Where to buy Montessori Materials Online



Coming from a tiny place in Ontario Canada, I had a bit of a time building my confidence to make more expensive purchases from the US.  Here are some places I have purchased from and had amazing luck and service.

We are fortunate to live in close proximity to a border crossing to have things shipped to a UPS Store that we cross over and pick up our purchases from.
Shipping costs within the US are often discounted or sometimes free.  It's a short trip over for pickup, and can save so much on shipping if this is an option for you. It may also be worth a small road trip for bulk purchases as it saves on shipping and gas!!

Montessori materials are often large and can weigh a fair amount and this can account for higer shipping costs especially into Canada. Shipping within Canada has always been expensive and unfortunately I don not see that changing anytime soon. Hopefully additional carriers will pop up to help make things more affordable.

Alison's Montessori was really reliable and has some great prices. 
IFIT Montessori Equipment is amazing and has incredible customer service - I think they are in BC.  The Montessori Outlet Canada has great prices as well and the products we ordered from them were wonderful. 
 Adena Montessori is often well priced in comparison to others, and they have given me such great service. The products have been wonderful. 
Caliber (if they are still in business) had some great deals, we bought a few puzzle maps on clearance from them that were awesome. 
Grandpa's Montessori was great for some things. 
Affordable Montessori had some great materials and good customer service.
My favorite for all round quality, service and great prices especially reasonable shipping was from
Kid Advance in the US.

Basically (not to sound a bit obsessed but...) I keep a spreadsheet of what I want and need, and a list of my favourite suppliers across the top, list out their prices and go from there. 
Dollar stores are always a favourite as well, all hardware and building supply stores.

There are many things that we have chosen to make ourselves, and you will find our DIY's throughout the blog. We have also created hundreds of print materials that you are welcome to take a look at to see if something works for you. Many materials may just be out of reach due to finances, availability or practicality at home. Thus we have created many substitutes for those who need affordable alternatives and ideas. If you have any questions please feel free to write to us and ask.

Happy shopping!!!



CONVERSATION

11 comments:

  1. Good idea to keep a spreadsheet! You may also want to try Young Minds At Play (www.youngmindsatplay.com). They ship to Canada and have really nice things - they are out of the US and make everything in the US as well.

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  2. Does anyone know where you can buy them cheaply in Toronto in person?

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    1. Oh boy... The only one I know of is... http://www.affordmontessori.com/about.asp
      they have a few things that seem reasonable, but most materials are far more affordable from Montessori Outlet or Kid Avdance. It would be nice though :(

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  3. Commenting from Ontario! Thanks for the vouch on IFIT, I am planning on placing a large order soon and was a bit nervous...
    I've really enjoyed perusing your site :) Definitely sending some traffic over here.
    Do you pick up in Pt Huron? There's a few items IFIT doesn't have and I'm not too eager to pay ridiculous Canadian shipping...

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  4. Thank you:)
    You can pickup at any cross border receiver. We are near Ottawa so there are several options for us here.
    I have had great luck so far doing this!! I hope all works out well for you:))

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  5. I really like IFIT. I've had some problems with Afford montessori sending the wrong materials and not packaged well so got damaged.

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    1. It's great to hear what we experience from different companies! That's sad I do hope they gave you good customer service. Thanks for sharing with us!!

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  6. Hello, my name is Cynara, I am a Montessori teacher and i live in Brossard, Quebec. I have a home daycare and I make my own language material (matching objects and cards). Here there is not much we can find either... and i rely on the same websites u do! do u make ur language material? a great place to get objects is Safariltd , they have even the life cycles. I am pretty sure u know it! Love ur material!

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    1. Yes!! Many use different commercial miniatures, and I thank you for mentioning them. I create many materials, and if you are interested in taking a look you can find them over at www.makingmontessorioursprintables.com Thank you so much for your sweet words, and I wish you the very best of luck!

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I greatly appreciate your friendly comments and feedback. I love to see what others are making, so please feel free to include a links and share your site with us!!! If you have any questions regarding any of the materials we have made...I'd love to help!!! Thank you for visiting us:)

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