I mean…just look at it! Doesn’t it make you want to touch it? With its bright colours it attracts the eyes of everybody around it, be it an adult or a child. I have observed time and time again that when babies and small children see the Fabric Sensory Ball the first time, they reach for it at the same time as they eyes fall on it. You don’t even have to touch it to know that the different textures the ball’s segments are made of provide a very exciting sensory experience for your baby. And this is not all! Read on to learn more about this irresistible sensory material.
WHAT DOES IT LOOK LIKE?
The Sensory Ball, or Rainbow ball is similar to the Montessori Puzzle Ball in a way that it has also been designed with very small children in mind. It has many different soft segments that are easy to grab for tiny hands, ensuring its success straight away.
Why is this important? Just imagine trying to hold a hard plastic ball in your hands, then holding the Fabric Sensory ball. Do I have to say any more?
The secret of this ball’s success, however, does not end here. It is made of a variety of textures that were all carefully chosen by their colour and feel. When you roll a ball in front of your little one s/he’s presented with a kaleidoscope of colours! The different types of fabric ensures that your little one will observe it for hours and hours.
SO WHY IS THE FABRIC SENSORY BALL SO ATTRACTIVE FOR YOUR BABY?
This one little ball has achieved something unimaginable: it helps the development of all five senses!
The sense of
- sight with the bright, vibrant colours
- touch with the variety of textures and thickness of the fabric
- hearing with bells or other ‘loud’ materials placed inside the segments or outside the ball
- taste – I know that this was probably unintentional but I am 100% certain that it will end up in your little one’s mouth being chewed and drooled over.
- The smell – ok I admit this is a bit of a stretch but with all that baby love your baby will give it, the ball will take over your child’s smell. This way s/he will think of it as ‘his/hers’.
WHAT ARE THE SCIENTIFIC BENEFITS OF THE SENSORY BALL?
The Fabric Sensory Ball gives your baby a sensorial stimulus that is very likely unparallel to anything s/he has experienced in their life.
I would also add that as a result of all that sensory input, at the background, huge developmental progress is happening. Almost without notice, while your baby grabs, holds, turns, brings the ball to the mouth, hand-eye coordination, the motor skills and conscious body control are all get put through their paces. Not to mention all those neurons in the brain happily connecting and making new pathways.
HOW TO USE THE SENSORY BALL IN AN AGE-APPROPRIATE WAY
This ball can be offered to babies around 2.5-3 months old to practice grabbing, picking up, holding and passing from one hand to the other.
3 months or when you observe that your baby starts to roll
Because the Sensory Fabric Ball provides such a temptation for babies, it is the perfect toy to use it as motivation for rolling to the side.
Put your baby on the Movement mat, on their back. Show them the ball. Then, while ensuring that the eyes follow it, put it next to your baby, just out of reach. Choose the side s/he prefers/more comfortable rolling to. Watch how the eyes become determined, then the hand that’s closer reaches out, realises that it’s too far, then the other hand appears. At this point you might hear some cute baby grunting noises. Then your little one makes a HUGE effort to take control of their body and roll to the side.
Tip: regarding rolling, put your baby sometimes in a side-lying position. It has many benefits, such as seeing the world from a new perspective (especially if the baby is in front of a mirror), helping to avoid flat head. Your child will also get used to this position and won’t get scared when they find themselves in this new position the first time.
6 months or when your baby starts to sit up
You can offer it during tummy time to your baby to reach for, to grab and squeeze.
When your baby is just learning to sit up, sit them on your lap to practice. This way you can provide a safe environment for it. Then, when s/he feels ready, give her/him the ball to observe it from this perspective.
When your child sits comfortably, you can roll the ball in front of your little one so s/he can explore this new movement.
7 months +
Hide the ball under a blanket. Make sure you leave a bit uncovered. When your baby can ‘find’ the ball like this with confidence, cover more and more of it.
Play hide and seek with it around the room, making sure it’s close to your baby and a little bit of it is visible to them.
When your baby learns to crawl the ball will be the perfect motivational toy. It rolls but does not roll too far, allowing tiny hands to grasp it easily.
Later you can practice catching and throwing with it.
TIPS AND TRICKS
You can keep up your little one’s interest in the Fabric Sensory Ball by adding extra objects to it, such as a bell, a tag, ribbons or a wooden ring. Be aware that in this case you won’t be able to wash the ball. The poly filling can be washed at 30 degrees.
- You can make it an even more interesting sensory experience by adding a variety of other materials instead of the poly filling, such as lentils, rice, small pebbles etc.
- You can also place ‘loud’ material inside the circles such as crunchy plastic, a few small bells, paper, aluminium foil etc. Be aware that if you do this you cannot wash the ball again.
Good news, if you know how to sew, then the Fabric Sensory Ball is a great sewing project for your baby, even for beginners! If you’d like to get the instructions and the resources with some added extra pieces, take a look at my DIY Fabric Sensory Ball kit in my Shop.
Please always supervise when your baby is playing with the Fabric Sensory Ball to avoid accidents. Check that all the pieces are securely attached, especially if it has extra parts tied to it. Observe your baby and see how s/he improves while using it.
FINAL THOUGHTS
The Fabric Sensory Ball has immense potential in helping the progression of your baby’s development. Not only it trains all the five senses, but also many other areas in the body. With its special design it’s easy for babies to grab it and hold it and assures that it will be a favourite toy for a long time coming. If you have a chance to make it yourself, don’t hesitate! It’s a great beginner sewing project and there’s no better feeling than watching your baby playing with something you yourself made.
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 material? Please share your photos on my Instagram site. #montessoriedited, @montessoriedited