In my last post I briefly talked about why Montessori activities are called work. In this one, I invite you to look at play a bit closer. Is it all what we think it is? ‘Only’ playing? Why do children love it so much and what does it do for their development? And most importantly, how do our tiniest ones play? Is there such a thing as Montessori baby play?
WHY IS PLAY SO IMPORTANT?
There has been very extensive research done about play and they all agree that it is much more than just using your imagination. Instead of citing names and references for you, I’d like to highlight what they all found in common.
It is incredible how much play can influence brain development! All those nerve cells happily connecting, both hemispheres of the brain are getting stimulated… and as a result, all these processes influence everything else, such as physical development (fine and gross motor skills), using language, practicing social skills (negotiating, tolerating, discussing new ideas etc.), cognitive development (creativity, problem-solving, learning etc.), and emotional well-being. And this is just the very tip of the iceberg!
Let’s stop here for a minute. All those above are from simply just PLAYING?? It’s no wonder that play-based learning has become the foundation in many countries’ curriculum.
AND WHAT ABOUT BABIES?
‘It all sounds great, Edit’, you might think, ‘but how does that relate to babies’? In my opinion, there is no such a thing as Montessori baby play, or any baby play at all. They don’t play. Only work. WHAT?! Gasp!
Just think about it. They have SO MUCH to do, in every waking moment they are busy trying to learn a plethora of things! How do I know? Just observe your baby every day. They progress at an incredible speed and while our society is so hung up on a number of specific milestones, those are really just the very last steps in a very long progression of learning.
A LOOOOONG PROCESS
Let’s take picking up an object, for example. It’s a HUGE process, but we can help them along with specifically designed Montessori material. The links in the following paragraphs of each of these will take you to the blog post I wrote about them, if you’d like to learn more.
Visual development
First, babies have to learn to focus their eyes, to make them work together. Then, to be able to visually track a moving object. Then comes colour-discrimination, size-and depth-perception, just to name the most important visual skills they have to acquire.
They learn all this in only 3 months! How can you help this process along? By using Montessori visual mobiles, which were designed exactly with these micro-milestones in mind.
Physical development
By the time babies learn all this they start to discover their hands. Then comes the hard and long process of learning to control their body.
First, they have to learn to be able to reach for an object they see and bat it. This, my friend, needs serious planning and determination to reach a self-inspired objective. The Bell on a Ribbon is the perfect tactile mobile for this.
Then, they need to be able to grasp it with their hand, then pull it. For this, the Ring on a Ribbon mobile is the best trainer.
Lastly, babies have to be able to grab something, to hold it and to LET IT GO. That is not as easy as it seems! The Grasping Beads can take care of this step.
After all these little steps, babies will be able to pick something up and examine it as thoroughly and as long as they please. (See the post that I wrote abut the Treasure Basket Play here, which satisfies exactly this type of developmental craving.) Then the real sensory fun begins! This is when we introduce the Puzzle Ball, the Fabric Sensory Ball or the Sensory Bean Bags.
FINAL THOUGHTS
Phew! Aren’t you tired after just reading about the process? I definitely am! The good thing? We, as parents, don’t have to worry about these at all! All we need to do is to provide the right material at the right age, then sit back and relax. Our baby will know exactly what to do. Isn’t nature amazing?
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.