Creating an Optimal Crawling Environment
Some of the most common search terms that lead people to my website are related to crawling.
“Best surface to learn to crawl” ranks #1. “Crawling pants,” “when will baby crawl?” and “baby helmets for crawling” don’t lag far behind.
I have to admit, the last one gave me a little laugh. I get it… a baby on the move can make your heart skip a beat. But between you and me, you don’t need special pants or helmets.
Let’s just start with the basics of crawling: the crawling environment.
If you want to help your baby discover their ability to crawl…
Try this:
Think of ways to add height and distance to the crawling environment.
Your baby has likely spent their first few months playing on a flat surface like a blanket or play mat with toys within reach. To encourage crawling, it's helpful to introduce elements that elevate their gaze and attention and expand the play area.
Elevate Their Gaze: Think of ways to raise your baby's line of sight from the floor. You can achieve this by using pillows or cushions to prop up their toys or placing toys or objects on elevated surfaces. By enticing your baby to push up onto their hands and knees, you stimulate their interest in exploring beyond the immediate surroundings.
Introduce Obstacles: Create obstacles of varying heights that your baby can attempt to navigate over. This could be as simple as placing cushions or soft toys in their path or using crawling tunnels or ramps. These obstacles motivate your baby to push up onto their hands and knees and develop strategies to move forward while encountering challenges. Obstacles also foster spatial awareness and problem-solving skills.
Expand the Playscape: Enlarge the area available for exploration by extending the play space. This can be achieved by setting up safe boundaries in a larger room. Increasing the distance your baby can crawl encourages them to explore farther and engage in more extended crawling sessions, promoting overall motor development.
Did you learn something new?
There are more play space considerations for all milestones in my book!
P.S. This information is for educational purposes only. It is not medical advice and is not a substitute for skilled physical therapy intervention. While I am a physical therapist, I am not your child's physical therapist. If you have questions or concerns about your child's health and/or development, please contact your pediatrician.
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