If you've spent any time looking at open-ended wooden toys, you've probably come across Grimm's. The brand's rainbow stackers and building sets are instantly recognisable, and a lot of parents love them. But between the price and the fact that Grimm's isn't actually a Montessori brand, plenty of families go looking for something else, or something to add alongside it. Here's an honest look at what Grimm's does well, and where Montessori Toddlers fits as an alternative.
What is Grimm's known for, and why do parents look for alternatives?
Grimm's is a German toy company best known for its wooden rainbow stackers and open-ended building and stacking sets, made from solid wood in bold, bright colours. Parents look for alternatives mainly for two reasons: the well-known rainbow stacker carries a high price for what is, structurally, a set of graduated wooden arcs, and some parents want something closer to Montessori's self-correcting, single-purpose materials rather than purely open-ended pieces.
Is Grimm's actually a Montessori brand?
No, not in the strict sense. Grimm's toys are more accurately described as Waldorf or Steiner-inspired: open-ended, imaginative, and deliberately without a single "right" way to use them. That's a genuinely different lineage from classic Montessori materials, which are usually self-correcting, meaning the toy itself shows a child whether they've got it right. Neither approach is better; they simply teach in different ways, and plenty of Montessori-minded homes happily mix both open-ended and self-correcting pieces on the same shelf.
Grimm's-style pieces and Montessori Toddlers alternatives, at a glance
| Grimm's-style piece | Suitable age | Develops | Montessori Toddlers alternative |
|---|---|---|---|
| Wooden rainbow stacker | 18 months and up | Colour recognition, balance, open-ended building | Toddlers Rainbow Toy (Large) |
| Building and stacking block set | 2 years and up | Fine motor control, spatial reasoning, imaginative play | Toddlers Rainbow Building Blocks |
| Graduated stacking toy | 12 months and up | Size sequencing, hand-eye coordination | Toddlers Wooden Rocket Stacking Toy |
| Nesting rings or bowls | 12 months and up | Size and order concepts, fine motor practice | Toddlers Stacking & Nesting Rings |
Where Montessori Toddlers fits
We're not trying to be a Grimm's clone, and we wouldn't want to be. Our Toddlers Rainbow Toy (Large) shares that same open-ended, brightly coloured spirit, solid wood, no single "correct" way to build with it, good for imaginative play as much as stacking practice. It sits happily on a shelf next to pieces with a narrower, more self-correcting purpose.
Our Toddlers Rainbow Building Blocks work the same way, colourful, open-ended, and just as happy being sorted by colour as they are being stacked into a wobbly tower.
For families who want to balance that open-ended play with something more self-correcting, our Toddlers Wooden Rocket Stacking Toy and Toddlers Stacking & Nesting Rings only go together one way, which gives a toddler that clear, satisfying "I got it right" moment classic Montessori materials are built around.
You can see how we think about brand comparisons more broadly, including where Grimm's, Lovevery and others sit side by side, in our full Montessori toy brands comparison. And if a subscription-style box is more what you're after, our Lovevery alternatives guide covers that comparison directly.
Frequently asked questions
Is Grimm's a Montessori toy?
Not strictly. Grimm's toys are more accurately Waldorf or Steiner-inspired: open-ended and imaginative, rather than the self-correcting, single-purpose materials classic Montessori uses. Many Montessori-minded homes still use and love them alongside more traditional materials.
What's a cheaper alternative to the Grimm's rainbow?
Any solid wood, open-ended rainbow stacker in a similar size will give a child the same core play value, stacking, balancing, colour sorting, building. Our Toddlers Rainbow Toy (Large) is built around that same idea.
Can I mix Waldorf-style and Montessori toys at home?
Yes. The two philosophies overlap a great deal, both value natural materials, open-ended play, and child-led pace, and mixing open-ended pieces with self-correcting Montessori materials on the same shelf gives a child both kinds of learning.
Are wooden stacking toys good for toddlers?
Yes. Stacking toys build fine motor control, hand-eye coordination, and an early sense of size and order, and they scale in difficulty naturally as a toddler's skills grow.
Do open-ended toys still count as Montessori?
They can. Montessori is about principles, real materials, child-led exploration, purposeful play, rather than a single toy format, so an open-ended wooden toy fits comfortably alongside more traditional self-correcting Montessori materials.
With love from the Montessori Toddlers team 💛
