The American Montessori Society is proud to partner with schleich^®, the maker of high-quality, hand-painted toy figurines and accessories. In this multi-part series, you will learn the important role that realistic toys, such as schleich^® materials, have in learning within Early Childhood Montessori classrooms and homes.

Insights from the Video

In this video, Aubrey Wallen, a Montessori educator and mom, provides an in-depth explanation of why giving your children realistic animal toys is essential to learning.

She describes how:

• Realistic animal toys inform kids' impressions of what animals are like in their natural environments,
• Animals are an easy way to introduce children to the real world, and
• Children naturally gravitate toward animals.

Learn more about ways you can use schleich^® toys to apply Montessori principles by following along!

Want more lesson ideas? Visit www.schleich-s.com/en/US/montessori. Be on the lookout for more videos throughout 2023.

The opinions expressed in Montessori Life are those of the authors and do not necessarily represent the position of AMS.