Activities to support your baby's movement

• If your baby is unable to bring hands forward, a towel can be used to provide extra support.  Place this behind their shoulders and under the thighs. 
• Once baby is more active and can bring their hands forwards to explore/play, the towel will not be needed.

• Talk to your baby and encourage them to look at you.
• This helps baby to be supported in a curled up position and their head in the middle.

• Sing a song, lullaby or play peekaboo.

Bring your hands behind baby's shoulders to help them bring arms forwards.  Encourage them to bring hands together, touch your face, hands or clothes.  You can also introduce a soft toy for them to explore.

Song ideas

• "Wind the bobbin up... wind the bobbin up"

• This helps to develop muscles needed for sitting and crawling. Tummy time should be carried out when your baby is alert, awake and happy.
• Hold your baby on your chest or over your shoulder facing you.  This will encourage them to lift their head and look around.
• A blanket can be rolled up and placed under baby’s chest for extra support
• Use bright toys to encourage your baby to reach out. This will help them to prop on their arms and lift their chest

• Encourage your baby to look at you bringing their chin and head forwards as you sit up rather than leaving their head behind them.
• To encourage you baby to learn to sit up, sit your baby between your legs and rest their hands on your knees.
• Encourage baby to reach forwards for a toy or to prop on their arms bringing toys up on a book or pillow/or cushion helps your baby to sit up and lean through their hands.
• Bubbles can be used to encourage reaching forwards and to develop sitting balance.
• Your baby leaning through their hands is important to develop, when moving from sitting to crawling.

• Rear facing pushchair can help communication and allow you to interact with your child.

Song ideas

• "Horsey Horsey” with baby sitting astride your leg.
• "Row row row your boat” with baby sitting on your lap.

• Help your baby move through side lying to sitting pushing up through his/her hands. Let them do as much as they can themselves.
• Encourage your baby to come into upright sitting by using toys and encouraging him/her to reach.

Song ideas

• “Wind the bobbin up….wind the bobbin up” or "twinkle twinkle little star".

• In this position you can sing "row, row, row the boat" supporting them at the shoulders and later hands held.
• To help develop your baby’s balance you can sing "horsey horsey" with them sitting astride your leg.

• Place all favourite toys up high to encourage them to pull up into standing.
• Use musical instruments at a higher level i.e. banging a drum/xylophone to get your baby's interest. This will encourage them to come into standing.
• Use sound story books in kneeling, encouraging them to turn pages and push buttons.

• You can encourage your baby to maintain their balance by standing or kneeling in front of them.
• Initially you may need to support your baby in standing by holding their hands or supporting them around the waist. Gradually reduce the support so they are standing independently.
• Turn balancing into a game. Help your baby to stand up and count how long they can stay up before they tumble. Give them praise after each attempt.

• Once your baby is more confident in standing try playing games that involve both hands i.e. put your hands on your head, point to your ears, hands on tummy etc.
• Motivate your baby to keep their balance by giving them praise, clapping and smiling.
• Encourage your baby to maintain a standing position by talking to them or sing a song.

• By placing toys on the floor when your baby is in standing will encourage them to squat to pick the toy up. This will help your baby to increase his/her balance
• Using heavier or larger objects to pick up will improve their balance and stability.
• Place toys on the floor that your baby could stack, post or drop into a basket at a higher level. Encourage them to squat down and pick up the toys then reach up high to complete the task.
• Encourage your baby to follow simple tasks. For example, asking them to collect certain toys from the floor.

Song ideas

• Sing “heads, shoulders, knees and toes” to encourage them to bend down.

• To encourage standing you can support by holding both hands or by encouraging them to stand holding onto furniture.
• An ideal place to learn to cruise (walking along furniture) is at the sofa or couch.  Encourage your  baby to get into standing with their favourite toy on the couch, then start to shift the  toy to the right/left.
• Progress your baby’s walking by encouraging them to cruise between stable objects or furniture that are within close proximity.

• Cruising sideways along furniture using toys to get their attention and take some steps. Once your baby is more confident they will be able to cruise forward facing, with one hand on the furniture.
• To improve confidence you can try passing them toys from behind so they get used to letting go of the furniture with one hand.
• Simple phrases like 'Where is your toy?' or 'Bring your toy' could help to encourage your baby to cruise around the furniture.

Song ideas

• Sing 'if you are happy and you know it clap your hands' to encourage them to let go of the sofa.

• Start by encouraging your baby to walk to the edge of the couch. Direct their attention by placing toys on furniture nearby.
• To progress your baby’s balance and stability it may be easier for them to walk barefoot when practicing at home.
• After a while the baby will be moving confidently between both pieces of furniture. Slowly move the furniture further away to increase the distance they need to walk.

• Encourage your baby to reach toward the toy, grasping onto the nearby furniture.
• Gradually your baby will become more confident to take some steps away from furniture.

• Walking with push and pull toys may help your baby improve their confidence when up on their feet. They may walk with a wide base of support to help them stabilise.
• To achieve more stability you can place heavy books on top to slow the trolley down/dolls pram.

• Encourage your baby to push the trolley. You may need to help them guide the trolley at first.
• Be careful on wooden floors as the trolley may run away from them. They may also find it harder to push on carpet.
• You can encourage your baby to collect toys/items for you and put them in their trolley.

• When supporting your baby to walk guide them from their hips or hold their hands lower down rather than above their head.
• As your baby becomes more stable on their feet try giving them less support, making them work to keep their balance
• Progress walking by loosening your grip or offering one hand only, rather than two.  From there try bridging the gap with a teddy or a hoop.
• Avoid wearing shoes inside so your baby can feel their feet on the floor and experience different textures.

• Your baby may walk with their hands up in the air and feet wide apart. This helps them to gain stability and balance. By passing them a toy or a ball to hold , it will encourage them to bring their hands down and challenge their balance further.
• By walking on uneven surfaces or over objects this will improve your baby's balance and special awareness.
• Trying to climb up stairs will help your baby improve their coordination and strength.
• Encourage walking between two adults making sure they have their balance first. Give them praise when they take some steps independently.