Montessori Equipment for Infants: Mobiles for Grasping

This is a fabulous mobile because your infant can pull on the ring to make it move and make sounds.

If someone has these for sale, let us know! Send a comment that includes your website and we'll post it.

More about Montessori and Infants in our curriculum albums here.

Infants: Gobbi Mobiles -- Great Video

This mobile is a beautiful example of the grasping and batting practice that infants need. If you take the Montessori course for this age group, it is required homework. Not too hard to make, but this one came out really well!

The idea behind the mobile is that you hang it within reach of your child, so that he or she can watch it, track it visually, and gain hand-eye coordination by batting at it in an attempt to grasp the tantalizing balls.

This video is from Goosedesigns on Etsy. I just went to her store to try to order a mobile at the last minute, and she's busy, so I will have to shop in advance next time. Got the ring and strap from her for a gift and it was a lovely set.

Medicating Young Children for Mood Disorders: Discussion

Child’s Ordeal Shows Risks of Psychosis Drugs for Young by Duff Wilson of the New York Times discusses the trend towards medicating young children has been disturbing to many of us in the Montessori community.

This article provides an insightful medical discussion that addresses many of the issues that we found troubling:

"But many doctors say prescribing them for younger and younger children may pose grave risks to development of both their fast-growing brains and their bodies. Doctors can legally prescribe them for off-label use, including in preschoolers, even though research has not shown them to be safe or effective for children. Boys are far more likely to be medicated than girls.

Dr. Ben Vitiello, chief of child and adolescent treatment and preventive research at the National Institute of Mental Health, says conditions in young children are extremely difficult to diagnose properly because of their emotional variability. “This is a recent phenomenon, in large part driven by the misperception that these agents are safe and well tolerated,” he said."

Well-worth reading and sharing.

Montessori Weaning Table for Infants: Independence in Eating

Found a great short video on Youtube that I wanted to share!



The table and chair are great, but the rest of the items could be replaced to make it a better experience. Observe the child. The cup is too big to hold well and it makes her movements clumsy as she is not able to practice real coordination skills. Traditional Montessori parents use a small glass that is heavy at the bottom (some shot glasses are made like this). The spoon is also giving her a hard time because it is too big, especially the handle. A smaller spoon would be much better. She could also eat slices of bananas from a smaller bowl. The bowl is also too big. But, hey, it's a good concept!

As the child struggles, it would be better to show her how to eat by herself, holding a smaller spoon. A smaller, deeper bowl would allow her to easily get the banana slices (they could be sliced thicker and cut in half to make pieces that are easier to grab -- she could also use her hands).

Looking for Montessori presentations for infants and toddlers? Check out our Montessori curriculum page!

Montessori Toddler Imbucare Boxes: DIY Suggestions

After reading a post on the excellent Chasing Cheerios blog where someone had commented that her Montessori Imbucare boxes "...smell really bad," I thought it good to do some DIY discussions.

If any of the equipment you purchase for your child has an odd smell, get rid of it. The smell is caused by chemicals in the glue, paint, composites in the wood product, or the way the wood itself was processed. It is a common manufacturing ill from China and other countries.

This Toddler Imbucare box is really easy to make because the main focus for your child is the matching of the colors and hanging the loop around the small hook.

Wood
Making the stand out of wood is the best, of course, as it is attractive and provides stability. Just make sure the knit balls hang easily and securely without slipping. Child-safe paint for the circles beneath the balls should be the same shade as the knit balls themselves.

Plain Brown Cardboard Box
Use a small rectangular box that maintains the proportions of the box to balls as shown in the photo above. Get a non-tapered wooden chopstick (or anything similar) and cut it to make pegs. The pieces should be about 3 inches long. Put 3 holes in the box, spaced evenly. Secure the pieces into the holes, leaving about 2 inches inside the box. You can use duct tape on the inside of the box to secure the pegs so they do not wiggle at all. Paint the circles. You are ready to go!

Basically, when you make a piece of equipment for your child, focus on the points of interest. What draws your child to the equipment and what will maintain his or her focus? Why does your child return to use the same piece of equipment over and over again? Once you identify these points of interest, you will get the knack of making equipment that appeals to your child's stage of development.

More coming up!

A Quick Snack Preparation Setup for Infants and Toddlers

Put jam into a 1/4 cup measuring cup. Only put enough for a slice of toast. Provide your child with a small spreading utensil and a slice of toast cut in half. Do not make the toast too crunch when you toast it or it will crumble. Provide a small plate that your child can work on.

Substitute jam with anything health such as yogurt or peanut (apple, almond, tahini, etc) butter. Look for jam that is 100% fruit with no sugar added (and absolutely no artificial sugar!!!)

For any snack or meal, try to see the event from your child's perspective. The portions need to be pre-prepared before you give them to your child -- for example, the concept of taking a scoop of jam out of the jar without using all the jam in the jar is too advanced for this age.

Make sure your child has a small table and chair for all eating activities.

We have a full curriculum in our Montessori House Infant and Toddler teaching albums

Language for Infants and Toddlers: Reading Poetry Aloud

Read beautiful stories and poems to your little ones to help them acquire the structure, vocabulary, and flow of the language.

Try "Snail" by Langston Hughes:

Little Snail,
Dreaming you go,
Weather and rose
Is all you know.

Weather and rose
Is all you see,
Drinking
The dewdrop's
Mystery.

Look for illustrated children's poetry books so that your child can look at the pictures with the words as you read the poem.

Learn more with our Montessori curriculum for Infants and Toddlers