The First Montessori Baby Toy Can Cost You Nothing Even If You Aren't Crafty
{DISCLOSURE: THIS POST CONTAINS AFFILIATE LINKS. THESE LINKS ARE AT NO EXTRA COST TO YOU. WHEN YOU USE THEM, I MAY RECEIVE A SMALL COMMISSION. THIS HELPS ME TO KEEP THIS BLOG UP AND RUNNING. THANK YOU FOR SUPPORTING MY WORK}
So now you have a newborn at home. And you're thinking about the very first toy you could give her. Something that will capture her attention when she isn't feeding. Or getting her 74th diaper change. A toy that will actually foster her development.
As you know your baby's vision isn't developed at birth. Your baby's eyes need the right visual stimulation. To do so, you can offer your baby high contrast images to look at. You can use black and white images or black and white books.
Black and White Images
When I was pregnant, I had a very clear idea about what toys I didn't want to get at my baby shower. I didn't want to end up with a bunch of plastic toys that make all sorts of sounds that give you a headache. So I created a registry and asked friends and family to stick to it. Somehow we forgot to send the registry to two friends. They showed up with their own gifts. I was terrified that I'll have to drag my very pregnant body to a store to return these gifts.
Luckily, my friends have a great taste and we got these black and white cards. These high contrast images were inspired by artwork of Van Gogh, Picasso, Monet, and others.
This is also a dream DIY project if you're the least crafty person out there. Or if you don't feel like spending money on the cards.
You can find free black and white images for babies online. Print them out. Laminate them or place them in frames you have at home so they won't bend. Woo-hoo! Your first DIY Montessori project is done. Your baby won't notice the difference.
How to use Black and White Images?
We started using the black and white images since Emma was a newborn. When we placed Emma in her movement area on the floor, we offered her the images to look at. This way she could focus on something interesting and practice her movements. If your baby won't be interested in this activity, she will look away. This will be a clue for you to try some other time.
Black and White Books
If you have a black and white book, you can use it instead of the single images. We used this black and white book with realistic pictures of animals.
No matter what you choose, you can rest assured that this is exactly what your baby needs. And it also makes a great baby shower gift.
What's your experience with black and white images? Does your baby enjoy looking at them?
