Which Montessori mobile was the first one you saw in your life? It was most probably the Gobbi mobile, the most recognisable of all of them. Just look at those five balls moving in the air! This mobile is so aesthetically pleasing to the eye that even adults can get transfixed when looking at it. Even though we can all agree that it’s beautiful, would babies find it intriguing as well? Let me tell you, they find the Montessori Gobbi mobile utterly mesmerising! Let’s have a look at the reasons.
When newborns turn 8-10 weeks old, their vision has developed enough that they are able to perceive the difference between shades of colour. Gabriella Gobbi, who collaborated with Maria Montessori, designed a mobile that would focus and improve this aspect of the sense of sight.
WHAT DOES IT LOOK LIKE?
The Gobbi mobile consists of five spheres of a single colour in varying shades. The spheres hang on a dowel in ascending order at a 45-degree angle. The darkest hue has the longest string as this shade is the easiest for babies to see. Then the balls gradually move higher in the row and become lighter in colour. The Styrofoam balls that the Gobbi is made of are so light that they start their slow, soothing dance as soon as you gently blow on them.
SO WHY IS A MONTESSORI GOBBI MOBILE SO ATTRACTIVE FOR YOUR BABY?
After the Montessori Octahedron mobile’s three primary colours and all-around triangles newborns find this mobile irresistible! The new challenge of looking at only one colour pushes their ever-improving visual skills just the right way. They are intrigued but not overwhelmed by the mobile. First, they might only really see the first ball. Then, as their vision develops, they will ‘discover’ the rest of them. This little ‘trick’ continues to capture their attention, which results in longer and longer concentration periods.
To add an extra interest for your baby, place your mobile holder in front of a mirror, it literally adds a whole new dimension to it! If you can, position it horizontally, crossways and try different angles too. You might decide to offer the same mobile in different colours. Read more about how to make the most of your Montessori mobiles in this post.
WHAT ARE THE SCIENTIFIC BENEFITS OF THE MONTESSORI GOBBI MOBILE?
- It develops their eyesight with age-appropriate stimulus
- It strengthens the muscles in the eyes, neck, arms and even core muscles
- Binocularity – the two eyes working together
- Dynamic visual tracking – being able to follow a moving object
- Refining the chromatic sense
- Visual discrimination – being able to distinguish between the different shades of the same colour
- Encourages switching their gaze between objects
- By offering images that babies find extremely attractive, it encourages focus and concentration, starting the foundation for their cognitive development
- With its geometrical shapes and the precise Mathematical relationship between the elements the mobile provides your baby with their first STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Mathematics) experience.
TIPS AND TRICKS
By around eight weeks, babies’ hand-eye coordination has sufficiently developed to effectively track objects with their eyes and to reach for them. The Montessori Gobbi mobile is so attractive that don’t be surprised if your baby tries to bat it with his little hands. If you’d like to offer not only visual but physical stimulation as well, you can lower the mobile slightly and allow your child to bat the lowest sphere, but always supervise them closely.
I’ll be honest, it’s quite a challenge to make a mobile like this as originally it is made by wrapping thread/yarn around each ball. It’s a pretty long and labour-intensive process! There are many variations that make it easier, for example making the balls out of pompoms. You can also buy it from my Shop individually as a painted version where you can use paint to achieve the five different shades (see on photos) DIY Gobbi mobile or as a crocheted mobile) or as part of the DIY Montessori Mobile Set .
FINAL THOUGHTS
It is obvious why the Montessori Gobbi mobile is the most recognisable Montessori mobile for infants. It is such a lovely, eye-catching mobile, not only for babies but for adults as well! I know many people who, after their baby has grown out of it, keep it on the nursery wall as decoration. If you’d like to know how which visual mobile comes next, click on this post.
Click on the links to read more about how the Montessori Visual Mobiles, the Montessori Tactile Mobiles or the Sensory Baby Play help your baby’s development.
How did your baby react to this mobile? Please share your photos on my Instagram site (#montessoriedited, @montessoriedited).