Floor Game

Materials You Need: A floor mat or blanket, favorite toys, rattles.  

What You Can Do Together: Position the baby so that you can touch his/her feet. Gently play with his/her feet and toes and gently tickle him/her. Touch the baby's finger one by one and at the same time say, "This finger is… little thumb/mom's finger/dad's finger" for each finger. While the baby is on her/his back, place a wind-up toy that produces sound (if you have one) next to or behind the baby. Check if the baby is looking for the source of the sound.  Or gently shake a rattle or jar with beans and see if the baby looks for it.

On a soft flat surface, on the bed or blanket, while lying on her back, gently tap or massage the baby's hands and fingers as you talk with her - for example, "Here is your hand; here are your fingers," telling her what you are doing. Or you could sing a gentle song as you stroke her hands.  Another idea is to use a simple toy that you place where the baby can see it, but where she cannot reach it.  Does she try?  You might move the toy as the baby looks at it.  As the baby gets older, you could encourage your baby to roll over to reach for the toy.

There are so many ideas for "floor time" as your baby grows!  Place a blanket or a towel on the carpet, put the baby on his/her tummy so that his/her head is turned to one side. Lie next to the baby to encourage him/her. The baby can stay in this position as long as s/he likes it, but make sure that his/her head is turned to the left and the right side for about the same length of time. Again, you can put favorite toys or objects in front of the baby, but so that they are just a little out of the baby's reach. As your baby gets older, encourage your baby to try to reach them and move in their direction.

"Tummy time" is important for physical development.  Make sure the time your baby spends on his/her tummy is a little longer each day. Observe your baby, so you can gently move the baby if s/he turns his face directly to the floor, as this can make breathing difficult. As s/he gets stronger over time, the baby will be able to raise her head and rise a little by pushing with her hands.  These motions will later grow into rolling and crawling.

What Your Child is Learning: These are excellent opportunities to use simple games to create a positive, enjoyable environment for your child. During these games, your child learns to explore and control the movements of his/her body and head. A baby may be able to raise her head and support herself with her arms.