Baby mobiles or nursery mobiles are cute little innovations that aim to make babies’ lives richer and parents’ lives jut a bit easier. Mobiles refer to small moving and musical toys that are hung above the crib, on changing tables, or anywhere around your child. Some mobiles attach to the side of the crib, while others are very portable. While some mobiles calm and soothe, others stimulate and entertain. Trendy mobiles that match your nursery décor add to the visual appeal of your nursery too.

Mobiles are very useful. They help calm children by re-channeling and re-directing a child’s pent up energy to something that moves, has lots of color and makes some noise. Diaper changes, bath times, feeding times and even play times become more manageable when you have a good mobile. Most young babies may spend more than thirty minutes a day staring and smiling at a colorful and moving mobile. Ah! What peace of mind.

Before you buy your mobile, you have to decide whether it is entertainment or sleep that you are looking for. If you want the mobile to help gently put your baby to sleep, you will want one that attaches to the baby’s crib, has limited movement and a soothing musical tune.

Mobiles with too much movement will stimulate the baby too much and not encourage sleep. If, like most parents, you want the mobile to entertain the baby, you will need a more portable mobile since the baby will not be in his crib all the time.

Today, mobiles come in all sorts of shapes and sizes. Some of them are interactive; many have winking lights and attractive characters to keep the baby busy. Some even project light on the ceiling or a wall.

“My daughter had this mobile that played ‘Twinkle Twinkle Little Star’. She used to love that tune, and on a particularly bad day, that was about the only thing that could quiet her down,” says Nina. Some children are fascinated by music and will listen to music until they fall asleep. Mobiles now offer a choice of tunes, so that you can select the tune of your choice. Battery operated mobiles even come with a remote control so that a parent can change settings from afar. Some mobiles have a built-in night-light that can be left on while the baby is sleeping.

Care should be taken while hanging mobiles. While they should be near enough for baby to see and enjoy, your little one should never be able to reach the mobile. Since most mobiles have items hanging on strings and have pieces that are rather fragile, they can be dangerous for a little child.