Are you looking for a realistic mobile for your baby? If you’re wanting a visual mobile that works well after the four traditional Montessori visual mobiles, the whale mobile is a great option. I’m sharing what I love, don’t love, and my full review of the whale mobile.
Our baby boy, Caleb, at 4 months old.
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Montessori-Friendly Whale Mobile
From the first time Caleb saw the whale mobile, he was fascinated! Our baby has continued to enjoy it in multiple ways since then. Certain times he would just watch the mobile while lying on his back. Other times he would do tummy time while looking at whales. He would move his body while studying the whales and sit while observing them. He likes to try to reach or even grab them if we have him on our laps or where he’s closer to being able to touch them. We don’t allow him to grab the whales, though. Caleb has enjoyed looking at the whales while playing with one of his toys, too. We only took it down when Caleb started to sit up on his own from lying down, since he was able to reach it on his own (also due to his height). Caleb has used it a lot, so we will either hang it from the ceiling out of reach if he’s sitting or standing or do that with another realistic mobile.
The whale mobile has been a definite hit in our household!
I’m going to go as far as to say this whale mobile has been our baby boy’s favorite mobile! That’s saying a lot because Caleb has greatly enjoyed all of the mobiles he’s had.
The whale mobile is also Montessori-friendly. It has realistic images of multiple types of adult and baby whales. It’s really very neat.
Favorite Ways to Use the Whale Mobile
Here are some of our favorite ways to use the whale mobile.
- Caleb likes it as a non-moving mobile.
- Caleb likes it as a moving mobile. We use a musical mobile rotator.
- Caleb likes studying it when lying on his back.
- Caleb likes studying it when moving around.
- Caleb likes studying it while doing tummy time.
- Caleb likes studying it while he’s sitting.
- Caleb likes studying it while playing with a toy.
- It’s helpful for developing focus and concentration.
- It’s helpful for increasing movement.
- It’s helpful for developing tracking.
- It’s helpful for developing visual discrimination.
What I Love About the Whale Mobile
In addition to what I wrote about as our favorite ways to use the whale mobile (see above), here are some of the many things that I love about the whale mobile. This is based on the whale mobile we have.
- I love that our baby loves his whale mobile.
- I love watching our baby enjoy his whale mobile.
- I love looking at the whales with my baby as a bonding experience.
- I love how realistic the whales are.
- I love that there are adult and baby whales.
- I love that the whale mobile comes with information about the whales. That way you can help your baby to learn about the whales on the mobile.
- I love that it’s light in weight. This is nice for setting up, hanging it, and moving it.
- I love that it develops focus and concentration.
- I love that it encourages and helps develop reaching skills.
- I love that it encourages learning.
- I love that it helps to encourage additional movement.
- I love that our baby will spend a good length of time playing (“working”) while observing his whale mobile.
- I love that the whales stay horizontal like they would be in the water.
- I love how the whales move when the strings are blown or moved.
- I love that when used with the musical rotating mobile hanger it moves the whales so they look like they’re swimming.
- I love that when our air conditioning or heating turns on it blows the whales so they look like they are swimming. This may be only due to where our mobile is in relation to a vent, but it may work anywhere.
- I love that you can hang it from the ceiling (you may need extra string and maybe a hook) or from a mobile hanger.
- I love that it’s good quality.
- I love that it looks classy.
- I love that it looks great even in main living spaces. We’ve enjoy having it most of the time in our living room where we have Caleb’s Montessori baby space. We could have used the whale mobile in other locations, but Caleb has enjoyed it so much that we kept in the area he is in the most. See one of his early Montessori visual mobiles in his newborn Montessori baby space.
- I love that the design is neat. The thin fishing wire and thin metal wire are not overly intrusive.
- I love that it’s natural and doesn’t have any toxic smell. I wouldn’t let my baby teeth on it, but that’s not what mobiles are for anyway.
What I Don’t Love About the Whale Mobile
There isn’t much that I don’t love about the whale mobile, but here’s what I don’t love. Again, this is based on the whale mobile we have.
- The cardboard hanger at the very top of the string could be different. It’s more noticeable than I’d like and could be better quality. However, it’s a very tiny part of the mobile and it’s only where it’s hung from. I do like that the string length can easily be adjusted in length because of the way the cardboard hanger is.
Things to be Aware of
- As with any baby product, be with your baby and monitor your baby while he or she uses the whale mobile.
- Make sure the whale mobile is high enough above your baby that they cannot touch, pull down, or get tangled in the mobile. The mobile should be far away from your baby since it is a visual mobile.
- Leave plenty of extra space around your baby when he or she is playing with the whale mobile or be right there to play with your baby. You don’t want to risk tripping near your baby.
Overall Whale Mobile Opinion
We love the whale mobile and definitely would buy it for our baby! We were going to buy one, but we were lucky to be able to borrow the whale mobile from my mom, Deb Chitwood, of Living Montessori Now.
Caleb absolutely loves the whale mobile and has spent so much time with it! Even the adults in our family love the whale mobile. How Caleb’s used the mobile has developed and grown as he’s gotten a little older, but he continued to use it a lot until we took it down recently. The expressions of concentration to pure joy on Caleb’s face have been priceless!
The Whale Mobile We Have
This is what we have at home for Caleb.
Introducing the Whale Mobile
A good time to introduce the whale mobile would be after the four traditional Montessori visual mobiles. (Caleb had access to Montessori tactile mobiles on his wooden baby gym and at my mom’s house.) Or you could do it sooner as an additional mobile in another part of the house. Or if your baby isn’t as interested in the traditional Montessori mobiles, you could also do this sooner to see if your baby is more interested in the whale mobile. If you already have used the Montessori mobiles and have used one or more realistic mobiles afterward, you could add this to your realistic mobiles.
We have this set of four Montessori visual mobiles:
Montessori Mobiles: the Munari, the Octahedron, the Gobbi, and the Dancer
Here are the traditional Montessori mobiles that we have individually:
More Montessori-Friendly Realistic Mobile Options
Here are more mobiles to choose from!
Northern American Wildlife Mobile
More Baby Inspiration and Baby Product Reviews
Here are some of my Montessori baby posts. I also have some of my baby product reviews as well as baby inspiration!
Montessori-Inspired Travel with a Baby {Pre-crawling Baby}
We Love the Montessori Newborn Baby Space in Our Living Room
How We Are Introducing Solid Food to Our Baby Using Montessori Principles
What are the Benefits of Babywearing?
Topponcino for Newborn Comfort and Security {Natural Baby Product Review}
CreamHaus Play Mat for Play and Naps {Natural Baby Product Review}
Wooden Baby Gym {Baby Product Review
My Favorite Breastfeeding Cover: Covered Goods Four-in-One Nursing Cover {Baby Product Review
How to Prepare for a Newborn Baby Hospital Photoshoot
Fitting in Workouts with a Baby – Using a Topponcino
Fitting in Workouts with a Baby: Using a Wooden Baby Gym
Fitting in Workouts with a Baby: Using a Baby Carrier
Favorite Baby Items
See all my baby product reviews and posts with baby products by visiting my baby products category! Also, check out all my natural baby product reviews at my natural baby products category.
Do you have a whale mobile or do you plan on getting one? What realistic mobiles have you or your baby liked?
Have fun!
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Thanks for the very interesting tips. I love it.