Monti Kids 7-9 Months Montessori Play Set Review

Between my last review and this one, Monti Kids has changed their entire program so that it’s no longer a subscription. Now, each play set is standalone, and you aren’t locked into a subscription.

I actually don’t mind that – it’s a bit refreshing to consciously order things rather than having a surprise box (and bill) show up that you forgot about.

So without further ado, here’s a look at our experience with the 7-9m Montessori Play Set from Monti Kids (formerly called Level 3).

Note: I purchased the Monti Kids program with my own money, and this article is not sponsored or reviewed by Monti Kids in any way.

Check out the full Monti Kids review series here

7-9m Play Set Unboxing & First Impressions

Unboxing a Monti Kids box is probably more exciting for me than it is for my son. It’s so beautifully packaged, and there are so many different elements included in each play set (it better be for $215!).

It kind of felt never-ending as I opened box after box.

I was definitely super excited about all of the food items in this kit. I had just started introducing purees and soft foods, and these items immediately came in handy.

The other stand-out element from this set is the Rolling Drum. I was really eager to see how my son would react to the wooden balls clinging inside and it rolling across the floor.

As always, most of the items are made of high-quality wood, meaning they’re going to stand the test of time.

Also, no batteries, no loud noises, and no mechanical movements. My favorite part of Montessori toys is the simplicity and intention.

@twomamabears Would you spend $215 for a set of toys? #montikids #montessori #montessorimom #montessoriathome #montessoritoys #montessoritok #montessoribaby #montessoribabytoys #babytok #babymom #momsoftiktok #momtok ♬ Trap Mafia – Lastra

Our Experience with the Monti Kids 7-9m Play Set

We’ve had the toys from this 7-9m play set for about 4 months now, and I will say it’s not my favorite play set of the bunch.

I do love a lot of the items included here, but nothing really sticks out to me as being quintessential or worth a big splurge.

When I think of toys my son gravitates towards, none of these really make the list. That said, it’s all good stuff.

Expectations vs Reality

I expected my son to like the rolling drum the best, and he did play with it a few times (and looked darn cute doing it!).

But guess which toy he played with the most? The darn nesting cups!

And those aren’t really anything special – you can get a good set of nesting cups from just about anywhere at a reasonable price.

I feel like that’s always how it goes – mom spends two benjis on these amazing wooden toys and the baby is more interested in an empty Amazon box or a plastic water bottle.

I’m honestly not surprised.

Thoughts on the Toys

The small wooden items like the interlocking discs, hex with balls, and dolio are great for encouraging fine motor skills and hand-to-hand transfer, but my son wouldn’t mess with them for longer than 10-20 seconds before he was over it and on to the next thing.

The rainbow blocks are obviously awesome, but we already had a ton of blocks from purchasing the Lovevery Block Set. So those didn’t stand out to me too much, although that’s a personal thing.

The object permanence box is definitely a Montessori toy staple, and it’s great. It’s not earth-shattering or anything, but I think it’s a good one to have in your rotation at this age.

The dining set is fantastic – we use it almost every day.

I really enjoyed watching my son figure out how to grasp the stainless steel cup. I could see his little mind working.

I could do without the cloth bibs and napkins, though. The bib is weirdly shaped and just doesn’t fit around my son’s head in a practical way.

And we just honestly don’t use cloth napkins. I do enough laundry, OK?

It’s Still a Value

I feel like I’m talking down on this kit a lot, but I do really like it. I think it’s a great value for what you get, I just wouldn’t say it’s a “must-have” for your baby, especially if you’re picking and choosing which play sets to splurge on.

Am I glad we have it? Yep.

Would I run to a friend and tell her she needs to get it right now? No.

Monti Kids Level 2 vs Lovevery

A lot of the Monti Kids toys overlap with Lovevery ones, so I like to take a minute to do a quick comparison. I was a die-hard Lovevery fan before I ever found Monti Kids, so we have all the Lovevery play kits.

Both Monti Kids and Lovevery have interlocking discs, an object permanence box, nesting cups, a stainless steel drinking cup, and cotton rope basket.

Note: Lovevery offers free shipping in the contiguous US and Canada, whereas Monti Kids only offers free shipping in the contiguous U.S.

The quality of these items is all very compatible, but I do prefer Lovevery’s nesting cups. You can also buy these separately at Target if you don’t want to buy the whole kit.

All of my kids enjoy using these cups, whether they’re stacking, in the tub, in our swimming pool, doing color sorting… the list goes on. They nest so nicely.

If I had to choose one kit over the other, I do lean toward the Lovevery one. The items are very similar, I prefer certain elements in it over the Monti Kids one, and it’s cheaper ($80 instead of $215).

Is the Monti Kids Play Set for 7-9 Months Worth It?

While I’m a sucker for these toys from Monti Kids, I would actually probably pass on this kit. I think if you tried to recreate it, it’d cost more, so is it worth it? Probably.

But if you’re on a budget and need to pick and choose which play sets are worth it, this one was a bit forgettable for us. I think you’d do just as well continuing play with the 4-6m set and graduating up to the 10-12m set next.

Or, I’d go with Lovevery’s play kit for this age range (theirs is for 7-8 months). I prefer that kit for this age over the Monti Kids one. But that’s just my honest opinion!

Conclusion

We have enjoyed the toys and items included in the play set for 7-9 months. But it hasn’t been our favorite of the four we’ve tried so far.

You’ll have to let me know in the comments what your thoughts are!

Check out the full Monti Kids review series here