How to Stimulate Gross Motor Skills in Infants
Get your baby moving., Allow your baby to kick her legs and move her arms., Give her daily tummy time., Stretch her arms and legs., Prepare your baby for learning to walk., Crawl on all fours and encourage your baby to copy you., Encourage her to...
Step-by-Step Guide
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Step 1: Get your baby moving.
From being unable to lift up her head to being able to sit unsupported, your infant’s body undergoes tremendous changes during the first six months.
This is an exciting time, and you should encourage your baby to move around as much as possible.
Give her a lot of opportunities to move.
Engage her in fun games that will prod her to use her neck, chest, arms, and legs.
Use some of the ideas outlined in the steps below. -
Step 2: Allow your baby to kick her legs and move her arms.
Free your baby from swaddling cloths; let her kick and wave about when she’s awake to strengthen her leg and arm muscles.
Put her under a mobile and let her kick and swat at the toys; the point is that she moves her body and not that she accurately hits any of the toys. , When she is able turn on her tummy on her own, give your baby daily tummy time; this will strengthen her chest, neck, and arms in preparation for crawling.
Softly ring a bell one side at a time to make her look for and turn to the sound; you can do this when she is on her tummy or on her back.
Put a toy just a little bit out of her reach; say “come and get it” and wait for her to try wiggling or rolling towards it. , Gently stretch her arms over her head and bend her knees towards her tummy for exercise. , When a baby starts crawling, it means that her neck, arms, and legs are getting stronger.
She is now preparing for the next stage of her development, which is walking.
Avoid rushing your child into learning to walk, and know that she will walk when she is ready.The best thing that you can do is to provide her with a safe environment to explore and to give her hours of crawling time. , She will be wobbly at first (and might even plop down) but will master it soon enough.
When she’s already a good crawler, pretend to chase her and let her crawl after you too.
Other ideas include:
Set up a tunnel with a tent or a large box and let her crawl through it.
Roll a ball in front of her and make her chase after it. , When your baby is seated, give her simple directions such as “give me your block”; this will make her turn her body while looking for the toy.
Withhold a toy when you are playing a passing game; this will make her lean towards you and strengthen her torso.
Surround her with several toys to encourage her to explore and move, especially towards those that are a bit far from her. , Let your baby stand up while you support her under her arms and let her bounce up and down.
This will strengthen her leg muscles. , After months of crawling about, your baby will finally be ready to attempt her first steps.
Don’t focus on getting her to walk right away, though.
Help your baby practice her balance and coordination.
Then, when her leg muscles are up to the task of walking, she will be equipped to take confident steps. , Resist putting your baby in a stroller or a sling; let her walk everywhere.
Let her cruise barefoot on the furniture; this will encourage her to walk on her own and is definitely more helpful than any kind of walker out there.
Instead of getting a walker with a seat, get a stable push toy that will act as her stabilizer. , Give your baby some small balls or clean socks to shoot into a laundry basket; the act of bending down, picking up something, and standing up again is great for balance practice.
Play freeze dance to practice her inhibitory control or her ability to stop her body from moving.
Get a big soft ball and let her practice kicking it to each other, or sit on the floor and roll or throw a ball to each other. -
Step 3: Give her daily tummy time.
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Step 4: Stretch her arms and legs.
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Step 5: Prepare your baby for learning to walk.
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Step 6: Crawl on all fours and encourage your baby to copy you.
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Step 7: Encourage her to play with toys.
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Step 8: Practice standing.
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Step 9: Get ready for baby's first steps.
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Step 10: Encourage her to stand on her own two feet as much as possible.
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Step 11: Practice different types of movements.
Detailed Guide
From being unable to lift up her head to being able to sit unsupported, your infant’s body undergoes tremendous changes during the first six months.
This is an exciting time, and you should encourage your baby to move around as much as possible.
Give her a lot of opportunities to move.
Engage her in fun games that will prod her to use her neck, chest, arms, and legs.
Use some of the ideas outlined in the steps below.
Free your baby from swaddling cloths; let her kick and wave about when she’s awake to strengthen her leg and arm muscles.
Put her under a mobile and let her kick and swat at the toys; the point is that she moves her body and not that she accurately hits any of the toys. , When she is able turn on her tummy on her own, give your baby daily tummy time; this will strengthen her chest, neck, and arms in preparation for crawling.
Softly ring a bell one side at a time to make her look for and turn to the sound; you can do this when she is on her tummy or on her back.
Put a toy just a little bit out of her reach; say “come and get it” and wait for her to try wiggling or rolling towards it. , Gently stretch her arms over her head and bend her knees towards her tummy for exercise. , When a baby starts crawling, it means that her neck, arms, and legs are getting stronger.
She is now preparing for the next stage of her development, which is walking.
Avoid rushing your child into learning to walk, and know that she will walk when she is ready.The best thing that you can do is to provide her with a safe environment to explore and to give her hours of crawling time. , She will be wobbly at first (and might even plop down) but will master it soon enough.
When she’s already a good crawler, pretend to chase her and let her crawl after you too.
Other ideas include:
Set up a tunnel with a tent or a large box and let her crawl through it.
Roll a ball in front of her and make her chase after it. , When your baby is seated, give her simple directions such as “give me your block”; this will make her turn her body while looking for the toy.
Withhold a toy when you are playing a passing game; this will make her lean towards you and strengthen her torso.
Surround her with several toys to encourage her to explore and move, especially towards those that are a bit far from her. , Let your baby stand up while you support her under her arms and let her bounce up and down.
This will strengthen her leg muscles. , After months of crawling about, your baby will finally be ready to attempt her first steps.
Don’t focus on getting her to walk right away, though.
Help your baby practice her balance and coordination.
Then, when her leg muscles are up to the task of walking, she will be equipped to take confident steps. , Resist putting your baby in a stroller or a sling; let her walk everywhere.
Let her cruise barefoot on the furniture; this will encourage her to walk on her own and is definitely more helpful than any kind of walker out there.
Instead of getting a walker with a seat, get a stable push toy that will act as her stabilizer. , Give your baby some small balls or clean socks to shoot into a laundry basket; the act of bending down, picking up something, and standing up again is great for balance practice.
Play freeze dance to practice her inhibitory control or her ability to stop her body from moving.
Get a big soft ball and let her practice kicking it to each other, or sit on the floor and roll or throw a ball to each other.
About the Author
Debra Morris
A seasoned expert in education and learning, Debra Morris combines 4 years of experience with a passion for teaching. Debra's guides are known for their clarity and practical value.
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