What? Just a bell hanging on a piece of ribbon! That’s it?? Yes! That’s all there is to the first Montessori tactile mobile. It is such a simple material that we find it hard to believe in it after being bombarded with a plethora of plastic, flashing, noisy toys every time we step in a toy shop. We are forced to believe that it is the latter that a 2.5-3 months old (or rather, young!) baby needs to develop. As we, Montessorians, always say, less is more. We need to step away from what we are told to do and observe our little one. What is s/he able to do already, what his/her interests are, what might be the next steps in his/her development? Let’s have a look at how the Montessori Bell on a Ribbon fits in your baby’s developmental journey.
WHAT DOES IT LOOK LIKE?
The first Montessori tactile that we offer to our baby really is just a bell hanging innocuously on a ribbon. The ribbon itself can be any colour. Some people use black and white to offer a high-contrast image, some swear by the colours of the rainbow, as usually, by the time a baby is interested in the Bell, their eyesight has sufficiently developed to be able to perceive all the colours.
The ribbon
I personally like to treat the ribbon as a functional piece, so that the attention stays on the shiny bell. This supports the Montessori principle of isolation one sense, which in the case of this mobile is the touch (you can read more about the relevant Montessori philosophy here). That’s why I generally like to use a cream-coloured ribbon.
The bell
The bell itself also can be any colour, the bigger the better. The ones people hang on Christmas trees are perfect, maybe you have a few lying around the decorations, too. The most popular colours are gold or silver. Some people swear by the louder ones but in my opinion, the sound should be gentle so that it doesn’t frighten your baby. There’s one very important detail though, it MUST be shiny.
SO WHY IS THE MONTESSORI BELL ON A RIBBON SO ATTRACTIVE TO YOUR BABY?
For us adult, it’s not much to see, to say the least. However, when we look at it from a baby’s perspective, they see something shiny, attractive, tantalising. They just cannot look anywhere else! A slight air current might make it move gently, drawing their eyes as the light playfully reflects on the bell, making it sparkle. This is something that screams ‘explore me!’.
It might take a long while for that first connection to happen, when your baby touches the bell…and it makes a jingling sound! Just imagine what that does to your baby’s curiosity! This has to be repeated! They will make a plan which has to be executed. They will focus all their efforts into making that sound again, forcing their involuntary, uncontrolled movements to slowly become voluntary and more and more controlled. First, they have to reach, then touch, then bat… a whole range of skills and actions!
When your little one can finally manage to bat it with more success, the result is priceless for their self-esteem! Then comes the grabbing and pulling, exploring through tummy time… a huge scope for creativity and exploration.
WHAT ARE THE SCIENTIFIC BENEFITS?
- Development of fine and gross motor skills
- Hand-eye coordination
- Exploring the relationship between cause-and-effect
- Extended focus and concentration
- Executing a planned action alone
- Raising self-esteem
- Visual tracking (when the bell is in motion)
- Auditory development
- Develop intentional and coordinated movement
- Muscle and core strength development
- Learning about self and their effect on the environment
- Strengthening connections between left and right side of brain
TIPS AND TRICKS
The Montessori Bell on a Ribbon is not only for the hands. When your baby can clearly understand the cause-and-effect connection (that they have to touch the Bell to make the sound), you can move the Bell to hang above their feet. They will have to kick it to make it jingle, which offers a whole new set of challenges.
The Bell can be used when your baby is lying on their side (read more about the importance of side lying play in this post from Pink Oatmeal). When doing tummy time, either you have to hold the ribbon and hang it low enough for your baby to reach or take the Bell off and offer it to them.
There are many ways to repurpose the Bell. If you happen to have a Puzzle Ball, hang it above the baby so s/he can bat it with hands or kick it with feet. Tie the bell above the ball to make the experience richer.
Later you can use the bell as a musical instrument. Finally, when your baby does not have a use for it any more, you can hang it on your Christmas tree.
Please ALWAYS monitor your little one and never leave them unattended when they are working with this tactile mobile. The bell is not meant to be mouthed so using it without the ribbon requires strict adult supervision. It’s a great opportunity to have some quality play time with your baby.
FINAL THOUGHTS
The Montessori Bell on a Ribbon is an open-ended discovery ‘toy’ which, due to its simplicity, can easily engage your baby’s attention, without the danger of overwhelming them. While in use, a baby can discover their own agency. Meaning, that things don’t just happen to them but they have effect, even some control over their environment. Exploration, discovery, learning new skills, developmental stimulation…. It encompasses everything! All from a simple bell hanging on a ribbon.
It’s very easy to DIY this tactile mobile. If you’d like to buy it as part of a set, take a look at the Basic Tactile Set or the High-Contrast Tactile Mobile Set in my Shop.
Click here to read more about how the Montessori Visual Mobiles, the Montessori Tactile Mobiles or the Sensory Baby Toys help your baby’s development.
How did your baby react to this mobile? Please share your photos on my Instagram site. #montessoriedited, @montessoriedited