Do it yourself: Octahedron carousel for babies

Vision is primarily the developing sense of the newborn. The carousels hung above the baby gradually awaken it, becoming the first sensory activity.

"Octahedra" is the second Montessori carousel that can be introduced to a 5-8 week old baby. You can make it yourself by downloading this digital memo with a print-ready template and hanging instructions.

In Montessori pedagogy, the first objects introduced to the newborn are precisely the carousels. They are used from the first day until about three months and are designed considering the development of the baby's vision and attention focus, later becoming an important foundation for intellectual development.

As vision is still developing at this stage and sight is still blurry, this carousel is contrasting, made up of easily distinguishable volumetric shapes. The shiny surface of the octahedra will playfully catch the light and encourage focus, allowing the baby to explore three-dimensional shapes while observing the forms hanging in the air to develop the ability to track moving objects.