Montessori-Inspired Travel with a Baby {Pre-crawling Baby}

Our baby boy, Caleb, at 9 weeks old.

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Travel with a Baby

We’re doing Montessori at home, so we wanted to make Caleb’s hotel stays Montessori-friendly. This has been really quite simple so far with a pre-crawling baby. These have all been fairly short road trips for us, but many of these items and ideas would work for plane travel as well.

I’m sharing with you three Montessori-inspired set ups I put together for Caleb on some family trips we took. They developed with him as he changed and grew. I tried to follow his interests while choosing items that would work well for travel since there are only so many things you want to take on a trip. For books, I often took books he’s really interested in at the time or larger books that have more content to go through without taking lots of books.

Smaller Baby with Less Movement (Often Newborn or 3 Months and Under)

Here’s the Montessori-inspired setup we had for our first trip when Caleb was 6 weeks old.

This set up is focused around sleep, movement, books, and images. We brought some more books to read to Caleb, but we didn’t display them for him to look at. Caleb wasn’t interested in grabbing and holding toys yet, so we didn’t bring any toys for this trip.

Here everything pictured (or similar if not available) is linked for simple access:

Organic Cotton Topponcino

Organic Cotton Topponcino Covers, Eyelet Cotton Topponcino Covers, or More Topponcino Covers

If you’re wanting a longer or a wool-filled topponcino, this is a good option.

Black and White Images

Baby Animals Black and White Book

Caleb’s wearing Little Me baby clothes.

Baby Bear Outfit

Another Option for a Smaller Baby with Less Movement (Often Newborn or 3 Months and Under)

Here’s the Montessori-inspired setup we had for our second trip when Caleb was 2 months old.

This set up is focused around sleep, movement, art, books, and a toy. Caleb had just started grabbing and holding his Skwish rattle and teether before we went on the trip, so we brought that since it was his favorite toy at the time.

Here everything pictured (or similar if not available) is linked for simple access:

Organic Cotton Topponcino

Organic Cotton Topponcino Covers, Eyelet Cotton Topponcino Covers, or More Topponcino Covers

If you’re wanting a longer or a wool-filled topponcino, this is a good option.

Mona Lisa Art Postcard from Aline Wolf Art Postcards

Global Babies Book

Skwish Classic Rattle and Teether The Skwish was the first toy Caleb grabbed and held. He loved it then and still loves playing with it.

If you’re wanting an un-dyed wooden Skwish, the Skwish Natural or Skwish Artful are good options.

Here are more colored Skwish options, Skwish Color Burst or Skwish Mardi Gras.

First 100 Words Book

First 100 Animals Book

Number Colors Shapes (First 100) Book

First 100 Board Book Box Set

I have this box set, but you can also get each of these books separately as seen above.

Caleb’s wearing Kissy Kissy baby clothes.

We especially love the golf outfit since Tom is a golf coach!

Golf Baby Outfit

Golf Baby Hat

Bigger Baby with More Movement (Pre-Crawling)

Here’s the Montessori-inspired setup we had for our fourth trip when Caleb had just turned 5 months old.

This set up is focused around sleep, movement, books, and toys/teethers. Caleb absolutely loves books, so I wanted to make sure I brought some longer books that I could go through entirely or in more the one sitting if Caleb preferred. This meant I could bring fewer books but still get plenty of reading in. We brought one of Caleb’s favorite toys at the moment, Taggie Hedgehog. We also brought some teethers since Caleb was teething. He got his first tooth the day before we left and his second tooth on our second day there. The larger sleep/play area is great now that he’s bigger and moving a lot more. He isn’t crawling yet, but he moves around and rolls quite a bit on the mat, so it’s nice to have a larger safe and clean space for him.

I also brought some other teethers and books not displayed.

Note: I wouldn’t normally put the larger books so close together, but I used them to help block off under the nightstand and a space beside the bed. I first filled the spaces with pillows and then put the books in front of them, just in case Caleb found a way to get in the small spaces. I didn’t place him to sleep near there on his mat … it was purely a precaution. Use your own judgement and research on safety when traveling.

Here everything pictured (or similar if not available) is linked for simple access:

Floor Mat/Play Mat

Manhattan Toy Wood Rattle, Teether, and Clutching Toy

Taggies Hedgehog

Chewbeads Mulberry Teether

My First Spanish Word Board Book

First 100 Animals Book

My First Colors: Let’s Learn Them All! Book

My First Words: Let’s Get Talking! Book

My First Numbers: Let’s Get Counting! Book

My First Things That Go: Let’s Get Moving! B0ok

Caleb’s wearing Gymboree baby clothes.

Portable Changing Area

We used our diaper bag and portable changing mat to create a diaper changing area on the floor away from Caleb’s sleeping and play area.

Here everything (or similar if not available) is linked for simple access:

Petunia Pickle Bottom Diaper Bag

Natural Waterproof Changing Pad (No Foam) We have the whales changing pad.

Water Wipes

bumGenius Elemental 3.0 Cloth Diapers (Organic Cotton) We use cloth diapers on overnight trips and when we aren’t traveling.

Planet Wise Lite Wet Bag and Planet Wise Large Wet Bag (If we use cloth diapers we use one or both of these wet bags. Both are fantastic. The large is a lot bigger.)

During travel on trips more than one night we’ve used both Honest Baby Diapers and Pampers Pure Diapers.

More About Travel with a Baby

Here you can read more about what we used on our trips.

My Favorite Breastfeeding Cover: Covered Goods Four-in-One Nursing Cover {Baby Product Review}

Topponcino for Newborn Comfort and Security {Natural Baby Product Review}

CreamHaus Play Mat for Play and Naps {Natural Baby Product Review}

Travel with a Baby

We love traveling with our baby! What’s your favorite part of our Montessori-inspired travel set ups?

Have you traveled with a baby? If so, what did you find most helpful when traveling with a baby?

Have fun!

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