Specialist support for early physical development

Explore the topics on this page

Getting comfortable with the crawling position

Learning to roll

Rolling is one of the first experiences of your baby moving their entire body. It helps babies strengthen their muscles which are used when sitting and standing. It also helps them build their balance and spatial awareness skills.

Some babies can find it harder to roll. You can help your baby roll by:

Placing a toy just out of reach of your baby.
Encouraging your baby to reach for the toy.
When your baby reach for the toy, gently hold their hips.
Guide them to roll over onto their tummy or side.

Rolling can be a scary experience for babies. You can help them expect to roll by counting "1, 2, 3!" before rolling them. You can also help your baby feel more secure by seeing your smiling face. If you can't be more visible to your baby when you roll them, use mirrors to see each others faces. Babies love to play with mirrors.

It's important to encourage your baby at every step. You can do this by talking to your baby encouragingly with a big smile.

Side lying. Face the orange head support at the top end and the baby down on the side, looking towards the narrower end. Place a green, or the larger pink roll, behind the baby's back round the bottom and keeping the knees bent, place behind the knees. Use a green positioning strap as needed across the pelvic tummy area, if more stability is needed. Remember to lie on both sides.

Activities you can try in this position are, batting a toy, encouraging bringing the hands together and you could lie face to face to encourage copying of sounds.

Side lying. Place the mat open on the floor, smallest end at the top. Place the orange head support at the top end, and put your baby down on their side, looking towards the narrower end.

Place a green or the larger pink roll behind baby's back, around bottom and, keeping the knees bent, place behind the knees. A small orange support can be placed behind the shoulders on top of the green roll.

Practice putting your baby down on each side. Activities you can try in this position are, batting a toy, encouraging reaching for a rattle and bringing the hands together. And you could lie face to face to encourage your child with words or touch.
Lying on back with roll. Place the mat open on the floor. Smallest end at the top. Place the small blue trunk wedge near the top. Place the baby on the mat with the head on the blue wedge, encouraging chin tuck.

Place the small orange rolls next to the shoulders to bring the shoulders forward. Place a small green roll under the knees. Use a green positioning strap, if needed, across the pelvic tummy area.

Activities you can try in this position are, following a rattle with their eyes, use a baby gym to encourage reaching and grabbing toys.

Lying on back with roll. Place the small blue trunk wedge near the top. Place baby on the mat with their head on the blue wedge, encouraging chin tuck. Place the small orange rolls next to the shoulders to bring the shoulders forward.

Place the small green roll under the knees. Activities you can try in this position are, following a light toy with their eyes, use a baby gym to encourage reaching and grabbing toys or their feet.
Lying with wedge. Place a small orange circle at the smallest end and place your baby's head on it. Take the blue wedge and place under the baby's bottom. Narrow at the top.

Place the orange rolls each side of the body to maintain symmetry. Use a green positioning strap, if needed, across the pelvic tummy area. Activities you can try in this position are, encouraging your child to reach their feet with their hands, and the baby gym can be used here.
Tummy time. Place a roll across the mat. Place the baby down on their tummy, chest on the roll, arms over the roll. Place an orange roll either side of the body.

Weight will gradually be taken through the forearms. Use a positioning strap over the bottom to stabilise the pelvis. Activities you can do in this position are, encourage your child to lift the head with a toy held in front, singing and trying to get eye contact, which is easier to do if you can get down on the child's level.

Tummy time. Place a roll across the mat. Place the baby down on their tummy. Chest on the roll, arms over the roll. Weight will gradually be taken through the forearms.

Use a positioning strap over the bottom to stabilise the pelvis. Activities you can do in this position are, encourage your child to lift the head with a toy held in front.
Tummy time with straight arms. Place the additional green roll, or single pink roll, on the mat. Use the orange rolls either side of your child's body. Place the baby down on its tummy.

Arms in front of the wedge. Have enough support to enable the baby to push up on straight arms. Use a green positioning strap if needed. Activities you can do in this position are, encourage your child to lift their head with a toy held in front, singing and trying to get eye contact, which is easier to do if you can get down to the child's level.

Back to top

Side lying to sitting

Whilst your baby is lying on their side, you can use the steps below to help them move into a sitting position.

Place one hand under their armpit that is closest to the ground.
Place your other hand on top of the hip that is away from the ground.
Slowly tilt them up into a sitting position by lifting with the hand under the armpit and gently pushing down on the hip.

Make sure you practice doing this on each side equally. This will help them develop evenly.

Try to let your baby do as much as they can themselves. This will encourage them to support their weight as they push up through their hands.

Sitting with full support. Place the blue curved sitting support on the mat. Sit your child right back into the support and build up back with a pink roll to provide support to the top of the shoulder or even the head.

Place a strap across the child's tummy to stop them from falling forwards. Place a green roll in a “V” shape between their legs. Activities you can try in this position are, practice grabbing and reaching for a toy, singing to your child with clapping or actions for them to copy.

Sitting with support. When your child is better at sitting, you can remove the pink roll.

Sitting with support. Place the blue curved sitting support on the mat. Sit your child right back into the support. Place the blue wedge across the child's lap to stop them from falling forwards, and to act as a play surface.

Place a green roll in a “V” shape between their legs if needed. Activities you can try in this position are, practice cropping and reaching a toy, singing to your child with clapping or actions for them to copy.

Back to top

Getting comfortable with the crawling position

Introduce your baby to a crawling position from a sitting position. Place a toy in front of your baby. When your baby reaches forward, guide them over onto their hands and knees. You can use your leg to support them under their tummy.

Try to keep your baby in the crawling position whilst playing with toys. This will encourage them to shift their weight through their hands and knees.

To encourage independent crawling, you can assist your baby by gently holding them at the hips and slowly reducing the support.

Read more about the different crawling positions.

Crawling position. Make a pyramid out of the three rolls on the mat. Place the child over the rolls in a crawling position. Use a green strap to maintain the hip position.

Use a green roll to keep their knees under their hips. Activities you can try in this position are try using a different variety of toys, things with different textures and sounds such as mirrors or sound books.

Crawling position. Place the two rolls on the mat. Place the child over the rolls in a crawling position. Use a green strap to maintain the hip position. Try to bring the child's hands forward in front.

Weight will gradually be taken through the forearms. Activities you can try in this position are, things with different textures and sounds such as mirrors or sound books, singing and trying to get eye contact, which is easier to do if you can get down on the child's level.

Back to top

Getting into a standing position

A simple way to encourage your baby to stand is by placing toys at a higher level. You can place a few of their toys on a small table or on the sofa.

At a sofa level, place toys out of reach to your baby's right or left to get them to bring their weight over to one side.

You can also encourage your baby to play with their hands while they are propped up on their knees. Make sure their knees are directly under their hips.

If your baby is having difficulty standing, you can guide them to bring one foot forward. You can also give them a little lift under their bottom to assist them into a standing position.

Back to top

Cambridgeshire and Peterborough

Cambridgeshire

Peterborough

Specialist support for early physical development

Explore the topics on this page

Learning to roll

Side lying to sitting

Getting comfortable with the crawling position

Getting into a standing position

Need more information?

Have your say

You must log in to save content

You must log in to save content

Specialist support for early physical development

Explore the topics on this page

Learning to roll

Watch videos about side lying

Watch videos about lying on back with roll

Watch a video about lying on back with wedge

Watch videos about tummy time

Watch a video about tummy time with straight arms

Side lying to sitting

Watch videos about sitting with support

Getting comfortable with the crawling position

Watch a video about the crawling position

Getting into a standing position

Need more information?

Have your say

You must log in to save content

You must log in to save content