When to Ditch The Play Gym

Once your baby starts rolling, it’s the beginning of independent mobility.

Leading up to rolling, your baby has probably been spending most of their playtime on a blanket or play mat. Their toys have been on the floor within reach, or dangling overhead from their play gym. But now that they are rolling, it means pivoting in circles on their tummy, army crawling, and crawling are all coming down the developmental pipeline.

It’s time to start exploring some larger areas. In order to encourage your baby to explore…

Try this:

Consider removing the overhead component of your baby’s play gym once they are rolling onto their tummy.

Once it is removed, you may notice that your baby becomes interested in objects that are farther away and outside the confines of their play gym. You can expect to see some earnest attempts at forward mobility! 

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.