Crinkle cloth (0-12M)

The interesting crinkle of this cloth encourages natural curiosity, stimulating the senses of touch and hearing while prompting the child to reach and grasp. This sensory crinkle cloth for babies is a unique motor skills toy that offers many playful grasping exercises! For example, consciously place the crinkle cloth in one of your baby’s hands and let them practice transferring it from one hand to the other (radial-palmar grasp). For this purpose, this Montessori crinkle cloth is intentionally designed in an asymmetrical shape and features black and white contrasts on one side, and primary colors (red, yellow, blue)—which are so important for babies in their first year of life—on the other. This captures your baby’s attention and sets us apart pedagogically from the mostly "modern" pastel colors found in baby toys today.

Overall, your baby will practice the following hand-motor skills with this educational crinkle cloth during their first year:

Around the 2nd month, the hand, which has been fisted since birth, begins to open, and by month 3, your baby is slowly able to bring their hands together at the midline of their body.

Even if a baby still often swipes at things in an uncoordinated way during the first 5 months, the development toward targeted hand-eye coordination begins in the 6th month with the “radial-palmar grasp” (objects are grasped with one hand and passed to the other).

By the 10th month, babies increasingly practice the “pincer grasp” (grasping with index finger & thumb).

At one year old, the sense of touch is finally refined through ever-improving hand-eye coordination. Your baby will gradually become a fine motor skills pro!

Paul & Lori Crinkle Cloth: for babies aged 0–12 months