Try these simple play ideas for interacting with your baby or toddler. Each idea in this week’s play date is filled with ideas to help build physical skills such as core strength, sitting up, early walking skills, and more! At Little Bloomer, we love supporting your newborn, baby, and toddler as they play, learn, and grow!
0 to 3 Months: Baby “sit-ups”
Physical Milestone: builds core and neck strength
Activity: Introduce your baby to the fun world of "baby sit-ups" with this simple and engaging activity! Lay your baby down in the center of a soft cotton blanket. Grasp the two top corners of the blanket and gently lift your baby's head towards you, encouraging them to engage their core and neck muscles. Then, slowly lower them back to the ground on the blanket. Repeat this movement gradually, adjusting the intensity based on your baby's enjoyment and readiness. Through this playful exercise, you'll help strengthen their muscles for future sitting adventures, all while sharing precious moments of joy and bonding together.
3 to 6 Months: Laundry Basket Play Time
Physical Milestone:c
Activity: Get a rectangular-shaped laundry basket and attach some toys, such as the Little Bloomer Stroller Buddy or Little Learner Links, to the sides. Ensure that the toys are within easy reach for your little one. Then, position your baby in one corner of the basket with their back and sides supported. This added support will enable them to use their hands to reach and play while also building strength for sitting up!
6 to 9 Months: Hands and Knees Playtime
Physical Milestone: Rocks back and forth on hands and knees
Activity: Create a supportive environment for your little one by rolling a towel or thick blanket under their belly, allowing them to play comfortably on their hands and knees. Enhance the experience by providing baby books or captivating toys for exploration, which aids in developing shoulder and core strength essential for crawling!
9 to 12 Months: Sensory Bags
Physical Milestone: uses pincher grasp
Activity: Try making a sensory bag for your little one. Grab a gallon zip top plastic bag, and add ½ cup of water, a generous squirt of hair gel, and a few drops of food coloring to the bag. Mix everything together by squishing the bag, then seal the top with strong tape. Let your little one explore the bag or use painters tape to tape the bag flat on a hard surface like the floor or a window. Watch as your little one explores fine motor skills and visual discrimination while they squish, poke, and squeeze the bag
12 to 15 Months: Painter’s Tape Rescue
Physical Milestone: uses fingers to pinch, pull, and grasp
Activity: Grab some plastic toys (small animal toys work great) a cookie sheet, and painters tape. Tape the toys to the cookie sheet, high chair tray, or table, and encourage your child to peel the tape off to rescue the toys. This activity works small muscles in fingers for future fine motor tasks like zippers, buttons, and holding a pencil!
15 to 18 Months: Easter Egg Snack Time
Physical Milestone: picks up very small objects
Activity: Don’t trash your plastic easter eggs - save them to make a sneaky snack! Simply fill plastic eggs with your toddler’s favorite snacks and let the fun begin! As your toddler works hard to open each egg to discover their delicious surprise, they'll also be honing their fine motor skills by mastering the art of using their fingers to open and close the eggs!
18 to 24 Months: Laundry basket soccer
Physical Milestone: kicks a large ball
Activity: Celebrate your toddler's blossoming kicking skills by turning it into a playful activity! Set up a makeshift soccer field in your living room or backyard and invite your little one to kick a soft ball into a laundry basket or a colorful box. Encourage them with cheers and applause as they score goals and have a blast while developing their coordination and gross motor skills!
These simple activities will help support your baby or toddler as they build skills to move through the world. Early physical development sets the stage for future success - so give your little one lots of time to explore movement! Remember, every child develops at their own pace, so let your child's curiosity and interests guide these playful learning experiences. Enjoy these precious moments of discovery and connection, celebrating each small step and giggle along the way.
