I have a thing for Montessori baby mobiles! I think they are just a great way to provide opportunities for concentration, stimulation, and movement from babies before they can do a whole lot with other toys. For the four children I have used them here at home with, the exact mobiles that have been interesting to my kids has changed each time. It really speaks to how much of an individual each baby is right from birth.
Now slight disclaimer, I own a lot of mobiles. I have made a lot of mobiles. And, it's because I have a lot of kids, but also because I share here with the world. I want to try them out and share our experience. So, don't feel pressure to make, buy or use every single mobile option with your baby.
2 Montessori Tactile Mobiles for 4-Months
This past week Penelope has been into two of our tactile mobiles - the wooden chimes, and her rainbow ribbon. She's been playing with them for long stretches of time, in between practicing her new skill of rolling! Both have been great for keeping her happy, have led to long periods of concentration, and work on hand-eye coordination and fine motor skills. What's not to love?!
Wooden Chime Mobile
This one is from one of my favorite Montessori shops - Essential Montessori! With this mobile, Penelope grabs the ring and as she shakes it, the chimes ring. Penelope gets so excited with this one! Not only does she love to chew on the wooden ring, she loves to "dance" along to the soothing sounds of the chimes.
This mobile works on:
- Fine motor skills - grasping that ring is big work
- Cause and effect - when I grab, the sound occurs
- Engage senses - tactile, visual, auditory, and proprioceptive (it's actually fairly heavy)
I anticipate that Penelope will continue to be really into this mobile for another few weeks. At 4-months, she already had a lot of experience with the ring on a ribbon mobile which meant that this was a great next step for engaging her.
Rainbow Ribbon Mobile
This mobile is an easy DIY mobile that I made several years ago (although I noticed they are now available for purchase on Etsy 😆) and it's been well loved by so many babies. In this one Penelope grabs or kicks the ribbons to make them move or shake. She also loves to grab and chew on the ribbons as she captures them.
This mobile works on:
- Fine motor skills - the ribbons are much harder to grasp than any other material she has
- Movement - this one in particular causes so much movement, kicking, grabbing, chewing, rolling
- Engage senses - visual, tactile, oral
If Penelope is anything like her brothers that used this mobile, I anticipate she will use for another couple months. This one is just so engaging for babies that like texture, chewing, and movement. I introduced this one when I noticed she was starting to grab and mouth her toys more frequently and when she was efficient at grasping.
This post is week 20 of my Montessori baby series focusing on Penelope.