FAQ

Monti Kids toys are designed to meet your child’s developmental milestones and to provide just the right amount of challenge, without being overstimulating. They are based on the time-tested, research-backed Montessori method. Some unique aspects of our toys include:

• Isolation of difficulty: This encourages your child to practice his existing skills while tackling one new concept at a time, allowing him to challenge himself without getting overwhelmed.
• Progressive levels of challenge: Our toys are designed to grow with your child. As she learns, she will discover new ways to play that will stretch her skills. Our toys are introduced in sequence because they build upon one another.
• Control of error: Our toys include features that help children to self-correct. This encourages your child to repeat and gain the tremendous benefits of problem-solving independently.
• Simplicity: Our toys are made of natural materials without lights, sounds, and too many bright colors or patterns. This allows children to focus as they play without being distracted or overstimulated. Our toys are not built to entertain your child, but rather to engage his curiosity, creativity, and problem-solving skills. Learn more about the benefits of Montessori here.

Montessori is an educational approach that has been used for over 100 years and trusted by over 20,000 schools around the world. It is an ideal educational method for young children that involves a series of toys, designed through research to meet their developmental needs. It is comprehensive — addressing the child’s cognitive, physical, linguistic, social and emotional development. 

Researchers have long recognized the many benefits of Montessori, necessary competencies in a fast-changing world where learning how to learn is the best foundation for success.

1. Learning Through Play

Researchers have proven the educational benefits of guided play for young children, including advances in language development, executive function and brain growth itself.

2. Embodied Learning

Studies show that when educational activities incorporate movement, learners gain a better understanding of content and remember that content more accurately.

3. Creativity

Montessori is a pathway to creativity. Some of the greatest innovators of today, like the founders of Google, Amazon and Wikipedia, attended Montessori preschool.

4. Independence

Children who have more independence in their learning have been shown to work harder, perform better, retain more information, and are more creative and joyful.

5. Perseverance

Montessori toys present just the right amount of challenge, encouraging children to stretch, practice and master new skills. This cycle builds self-confidence and a growth mindset.

Our program and materials are developed by child development and early education experts who are internationally certified in Montessori education for ages 0-6, and hold Masters degrees in Education.

Monti Kids was founded by Zahra in 2104. Zahra is an Internationally certified Montessori teacher for children from birth to age 6. She holds a BA in Psychology and an MA in Education, both from Harvard University. She poured her education, experience, and a ton of love into creating products that bring a world-renowned, research-backed education into your home, all through the joy of play.

Please email us at hello@montikids.com.

Our program is designed by child development and early education experts to meet your child’s developmental milestones. Each set is based on the accredited 0 – 3 Montessori curriculum that has been used in schools around the world for 100+ years. 

Our team of experts have curated the toys in each set to build upon the skills your child is learning, with the appropriate level of challenge at each stage of development. Your child will have the best experience when the toys are introduced in this way!

We are primarily a wooden toy manufacturer with designs inspired by Montessori teaching and methodology as well as some of our own designs. At the heart of our products conceptually is the idea that in very early child development, the best toys are the ones that encourage children to use, explore and learn, versus toys that "do it all for" the child. For our wooden toys, we use only FCS certified wood that is carefully constructed and safety tested for the most stringent US and EU standards. When we use dyes for our wood, we use only the safest natural solutions. Other materials we use are 100% food grade silicone and some cotton fabric elements.

Our toys are designed to grow with your child, presenting new challenges as he or she develops.

When your child has outgrown a toy, you can also opt-in to our Donation Program as part of our mission to provide quality educational materials to all children regardless of income. For more information, or for your free shipping label for donations, please email us at hello@montikids.com.

To clean your wooden toys, wipe them down with a damp cloth, and only if necessary, use a mild soap. Wooden toys are absorbent and because our finishes, paints and stains are water-based (so that they are 100% non-toxic), it is also important you thoroughly dry your toys immediately after cleaning.

We do not recommend soaking Monti Kids toys in water or cleaning solutions, abrasive cleaners, or scrubbing.

Our cloth items are 100% cotton and can be spot cleaned, while our 100% food grade silicone items can be hand washed or placed in the dishwasher on a low cycle.

If you have further questions, or one of your toys has been damaged during the cleaning process, please reach out to us at customercare@montikids.com.

At this time, Monti Kids is focused on providing the best in-home Montessori educational toys for ages 0 - 3. While our work is centered around this age group, we are committed to your child's ongoing development and have some great resources for you to continue engaging and supporting your child the Montessori way at home.

One great way, after Monti Kids, is by helping them practice "Exercises of Practical Life", or helping around the house, which children ages 4 - 6 years love to do! You can even find specialized Montessori items like child-sized cooking tools, outdoor supplies and art materials online if this is something you're interested in. 

There are also several books we recommend to help you support your little one's learning beyond age 3. Our educators love these great titles:

• Montessori From the Start by Paula Polk Lillard,
• Understanding the Human Being by Dr. Silvano Montanaro,
• The Secret of Childhood By Maria Montessori
• The Montessori Toddler by Simone Davies.

All Monti Kids toys are designed and safety tested here in the US, and manufactured by highly-vetted factories in China and Vietnam. 

Monti Kids ships to the entire U.S. including U.S. Territories. We also ship internationally to over 60 markets including the following countries:

Andorra, Australia, Austria, Bahrain, Belgium, Bosnia & Herzegovina, Brazil, Brunei, Bulgaria, Canada, Chile, China, Croatia, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Denmark, Dominican Republic, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Guatemala, Honduras, Hong Kong SAR China, Ireland, Israel, Italy, Japan, Latvia, Liechtenstein, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Macedonia, Malaysia, Malta, Mexico, Monaco, Montenegro, Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway, Philippines, Poland, Portugal, Qatar, Romania, Saudi Arabia, Serbia, Singapore, Slovakia, Slovenia, South Africa, South Korea, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Thailand, Turkey, United Arab Emirates, and United Kingdom.

If you do not see your country listed, please reach out to us at hello@montikids.com.

Monti Kids provides FREE shipping with orders above $125 within the contiguous United States. For further details, please see below.

Contiguous U.S

• Cart Value $0-125 = $12.95 for standard shipping

• Cart Value +$125 = Free standard shipping

International

Shipping costs will be calculated at checkout and include all duties.

We ship our orders from our US warehouse. All orders are processed and shipped within 2 business days of the order being placed and most orders arrive to US destinations within 5 business days.

Our shelves are all manufactured in the United States (California and Nevada), and ship from those locations.

All of our other Monti Kids toys are designed here in the U.S. They are then manufactured by family-owned factories in Vietnam and China that we personally visit regularly to be sure our high standards are being met and that our proprietary paints, stains, dyes and finishes are being used (in addition to a third party quality agent we have hired to do these inspections throughout each production). When searching for a manufacturer, it was important to us, like you, that we choose a company that reflects our values through the quality of toys produced and in the way they care for their employees. We were fortunate enough to find both with our manufacturer, who also assists several well known wooden toy companies in Europe.

Once manufactured, we then submit our toys and the materials used in them for chemical and mechanical safety testing at a leading third party lab based in the U.S. where we check for harmful chemicals (including including formaldehyde and phthalates) and heavy metals (like lead and cadmium) as well as mechanical issues. Our toys and the materials used in them have met or exceeded all US safety standards (ASTM) and the more strict European Regulatory Requirements Toy Safety Directive 2009/48/EC or any other Act enforced by the CPSC & EC for children 0-3 years old (which is true of only 4% of toys in the U.S.).

All of our wooden toys are made from FSC-certified sustainably sourced wood. We use both hard to find, high grade baltic birch plywood and solid birch wood depending upon the toy. None of our materials are particle board or MDF. It may seem counterintuitive, but in some shapes and configurations solid wood is best, while in others, solid wood may never pass safety testing. Monti Kids was started by moms and safety is our top priority, so these choices are always based on what is safest in testing.

Some of our toys also contain fabric parts, which are are 100% new cotton (like our crocheted Batting Ball), 100% food grade silicone (like our Dining Set mat and bowl), and stainless steel (like our Dining Set flatware).

We're happy to provide customers with the following payment options:

• Amazon Pay
• Apple Pay
• Credit Card (all major cards accepted)
• Google Pay
• Meta Pay
• Paypal
• Shoppay
• Zip

Thank you for your service!

Monti Kids is happy to offer military members and their families 10% off all Monti Kids purchases. For more information about how to apply this to your Monti Kids order or subscription, please email us at hello@montikids.com.

Yes we do. Please contact us at hello@montikids.com

We want you to love your purchase. That's why if for any reason you are disappointed in your purchase, please let us know within 30 days of your purchase date and we'll be happy to work with you to find a resolution as a replacement, refund or other solution. To contact us, please email our team at hello@montikids.com.

By signing up to Monti Kids Rewards, you will earn points for every $ spent and for a variety of other activities. These points can then later be redeemed for exclusive discounts. Please visit our Monti Kids Rewards page for further detail.

Yes! We partner with organizations to bring early education to infants and toddlers in need. Monti Kids provides you with a free shipping label to make donating easy. By donating your outgrown toys, you can make a difference in the lives of children while teaching your child about helping others from an early age. Learn more about our Donation Program.

Monti Kids can help teachers and child care professionals too! By providing high-quality materials, expert support from Montessori trained teachers, and a simple, proven curriculum, the Monti Kids can add value to your existing program, and make life easier for your team. 

Each of our toolkits includes our physical manipulatives and access to our online curriculum, and are backed by a 30 day, 100% money-back guarantee. This includes research and the educational underpinnings of our designs, as well as demonstration videos which clearly explain why and how to introduce the materials to children. The curriculum can be used by experienced educators to enhance work in the classroom, for the professional development of newer educators in effective teaching techniques, or by parents to help support children’s developmental progress at home. 

If you would like to learn more about using Monti Kids in your school or daycare, or if you are interested in purchasing items in bulk, you can also contact us at hello@montikids.com.

Yes! Please reach out to us at hello@montikids.com and we'll connect you with the right person to speak to for specialized pricing.