Baby Shower, Cute Cuddles, Family Time, Parenting
5 Great Tummy Time Activities for Your Baby
Our babies spend most of their time on their backs, making tummy time activities so important. But what if you have a baby who doesn’t enjoy lying on their stomach? Who cries and squirms when you place them on the floor? We’ll share with you not only the importance of tummy time, but also some fun tummy time activities for you both to try too.
Why is Tummy Time Important?
When your baby spends time on their stomach, they are practising lifting their heads and bearing weight on their arms. These help to strengthen their neck muscles, plus those of their arms, shoulders and stomach. This is important because these muscles will be needed when they start to crawl. Plunket recommends that babies have tummy time at least once per day while they are awake. The problem some parents have, is their baby dislikes doing it! That’s when you need to have a great list of tummy time activities to try.
5 Fun Tummy Time Activities
Already a fun activity for many babies, tummy time can be anything but for some! As a parent, knowing some easy ways you can encourage them to develop these muscles while lying on their tummy is important. So, we’ve made a list of five easy and fun tummy time activities for you both to try – yes, both of you!
- Create a book wall – having some bright or black and white books to look at while on their tummy is a great distraction. Stand them up just out of reach, like a little wall.
- Lie down too – you can lie on your back, with your baby on your tummy – it still counts as tummy time! Or why not lie down next to or in front of your baby on the floor and chat with them?
- Use toys – place several toys out of reach around your baby on the floor. These will grab your child’s attention, encouraging them to stay on their tummy for longer. Our self-standing soft toys are perfect for this, with no propping up required.
- Naked tummy time – don’t ask me how it works, but it does! There’s something about being nappy free which gets babies so excited. Just make sure you’ve got something washable underneath.
- Grab some finger paint – this would be a perfect one to combine with naked tummy time! Using nontoxic finger paint (you can find the recipe here), place it within your child’s reach. If you place a large piece of paper over their mat or blanket, you’ll even be able to keep their painting too.
What favourite tummy time activities does your baby enjoy doing? Let us know, so we can share with parents everywhere!
