Tiny Earth Toys

Moved.The old site now redirects to plantoys.com. This Montessori-inspired toy rental subscription from Durham, NC, is listed as out of business on PitchBook; closure date not confirmed.

What's in the box: When it was running, each delivery held a rotating set of rented Montessori-inspired toys picked to suit a young child's age.

Tiny Earth Toys has closed and no longer takes subscriptions. Its old web address now sends visitors to the PlanToys USA store. The company was based in Durham, North Carolina, and ran a Montessori-inspired toy rental subscription for young children. Families did not buy the toys. They got a rotating set of age-appropriate toys, played with them for a while, and then sent them back for new ones. The idea was to cut clutter and waste while matching play to a child's stage of development, and the brand built its identity around sustainable play. PlanToys, a known maker of wooden toys, says Tiny Earth Toys ran for about four years and says it is carrying on that mission. However, PlanToys sells toys and does not rent them, so it does not replace the rental service. The exact closure date has not been publicly confirmed. If you were a subscriber, note that the PlanToys site does not explain what happened to open rentals or accounts. If you want a Montessori toy rental now, you will need to pick a different service that is still running.