand you go with, it is nice to know that these toys are going to foster imagination, independent play, and plenty of life skills.
I hope you find this list helpful and more manageable if you are also on a tight budget at home!
NOTE: This post contains affiliate links, which means that I’ll receive a commission if you purchase from this link. This will not change or increase the cost of your purchase. This extra income provides for my family and keeps The Friendly Fig running strong.
Wooden Rainbow
This is a biggie. I would pretty much do anything to have the Grimm’s wooden rainbow, but it just is not going to happen right now. Instead, I found one on Amazon. It is thinner, smaller, and definitely not as great as Grimm’s, but Willow loves playing with it. It gets the job done and looks beautiful on display.
- Splurge: Grimm’s Wooden Rainbow: $123.95
- Budget: Coogam Rainbow Stack: $13.99
Animal Figurines
Who doesn’t love animal figures? A lot of imaginative play with these in our house… Willow will sit quietly for quite some time with these. The budget brand is Wild Republic and I love these because they are a great size (not too small) and there are SO many options. African animals listed below, but be sure to check out all the types they have, from aquatic to insect and beyond.
- Splurge: Schleich Jungle, $18.99 for set of 4
- Budget: Wild Republic African Animals, $11.20 for set of 6
Play Silks
Sarah’s Play Silks are not too expensive, but for what it is, it definitely can seem that way. For the large size, it runs about $20. While I definitely want to invest in the brand in the future, right now we chose to go with a smaller alternative to gauge interest.
- Splurge: Sarah’s Mini Play Silks, $40 for 4
- Budget: Dance Scarves, $9.99 for 16
Natural Wooden Blocks
A staple for every single household – they will keep your toddler busy for a very long time if they love to build. You can never ever go wrong with Melissa & Doug, it seems!
- Splurge: Grimm’s Blocks, $77 for 60
- Budget: Melissa & Doug, $55 for 60
Colorful Wooden Blocks
It is worth noting that the Melissa & Doug blocks are much smaller in size, but they are still a great colorful find and good quality.
- Splurge: Grimm’s Pyramid, $199.95
- Budget: Melissa & Doug, $17.99
Wooden Vehicles
If you are looking for a wooden vehicle or bus, I highly recommend Melissa & Doug because it comes with people, too. We have this one below and it gets a lot of usage.
- Splurge: Grimm’s Natural Wooden Bus, $56
- Budget: Melissa & Doug, $16.99
Wooden Cars
If your kiddo is into vehicles, wooden ones are simple and beautiful.
Magnetic Building Tiles
Of all the toys on this list, I think these are probably Willow’s favorite. They will keep her busy for almost an hour, if not more. She loves to build before bed for some quiet time. The PicassoTiles are awesome and really, look the same as the Magna-Tiles.
- Splurge: Magna-Tiles, $119.99
- Budget: PicassoTiles, $49.99
Little People
Perfect for imaginative play, but can be expensive for those little peg dolls.
- Splurge: Grimm’s Rainbow Friends, $45
- Budget: Agirlgle Wooden Friends, $23 or Blocktown Little Wooden People (I like these because they come with accessories to create a town), $14.99
Wooden Train Set
The Melissa & Doug set is no joke – so many pieces and great if your kiddo LOVES this sort of thing… just pretty expensive. The IKEA version is not as grand, but is a great starter.
- Splurge: Melissa & Doug, $100
- Budget: IKEA Lillabo, $29.99
Art Easel
We are lucky because we were gifted the HAPE easel and we really do love it. But if you are looking for a good alternative, the IKEA easel price is hard to beat. The only downside is that the whiteboard is not magnetic like the HAPE version. But if that isn’t an issue, this is the easel for you.
Aside from the above alternatives to some of the well-known expensive brands above, here are some other budget-friendly Montessori-inspired toys to consider:
- Melissa & Doug magnets – animals, vehicles, dinosaurs, and beyond
- Melissa & Doug stacking train
- Shape sorting safari vehicle
- Green Toys tea party set
- Green Toys dump truck
- Play kitchen / puppet theater
- Puppets
- Fruit & veggie set
- Wooden camera
- Guidecraft Rainbow Blocks
- Musical instruments
So that’s about it, friends. I hope that this post was helpful and maybe you’ll check off a few holiday gifts from this list. I know I did. Have a beautiful day. xo
