Montessori Madness: The Hanging Toys

 I'm pretty sure if Maria Montessori were still alive I would follow her around like a groupie.  I pretty much believe in her total philosophy totally.  There is no "this is great, but...."  There is no "but," it's all great.

We've moved on from the mobiles to the hanging toys (though Juniper does have the dancer mobile hanging over her bed now).  A great idea in my mind because they replace something that is hideous and not helpful (ADD machines activity gyms) with something that's not hideous and is helpful.  Amazing. We got this one for Juniper.  Kind of wish that we'd seen this tipi one earlier because you can turn it into a fort later, but the one we have works great.
Juniper started playing with the hanging toys about a month ago.  We started with a bell hung on a strip of ribbon.  I started with the bell because I figured hearing it ring when she hit it accidentally would help her learn that her actions cause things to happen.  

It went well with the bell so I tried the wooden ring and she seemed to like that too.  I was all ready to post singing the praises of the hanging toys, and then she kind of lost interest.  Hmmm. 
Then a day or so ago I hung the wooden ring lower and it was like a lightbulb went on. Juniper is a wooden ring grabbing fool.  You sit peacefully with her in your lap, and she stares over at the toy arch building resentment for her teenage years.  

She is obsessed.  Obsessed, friends,  with a simple, wooden ring hung from a piece of ribbon (I did get crazy and add the elastic).