In the second month, babies spend more time awake and alert. Their brains expand in size and complexity and they begin to pay more attention to their surroundings and the language around them.

 There are learning opportunities in every new texture, sight and sound. It is a great time to start providing babies with rich language and sensory experiences. Here are some ways we have incorporated Montessori into our home for Dayna at two months old.

 Octahedron Mobile 

As her vision starts to develop, we introduced the Octahedron mobile to Dayna. This is the second mobile in the series of Montessori Infant Mobiles. It is made up of three octahedrons in the primary colours red, yellow and blue, hung at varying heights. The primary colours in this mobile offer enough contrast for her to distinguishthem.

 For more information on visual mobiles, refer to my post Montessori Infant Mobiles.

 Bell on Ribbon

This is a tactile mobile, unlike the visual mobiles introduced previously. Visual mobiles are wonderful for smaller babies, but as they start to move more, tactile mobiles are more suitable. These are meant to be touched, grabbed or tasted, and often provide a sensory response to the baby’s movements. 

 The Bell on Ribbon mobile is the first of the tactile mobiles that we introduced to Dayna when she started to move voluntarily. As she moves, she hits the bell and will soon connect her motion to the sound she hears.

 This mobile is easy to DIY; simply attach a (Christmas) jingle bell to a colourful ribbon. I made mine at home and hung it on the tripod stand that we use for all Dayna’s mobiles.

 Visual tracking

Dayna’s neck has been getting stronger this month, giving her more head control. She loves it when I get down with her on the floor so she can see me and shake a rattle in front of her. I start off with the rattle right above her head, give it a shake and then slowly move it to either side of her head to encourage her to turn her head towards the sound. This same activity can be done in during tummy time too, but not for too long.

 Talking, massage and cuddles

As Dayna’s senses are heightened, she is even more attuned to the language and familiar faces around her. She really enjoys cuddles and close contact with us, so we try to give her some one-on-one time with each member of the family every day. Baby massage is a great opportunity for Dayna to get the skin-to-skin contact she craves, while being able to watch my face closely and listen to my voice while I massage her.

I look forward to introducing different sensory experiences to Dayna as she grows older and becomes more interactive.