Montessori Christmas Tree: Toddler-Safe Trees and Felt Trees

Quick answer: A Montessori Christmas tree is a tree a young child is allowed to decorate themselves. Usually that means a felt tree on the wall, such as the TOBEHIGHER felt tree, or a small tree with unbreakable ornaments at the child's height. Keep the family tree out of reach or behind a fence, and check every ornament for small parts.

Every December, parents of toddlers face the same problem. The tree is the most interesting object in the house, and it is covered in glass, hooks, wires and things that look like sweets. "Don't touch" doesn't last long.

The Montessori answer is to give the child a tree that is theirs. They can take the ornaments off, put them back on, sort them and start again, while the big tree stays out of reach. Their curiosity gets somewhere to go.

We research manufacturer listings, specs, age and safety labels, and buyer reviews. We don't test products hands-on. Several Christmas decorations carry no age label at all, because they're sold as decor, not toys. Where that's the case, we say so, and the safety calls are yours to make with the product in your hand.

For gifts to go under the tree, see our Montessori Christmas gifts guide.

The short list

Felt tree, mini tree or no tree

There are three good setups. Pick by age.

• Under 2: a felt tree on the wall. Felt ornaments stick to felt. There are no hooks, nothing breaks, and it can't tip over. The child presses ornaments on, peels them off and does it again, which is exactly the repetition a toddler is after.
• 2 to 3: a small tree of their own. A low tree on a stable surface, with a few unbreakable ornaments that hang from loops instead of metal hooks. Now they can practice hanging things, a harder fine-motor job.
• 4 to 5: help with the family tree. With unbreakable ornaments on the bottom third, a preschooler can decorate alongside you. Glass and heirlooms go at the top.

You can also skip the extra tree. Fencing the family tree and giving the toddler an ornament-sorting tray works too (see the activities below).

Toddler-safe decorating: the checklist

Most of this is common sense, but in December it's easy to forget.

1. Anchor the tree. A toddler who pulls on a branch can bring a tall tree down. Tie it to a wall or ceiling hook with fishing line, or use a heavy, wide stand.
2. Bottom third: nothing breakable, nothing small. Glass baubles, ornament hooks, tinsel, candy canes and anything that fits inside a toilet-paper tube should go up high or stay in the box.
3. Lights and cords. Keep plugs and extension cords behind the tree and out of reach. Don't give a child light-up decorations that run on button batteries. Swallowed button and coin batteries can cause life-threatening injuries, so check the battery compartment on anything that lights up.
4. Plants. The AAP lists holly and mistletoe berries among potentially poisonous holiday plants. Keep them out of reach or use artificial ones.
5. Water. A real tree's stand holds water a crawling baby can reach. Cover it, or fence the tree.
6. "Shatterproof" isn't "toddler-proof". Shatterproof plastic balls don't break into shards, but most still have a removable cap and a metal hanger. Treat them as decor for the upper branches.
7. Follow the label. If a product has an age label, it's the manufacturer's safety call. If it has none (decor often doesn't), check it in your hand for small or loose parts before it goes anywhere near a child.

Best felt Christmas trees

TOBEHIGHER Felt Christmas Tree

A wall-hung felt tree that is about 43 by 30 inches according to the listing (roughly 3.6 feet tall), sold as a 41-piece set (the listing body counts 37 stick-on ornaments). The listing gives no ornament sizes. Hang it low enough that a toddler can reach the top branches, and they can decorate the whole thing themselves.

Drawback: the listing doesn't give an age range in months. Check every felt piece for glued-on beads, sequins or strings before handing them over, and remove any that come loose.

jollylife 3ft Felt Christmas Tree with Snowman Advent Calendar

A three-foot felt tree with ornaments, plus a felt snowman that works as an advent calendar. It's the most-reviewed felt tree we found, with nearly 10,000 Amazon ratings when we checked.

Drawback: like the others, it has no month-based age label. A set with two pieces also means more small felt parts to keep track of.

Max Fun Felt Christmas Tree

The budget option. It includes a felt tic-tac-toe game for older siblings.

Drawback: it has the lowest rating of the three (4.3 stars when we checked), and there's no age label in months.

A small tree of their own

Step2 My First Christmas Tree

This is a toy, not decor, so it has a real age label: 18 months to 5 years. It's a freestanding plastic tree with plastic ornaments made for small hands (the title says 12; the what's-included list says 8) and a mini train that circles the skirt. The listing gives no ornament size, so the age label is your guide: it starts at 18 months.

Drawback: it's all plastic and fairly large (about 31 inches tall per the listing), and it costs more than a felt tree. Its advantage is that it was designed and labelled for toddlers.

Senjie 3ft Tabletop Christmas Tree

A plain artificial tree, small enough for a low table or a sturdy crate. It isn't pre-lit; it ships with a 50-LED string you can leave in the box, so there are no cords, and a 2- or 3-year-old can hang ribbon-loop ornaments on it.

Drawback: it's sold as decor, so there's no age label. Artificial needles can shed. Set it on a heavy, stable surface, not a wobbly side table.

National Tree Company 24in Pre-Lit Majestic Fir

A two-foot pre-lit mini tree. It's a good fit for a 4- or 5-year-old's bedroom or a shelf where they keep their own decorations.

Drawback: pre-lit means a cord and bulbs. It isn't for a toddler's floor. Put it up high or on a dresser, and keep the plug out of reach.

Protecting the family tree

Bonnlo 120-inch Metal Safety Fence

A five-panel metal fence, sold for fireplaces and play yards, that also wraps around a Christmas tree. It's the honest answer for a crawler or a new walker: the tree stays up, the toddler stays out, and you aren't saying "no" all day.

Drawback: it's big, metal and not cheap. Follow the setup instructions and check the listing's dimensions against your space first.

Montessori Christmas activities

Montessori Christmas activities are ordinary holiday jobs slowed down and handed to the child. They're practical life, fine-motor work and a little culture. Some ideas by age:

From about 18 months

• Decorating and undecorating the felt tree.
• Sorting large unbreakable ornaments by color into a basket or bowls. Use only pieces too big to be a choking hazard: at least 1.75 inches across for balls, and not the small plastic balls below.
• Watering a real potted tree or a small plant with a child's watering can.

From about 3

• A daily advent move. The Melissa & Doug wooden calendar below has a piece to move each day, which is good counting and waiting practice.
• Wrapping gifts in plain kraft paper with tape. Expect lumpy parcels.
• Baking and cutting cookies, with a learning tower for counter height.
• Threading wooden ornaments on ribbon to hang on their own tree.

From about 4 to 5

• Painting wood-slice ornaments as gifts for grandparents.
• Making a small nature table with pinecones and evergreen sprigs from a walk.
• Learning how other families and countries celebrate in winter. In many Montessori classrooms, that's how holidays are approached.

Melissa & Doug Countdown to Christmas Wooden Advent Calendar

A wooden advent calendar with a piece to move for each day of December. Labelled 3 years and up. It gives a preschooler something concrete to do with the impatient question "how many sleeps?"

Drawback: the 25 magnetic pieces are small, and it's labelled 3+. Keep it high if there's a toddler in the house.

Max Fun DIY Wooden Ornaments

A pack of 60 unfinished wood slices, about 3.5 inches across per the listing, ready to paint. Preschoolers paint them, adults thread them, and they go on the child's tree or into a grandparent's card.

Drawback: there's no age label. Paint and a length of twine make this an adult-led activity at the table, not a toy to leave out.

XmasExp Shatterproof Ball Ornaments (upper branches only)

If you want color on the family tree that won't shatter when it falls, plastic balls are the safer swap for glass. They're 1.57 inches (4 cm) across per the listing, under the 1.75-inch small-ball limit used for toys for children under 3, so they are a choking hazard for a toddler. An adult hangs them on the upper branches only, out of reach.

Drawback: they're decor, not toys. Each ball also has a cap and a hanger loop. Don't use them for sorting or play, and pick up any that fall.

FAQ

What are some Montessori activities for Christmas?

Montessori Christmas activities are real holiday jobs a child can do: decorating a felt tree, sorting large unbreakable ornaments, moving an advent piece each day, wrapping gifts in kraft paper, baking cookies, watering a tree, and painting wooden ornaments. Choose by age and keep small parts away from under-threes.

Do Montessori schools celebrate Christmas?

It depends on the school. Montessori isn't one organization with one holiday policy, and schools differ. Many classrooms present holidays as part of cultural studies, looking at how different families and countries celebrate in winter, rather than centering one holiday.

What is a good Christmas tree for a one-year-old?

A good Christmas tree for a one-year-old is a felt tree hung on the wall at their height. It has soft felt ornaments that press on and peel off, with no hooks, glass or cords. Felt-tree listings don't give an age in months, so check that every piece is too big to fit in your child's mouth and stay close. Fence or anchor the family tree, and keep the bottom branches free of small or breakable ornaments.

Are felt Christmas trees worth it?

Felt Christmas trees are worth it for children under about three. They're cheap, can't tip over and let a toddler decorate a tree without breaking anything. Most felt-tree listings don't state an age range in months, so check the pieces for glued-on parts and supervise.

How do I keep my toddler away from the Christmas tree?

To keep a toddler away from the Christmas tree, fence it with a free-standing safety fence, anchor it to the wall, and move breakables to the top. Then give them a tree of their own to decorate. A child with a felt tree to work on is less drawn to the one they can't touch.

Keep going

• Gifts by age: 1-year-olds, 2-year-olds, 3, 4 and 5-year-olds.
• The whole guide: Montessori Christmas gifts.
• After the holidays: a toy rotation for all the new things, and the age-by-age best Montessori toys.