A family member is expecting a baby this year, so I have been busy putting aside some of our infant materials to pass on, mobiles included. I thought I would share with you which Montessori and Montessori inspired mobiles we used with our children. I used the book Montessori from the Start by Paula Polk Lillard and Lynn Lillard Jessen as a guide.
Where to hang infant mobiles; Some people hang them above a cot or floor bed in the bedroom or a movement mat which can be set up in the bedroom or another area of the house where the family spends much of their time. According to the book Montessori from the Start, there are four areas of necessity for the infant;
- an area for sleeping
- for changing
- for nursing
- for activity
I used this as a guide to how to set up my children’s room when they were a baby/infant. I hung our mobiles in their bedroom above the movement mat instead of the bed.
What are the traditional Montessori infant Mobiles used and for how long are they used for; For the first few months, Montessori mobiles are often used to help the baby’s abilities to explore the world visually, developing focus on a moving object, tracking of an object and colour and depth. Mobiles are changed approximately every two weeks and introduced in ordered sequence as follows;
- Munari Mobile- a black and white mobile with geometric shapes and reflected light from a glass sphere.
2. Octahedron mobile- three octahedrons in primary colours made with metallic paper.
3. Gobbi Mobile- five styrofoam balls covered with embroidery thread in graduations of the same colour.
4. Dancers Mobile- metallic paper figures that move ‘dance’ with the wind.
5. Primary Colours Mobile- wooden figures painted in the primary colours. This mobile looks very much like the Montessori interlocking discs.
Photo from How We Montessori
6. Ring on a ribbon
We purchased this set which had the ring on a ribbon and a bell on a ribbon from Goosedesigns
Which Montessori Mobiles did we use? I purchased the Gobbi mobile, dancers mobile and the bell and ring on a ribbon. My children’s favourite mobiles were the dancers and the bell and ring on a ribbon.
DIY Montessori mobile links
- DIY Munari Mobile by Little Red Farm
- DIY Octahedron Mobile
- DIY Gobbi Mobile by The Full Montessori
- DIY Dancers Mobile by Sadhana Mama
How do you know when to stop using the Montessori Mobiles; The Munari, Octahedron, Gobbi, dancers and primary colours mobile are all visual mobiles, meant to be for developing visual focus and visual following/tracking. The Bell on a ribbon and the ring on the ribbon are meant for the next level of challenge (batting and grasping). Rather than the mobiles being hung out of reach, they are now hung at the level of the infants random arm movements. Over time concentration and control over arm movements develops further. Once the infant is able to grasp the wooden ring on the ribbon and bring it to her mouth, they are then showing signs of being ready for tactile exploration (sensorial) of objects (rattles for example made from natural materials).
See our Infant Toys and Materials for a guide and our Discovery basket ideas
Other Montessori Inspired Mobiles;
The Crane Mobile. Ours is now hanging in our office above the desk.
The whale mother and baby mobile.
Wow you had so many! Lovely.
Did you change them around often or just have them everywhere?
Yes it does seem a lot. In regards to the Montessori specific mobiles, I used them only in the first few months (0-12 weeks) and only had one out at a time. They were rotated according to the recommended guide in the Montessori from the Start book approx every two weeks. There is a set order to using these mobiles as well. After they were used with my children, they were then passed onto family members so they could use them with their children. Most of them were DIY made.
In regards to the non Montessori mobiles (whale, sea creatures, cranes), these were purchased as permanent features in our home (office, playroom etc). I have a 4 year old and a 2 year old. I purchased the non Montessori mobiles when my youngest was about 1 years old.
As you can tell, I love mobiles.