What is it?
Tummy time is exactly what it says on the tin! From birth, research has shown that babies benefit from daily time on their tummies while they are awake. This can be as little as a few minutes per day but can have brilliant effects for your babies’ development. Here are just a few reasons we think tummy time is a developmental gem…
- Physical benefits: Tummy time can help with gross motor skills and early crawling and can also help strengthen your babies’ muscles in their neck, back and shoulders, as well as helping to prevent flat head syndrome. To help your baby get the best physical results, try placing interesting objects ever so slightly out of reach and encourage your child to reach for them! If you are singing or dancing with them, try and encourage them to clap their hands together to help their fine motor skills and co-ordination!
- Emotional benefits: Tummy time allows your child to experience rich 1-1 interaction with another person. Eye contact, laughter and chattering can help your child to begin to develop their personal, social, and emotional skills. Try and over-emphasise your facial expressions and sounds to see if your child responds!
- Supporting language: There is no better way to help to support your child’s early language skills than focused, back and forth interactions! If your child makes a sound, make sure to repeat it back to them so that they can become more confident expressing themselves and understanding you. You might want to try singing nursery rhymes or reading stories to your child during tummy time to help them get used to hearing different sounds.
Top tips for tummy time!
- Start from day one and carry it out little and often! If you child is a newborn, you can lie them on your chest rather than on the floor.
- Some babies may not enjoy tummy time at first, try singing some soothing nursery rhymes to get them used to the experience.
- Have fun! Tummy time is something you and your child should experience together. Ultimately, the more fun you are having and the more responsive you are, the more beneficial it will be for your child!