By One thing you’ll constantly hear about in the first few months of being a mom is tummy time. There’s so many reasons why it’s important for your baby’s development. One obstacle everyone tends to face is how to keep your baby entertained during tummy time. Because I was one of those moms, I know the struggle. So I’ve compiled a list of different activities for tummy time to keep both you and baby sane!
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When Should You Introduce Baby To Tummy Time?
Newborn babies can start tummy time as soon as possible. You can begin as early as a couple days old! It’s best to start out in smaller increments. The whole point of this exercise is to build up their core strength. Start with 5 minutes a day and slowly work your way up to longer stretches, and then multiple times a day. The more you practice with them, the more comfortable they’ll become!
Benefits of Tummy Time
Like I said before, the whole point of tummy time is to build up your baby’s strength. Specifically, they are strengthening their neck, arms and core muscles. Over time they’ll be able to:
- roll over front to back/back to front
- sit up
- hold themselves up with their arms
- position themselves on their hands and knees
- crawl
- and eventually, walk!
Tummy time is also extremely important to avoid flat spots on their head. Since safe sleep means placing the baby on their back when they sleep, there is constant pressure on their skull. When you think about it, that’s a majority of their day! So the more opportunities we give our baby to practice tummy time, that means they are spending less time on their back.
There is a great account on instagram Baby Begin. They specialize in plagiocephaly (flat head syndrome) and torticollis (tightening of the muscles in the neck, typically to one side) therapy. They are super informative and give some great tips to engage with your baby during tummy time!
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Activities for Tummy Time
Here is a list of simple activities for tummy time to keep your little one engaged!
High Contrast Books
High contrast books are great way to keep your baby’s attention. Their eyesight is still developing, so bold shapes and colors are the best way to catch their eye. You can prop it up in front of them, and then after a little while move it around so they are inclined to stretch and move into different positions.
Mirror
This is probably the most popular activity for tummy time. They’ll love seeing themselves (another baby!).
Toys
You can use anything that makes noise or lights up. Rattles, toys with buttons, crinkly toys, the possibilities are endless! Play with them by holding the toy in front of them and moving it around. You can also try to get them to reach for it, hold it, and shake it around themselves. Now they’re working on their fine motor skills!
Water Mat
This is a good sensory activity, too. You can get an inexpensive one off Amazon or make one yourself. Simply put some fun colorful things in a ziplock bag like confetti or glitter and fill it up with a little bit of water. Your baby will love squishing it with their hands and watching whatever you put inside swim around. My daughter loved this!
Lay Your Baby On Your Chest
Take this opportunity to lay down! Place your baby on your chest and make some silly faces and sounds with them. They’ll love interacting with you, and it’s a great way to bond!
In Conclusion
There are so many activities for tummy time out there. These are my favorite and worked really well for me. Just get creative and have fun! Just remember to give them as many opportunities as possible to build up those tiny muscles, and ALWAYS make sure it’s done under supervision.
Are there any activities you like to do for tummy time that’s not on this list? Let me know! I’d love to try them out with my son!
What do you think?