Every day it seems like Penelope is growing, changing, adjusting and adapting to her environment more and more. The 3-month mark seems like such a big change. Suddenly Penelope is really taking the lead in interacting with the people and things around her. She is slowly but surely starting to intentionally grasp and explore the objects placed around her. One of the first things that she has really been interested in has been baby paper.
Baby paper, or crinkle paper, looks like soft fabric but then as it is moved and manipulated it makes a crinkly noise. It's an engaging and easy way for babies to explore a material. Unlike smaller rattles that need to be grabbed in a certain place or way to be picked up, baby paper can be picked up much easier. Therefore, the material is available to a younger baby with a less mature grip.
I find this toy, in particular, to be amazing for engaging a baby's senses. Baby paper can comes in a variety of textures, colors, and patterns, engaging baby's visual sense. The tactile sense is engaged through the fabric, and the stiffness created by the crinkling inside. The soft noise that comes from moving the paper around uses the auditory sense.
(Just a RIE note: baby paper is not preferred in a RIE setting. RIE professionals argue that baby paper isn't ideal since babies cannot see what makes the sound. This is one area where I prefer a Montessori approach.)
Practically, I love that baby paper is as easy to grab on the go as it is for babies to mouth. It fits easily into a diaper bag, and is a nice, safe toy to provide in the car. I've also found that it's entertaining to little babies and larger babies alike. To switch up the play, try mounting baby paper to the wall for kicking, or laying it under a baby's feet. Sometimes it can also be hung like a tactile mobile.
Baby paper is also really accessible to find and can easily be found in so many great shops online (Penelope's is from here) (here's another option) to match any theme. This is also a really easy DIY to make your own baby paper.
Do your babies like baby paper?
This post is week 14 of my Montessori baby series focusing on Penelope. {Sorry it's a bit late we've had the Cvd in our house!)
