What next after your baby outgrows the Montessori visual mobiles? We move on to the tactile mobiles! These are more interactive than the visual mobiles. The tactile mobiles:
- Are introduced around 3 months of age
- When the baby has or is about to outgrow the last of the visual mobiles
- Age aside, when you notice your baby has begun to bat, grasp, cling to or reach for things e.g. your hair, fingers or clothing
- Baby is ready for mobiles that not just develop his vision but his hand-eye coordination
Bell on Ribbon
Mileage: 4.5/5 (Montessori classic, not jarring on caregivers’ ears)
The first tactile mobile is the Bell on Ribbon (left). A Montessori classic, in its simplicity and shocking effectiveness.
Introduced around 3 months, the baby will hit it involuntarily at first. The bell makes a lovely ringing sound. I enjoyed seeing my baby connect that his hand was making the bell produce that ringing sound. Over just a couple of days, I noticed baby went from hitting the bell involuntarily to hitting the bell in a rather purposeful way, over and over again, to make it ring. (Mine are purchased from Willow and Pine, run by an AMI 0-3 guide.)
The bell on ribbon is so simple to DIY or purchase fairly inexpensively. Yet it’s held baby’s attention for almost a month now at 4mo (in rotation with other rattles) that I would rate this as having very good mileage. I also observed baby using one hand at first to hit the bell, and then bringing both hands together to grab the bell, which is another great motor skill development:
Ring on Ribbon
Mileage: 5/5 (didn’t expect to love this more than Bell on Ribbon, but baby can do so much with it by reaching for it, grasping, turning it with wrist)
If you are going to make or buy the Bell on Ribbon, why not make the second tactile mobile, the Ring on Ribbon as well?
Although it is not as well-known as the Bell on Ribbon, it is just as rich in opportunities for hand-eye coordination. I purchased mine and it came on a thick elastic. This simple swop, from an inelastic grosgrain ribbon to a stretchy elastic band, makes the tactile mobile easier to grab and pull towards them.
After the baby has mastered the Bell on Ribbon, you can provide the Ring on Ribbon alone, or both Bell and Ring at once. The ring requires greater hand eye coordination than the bell, and eventually, your baby will love grabbing and holding onto the ring, releasing it, then trying again.
Baby might very well like grasping both:
A more challenging version of the wood Ring on Ribbon is the metal Ring on Ribbon, or Hanging Ring. The metal version is much rarer to find than the wood one. The one that I purchased here is smaller and thinner than the wood Ring, so it requires finer motor skills.
Metal also gives a different textural and sensorial experience – just supervise to ensure that baby does not mouth it!
Even Grandma (my mum) is a little swayed, seeing how beneficial these Montessori materials are to baby. Proof:
Puzzle Ball
Mileage: 5/5 (well-loved for several weeks, versatile toy that can be used for both hands and feet)
The third tactile mobile is the Puzzle Ball.
Traditionally, this used to be sewn as three different segments and pieced together, hence the name Puzzle Ball. Choose a Puzzle Ball with two contrasting fabrics (rather than one single fabric) to make it more visually enticing for baby, especially when baby bats it and it spins around. There is a little bell hidden inside this ball, so it makes a jingling sound when it moves.
The feet are just as sensitive as the hands, so I would often position the Puzzle Ball closer to his feet than to his hands, for him to grasp with his feet! The kicking play sets the stage for further development of full body movement, like rolling and flipping.
If you do not believe how much full-body coordination and athleticism that takes, try it yourself 🙂
Rainbow Ribbon mobile
Mileage: 3/5 (beautiful and fun to interact with)
The fourth tactile mobile is the Rainbow Ribbon mobile. This is Montessori-inspired, but it’s delightful.
If your baby loves grabbing everything within their reach, this mobile will work a treat for them, as they can pull at individual ribbons or several.
I DIY-ed mine using 1.5m lengths of 12 different-coloured ribbons, and a dreamcatcher hoop. It cost me $30SGD in raw materials; I’ve seen ready-made ones selling online for $48SGD:
With my dreamcatcher hoop, the ribbons were prone to coming off when baby pulled. I was fine with that, as I thought it gave baby satisfyingly direct feedback whenever he pulled at it. Heh. However, if this bothers you or if you are making this mobile as a gift, I would suggest using an embroidery hoop, because it locks the ribbons in place. The Kavanaugh Report has an easy-t0-follow written tutorial and I have a video tutorial here.
Do hang these tactile mobiles a little lower than you would hang the visual mobiles. You want baby to interact with the tactile mobiles, so hang them within touching distance, comfortably within baby’s arm span.
[Looking for visual mobiles for even younger babies/ newborns? How about I value-add and give you a progression of when to introduce which mobile, its benefits to baby and my honest review of each mobile’s mileage? You’re in the right place. Click here.]