How to Encourage Your Baby to Crawl

Babies only learn to crawl with time, and it’s a milestone that happens when they’re ready. But even though it’s a natural occurrence, there are many recommended tips that parents can try with their kids to speed up the process and help the baby get stronger.

Bright Side knows many parents are very anxious to see their little ones moving around and that’s why we gathered a list of some activities that will assist with this task.

1. Playing while lying on their tummy

It is known that babies should sleep on their backs, but when they are playing it is good to leave them lying on their belly for a little while. That way, they are forced to raise their heads and move their limbs around — 2 very important exercises to build the muscles necessary for the future task of crawling.

2. Moving around without walkers and bouncers

Baby seats like bouncers, swings, and walkers are useful and some babies love to spend a lot of time in them, but they can’t stay in them forever. Time on the floor is essential for them to get used to exploring and moving around.

3. Reaching for a toy

Some kind of reward system might be very useful with the learning process. When you place their favorite toy on the ground a little far from them, they become motivated to move toward that target.

4. Crawling together

Doing something together helps with any type of development in life and imitation is a part of learning for any kid. So having a parent or an older sibling crawling right next to the baby helps a ton.

5. Learning to rock back and forth

When they can stand on their hands and knees, the next step could be encouraging them to rock back and forth. Building this balance, especially when synced to a good and fun song, can do wonders.

6. Playing with raised hands

When your baby plays with their hands elevated, their muscles grow. So it can be a good idea to make them try to reach for objects above them and place their arms on the top of a pillow while they’re lying on their belly.

7. Lifting your baby off the floor

When your baby is lifted just the right amount, they can practice the movement of walking, and soon enough their little legs will get stronger.

8. Playing in front of a mirror

This might seem irrelevant to the actual task of crawling, but it is actually one of the most useful exercises on the list. They will become obsessed with understanding their reflection and eventually their curiosity will make them reach out to the mirror.

9. Playing in different positions and on different sides

Make sure your baby doesn’t stay the entire playtime in the same position. Changing up their side (right, left, back, or belly) can help them strengthen their muscles and get used to the motion.

When did your kids start crawling? Do you think babies need any help with this?