Physical development starts for your baby as soon as they are born.
Hold baby up against your shoulder or into your chest
Notice how they try to lift their head briefly from your shoulder or chest
Sing some songs to your baby while rubbing their back
Sway and move gently to the music, allowing your baby to keep lifting their
head
for a few seconds whilst still helping them control their head.
Carry your baby in your arms, face down
Walk around with your baby and tell them about what you can see around you, inside and out
Your baby will be trying to lift head for longer as the movement stimulates the balance systems.
Relax on your sofa or bed, or on some pillows, with your baby lying on your chest looking at your face
Smile and look into your baby's eyes
You can rock side to side gently and hold their arms out to the side
Sit down with your legs outstretched
Have your baby's chest against your legs
Sing some songs to your baby whilst rubbing their back
Hold a black and white toy for them to look at and encourage lifting of their headAfter a few weeks get on the floor with your baby in tummy time, face to face
Place them on the mat with the roll / rolled up towel under their chest
Use a mirror at an angle so the baby can see their face
Move the mirror away and back to surprise them
Use toys to play for a few more minutes
This game is for babies with good head control only
Lie on your back with your knees bent
Hold your baby facing you supported on your shins
Hold themsafely and then move gently to pretend they are flying
Carry your baby in your arms, face down
Walk around with them and tell them about what you can see around you, inside and out
Baby will be trying to lift head for longer as the movement stimulates the balance systems
Get down on the floor with your baby in tummy time face to face
Hide your face behind the scarf and then move it to say peek a boo and smile at your baby
Encourage baby to reach for the scarf and pull it off
Place baby on the mat with a baby gym or have black and white toys
Bring toys above your baby to engage them
Lean over and talk to them, smiling and making noises that get baby's attention
Place baby on the mat with a baby gym or use the black and white toys
Bring toys above baby to engage them and move toys to their side encouraging them to roll over
Talk to baby and sing to get their attention
Place your baby on mat with cushions around back and side
Place toys in reach to keep their attention
Extend the time your baby can sit by using their balance and core together
Try sitting behind them and using your legs to support if they topple
Place your baby on mat with cushions around back and side
Use bells to sing and move together while in a sitting position
Hold baby up against your shoulder or into your chest
Notice how baby tries to lift their head briefly from your shoulder or chest
Sing some songs to your baby whilst rubbing their back
Sway and move gently to the music allowing baby to keep lifting their head
for a few seconds whilst still helping them control their head
Carry baby in your arms face down
Walk around with baby and tell them about what you can see around you, inside and out
Your baby will be trying to lift head for longer as the movement stimulates the balance systems
Relax on your sofa / bed or on some pillows with your baby lying on your chest looking at your face
Smile and look into babies eyes
You can rock side to side gently and hold their arms out to the side
Sit down with your legs outstretched
Have your baby's chest against your legs
Sing some songs to your baby whilst rubbing their back
Hold a black and white toy for baby to look at and encourage lifting of their headAfter a few weeks get on the floor with your baby in tummy time face to face
Place baby on the mat with the roll / rolled up towel under their chest
Use the mirror at an angle so the baby can see their face
Move the mirror away and back to surprise them
Now use toy to play for a few more minutes
When baby has GOOD HEAD CONTROL
Lie on your back with your knees bent
Hold baby facing you supported on your shins
Hold baby safely and then move gently to pretend they are flying
Carry baby in your arms face down
Walk around with baby and tell them about what you can see around you, inside and out
Baby will be trying to lift head for longer as the movement stimulates the balance systems
Get down on the floor with your baby in tummy time face to face
Hide your face behind the scarf and then move it to say peek a boo and smile at your baby
Encourage baby to reach for the scarf and pull it off
Place baby on the mat with a baby gym or have black and white toys
Bring toys above baby to engage them
Lean over and talk to baby smiling and making noises that get babies attention
Place baby on the mat with a baby gym or use the black and white toys
Bring toys above baby to engage them and move toys to their side encouraging them to roll over
Talk to baby and sing to get babies attention
Place baby on mat with cushions around back and side
Place toys in reach to keep baby’s attention
Extend the time baby can sit by using their balance and core together
Try sitting behind baby and using your legs to support if they topple
Place baby on mat with cushions around back and side
Use bells to sing and move together whilst in a sitting position
Sitting requires your baby to have controlled weight shifting from side to side and forward and back, which takes lots of strength and balance to do… as well as lots of practice!
Give your baby opportunities to practice sitting, always while supporting and staying close by, but letting them explore their own balance and body movements.
Crawling is a very important activity for your child. Crawling links uses both sides of the body and develops co-ordination and brain processing.
It helps them develop shoulder and arm strength as well as back and core strength!
Make sure that you have mats, carpets or rugs for them to crawl on, as hard floors encourage children to bum shuffle and stand – missing out the very important crawling stage.
Sit your baby on your bed so when they come onto their front it’s nice and soft
Encourage them to move forward using the crinkly cloth so it’s just out of their reach
Encourage them to put their hands forward and rock over to their front or tummy
When your baby is in a sitting position on the floor, set some toys out in front of them slightly to the left or right
The toys shouldn’t be too far out of reach so that they get frustrated, while still being just far enough away so your baby has to reach and move around to get them
Encourage them to reach and crawl on tummy for them
Place more toys for more motivation to move forward on their tummy and reach for the toys
Crawling helps your baby develop shoulder and arm strength as well as leg and bottom strength
Place your baby on the mat on their front
Use the mirror at an angle and move it just in front of them to encourage them to move forwards to reach it
Crawling helps your baby develop their back and core strength
Sit a little bit away from your baby
Wave the scarf to get their attention, encouraging them to crawl towards you and grab the scarf
You can hide your face behind the scarf and then move it to say peek a boo and smile at your baby
Crawling helps your baby develop separation of different parts of the body
Place toys at the end of a tunnel
Put your baby at the end of the tunnel on their front slightly inside the tunnel
Peak through the tunnel on the opposite side and move the toys to excite them and encourage them to crawl through the tunnel
Roll your brightly coloured ball across the floor to excite your baby
Encourage them to crawl after the ball
As your child crawls through the tunnel shake gently whilst making some fun noises like POP
Add in a pillow under the tunnel so your child has to crawl over a soft bump
Baby may rock back and fore before figuring out their own way to creep along
Help your baby learn the motor pattern for coming out of sitting by supporting them onto a side-lying position
From sitting, move your baby onto their side, extending their arm to support onto the floor then rolling onto the back – do this on both sides
In a sitting position, you can bounce and bop to some music
From this sitting position, support your baby to reach towards a toy on the floor so they transition into a tummy crawl forwards to the toy
Change which side you place the toy for your child to work both sides of the body as they move, from sitting to tummy crawling, with your support
Motivate your baby with toys to encourage them to come forward
Move the toys in a rainbow arch to get their attention and then clap and sing as they crawl forward to keep their attention coming forward
Sing your favourite nursery rhymes using some bells and encourage your child to crawl towards you
Give them lots of encouragement when they arrive and let them grab the bells off you to play with
Keep singing and move to a different place to get them to crawl to you again
Give your child a gentle tickle and pretend to chase them as they crawl away
When you catch them you can lift and spin them around gently
Pop them back on the floor to continue the cheeky chase
Sit at the opposite end of the tunnel to your baby and peek your head through to smile and engage your baby
Place some toys or teddies in the tunnel near your end
Shake the tunnel and make the teddies move to encourage your baby to crawl towards the toys
Lay some blankets and soft pillows out for your baby to crawl and manoeuvre over
When your child crawls towards you greet them with lots of excitement and a big snuggle
Then move to a different place for your child to turn and crawl to you again
Children need the right equipment and activities for their stage of development. Learn about equipment for supporting your child on our dedicated page