Baby High Chairs & Playpens

Wooden Baby Playpens

A playpen buys you twenty minutes. That is the honest case for one, and it is a good enough case on its own. What separates a Montessori play yard from a plastic pen is what those twenty minutes are like for the baby: low sides they can see the room over, panels worth exploring, and floor space to roll, sit and pull up rather than a bucket to be contained in.

Ours measure 63 by 63 inches with 24 inch walls, large enough for a baby and an older sibling. They fold flat without tools, so the living room can be a living room in the evening.

Mirror Panels and Sensory Panels

The panels are what turn a safe space into somewhere a baby chooses to be. A shatter-resistant mirror supports self-recognition and gives a baby something to track during tummy time. A wipe-clean whiteboard takes over once drawing starts.

Sensory panels work differently: xylophones, spinners, gears and tactile beads reward a baby for reaching, batting and grasping, which is exactly the motor practice they need at that stage.

Wooden High Chairs

A wooden high chair with a footrest lets a baby sit properly rather than dangle. Feet supported means a stable core, and a stable core means better control of hands and jaw, which matters more for self-feeding than most people expect.

Look for a removable feeding table, a footrest that adjusts as legs grow, and a frame that pulls up to your own table so the baby eats with everyone else.

What Age Are These For?

A play yard earns its space from about four months, when a baby starts rolling, and stays useful through the crawling and pulling up stages to around two. High chairs come in from about six months, when a baby sits steadily and solids begin.

Setting Up

• Floor: A padded mat under the play yard on hard floors. We make mats sized to fit.

• Placement: Somewhere the baby can see you. Out of sight is where the twenty minutes ends early.

• Folding: Check folded depth against where it will be stored. Ours fold without tools.

• Finishes: Non-toxic and BPA-free, because everything at this age gets mouthed.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is a Montessori playpen?

A play yard with open sightlines, freedom of movement and natural materials. The aim is a safe floor space a baby chooses to be in, with things worth exploring, rather than a container that restricts them.

How big are the playpens?

63 by 63 inches with 24 inch walls, which fits a baby and an older sibling comfortably. Both fold flat for storage with no tools needed.

What age is a wooden playpen for?

From around four months through the crawling and pulling up stages to about two. Each product page lists its age range.

Do I need a mat underneath?

On hard floors, yes. We make padded mats sized to the play yards, sold separately.

Why does a high chair need a footrest?

Supported feet give a baby a stable core, which improves control of their hands and jaw. It makes self-feeding easier and less messy than a chair that leaves legs dangling.

Are the finishes safe if a baby chews the wood?

Yes. Non-toxic, BPA-free water-based finishes on FSC-certified pine, meeting ASTM and CPSIA standards.