Anika has just started learning to grasp, so I have re-arranged our shelf to include rattles. Top shelf has rattles for grasping. They are arranged and will be introduced from the easiest to the most challenging. Bottom shelf has my DIY sensory bottles and black and white flash cards we use for tummy time, along with skwish toy and bell roller. Our first rattle was the black and white crochet rattle. It fit perfectly in the little hands and Anika loved it. here is a sneak peak…
The other favorites and easy to grasp rattles have been the Bell Rattle and Wooden Rattle.
I always remember my Montessori mentor, Joy saying “never set a child up for failure.” So here are some signs I looked out for before introducing the rattle:
- Could hold my little finger for more than a minute at a stretch.
- Garbs my hair/ cloth with ease.
- Palms are open more often and the grasp reflex is diminishing.
- Trying to grab the mat during tummy time.
- Easily finds her hands to self soothe.
- Has been observing her hands for a few days.
- Has been seen practicing the open/ close movements of the hands.
- Has been consciously batting the mobiles.
Hope you found this useful. Leave a comment with your the signs you observed before you introduced the rattle.