Pre-crawling Activities

Teaching Baby How to Crawl:
Activities for Tummy Time

Much of baby’s later development relies on the strength and coordination gained from tummy time practice in the early days.  Early on, baby can practice supporting their head by simply resting on your shoulder in a burping position or by lying on your chest at a slight incline.  Gradually you can introduce additional tummy time ideas to make the whole experience just a more enjoyable for everybody.  Don’t worry, the wailing is totally normal.

Balls in a Muffin Tin, By Cando Kiddo – How genius!  Leaving balls inside a muffin tin helps baby practice spinning and grabbing balls without having them roll away.

Open Exploration of Books – Get down on the floor with your baby and explore some books together.  Read short stories or books with one or two words per page.  Alternatively, you can simply take babies lead and give her the vocabulary for the pictures she reacts too.

Texture Bags, By Creative Play Ideas – Teaching baby how to crawl is so much easier when the floor is a more fascinating place than usual! 

Tummy Time Outdoors – Lay baby on a blanket outside and have them explore the grass, rocks and flowers that lie beyond the blanket. Be mindful of small objects when doing this. 

Paint with Baby, By At Home with Ashley – This activity could work just as well by laying the canvas on the floor and allowing baby to tap at the paint from their tummy.  You can use the texture bag idea above and place paint inside for a similar experience.

Textile Egg Cartons – Glue items with various textures to the bottom of an egg carton and let baby explore. Felt, sandpaper, canvas, tissue paper, cotton balls, leaves, bubble wrap – you name it!

Teaching Baby How to Crawl:
Activities that Encourage Reaching

When baby reaches for objects directly in front of them, they are strengthening important arm, back and core muscles.  Co-ordination also improves as they slowly shift their weight to balance their body to reach with one hand. These activities can be done while baby is sitting or on their tummy; both are beneficial in different ways.

Peek-a-boo – During tummy time, place a blanket over your face and watch them eagerly reach to remove it! 

Toy Box Tip, By Kiddy Charts – Tip a toy box and watch baby stretch, reach and shift their weight as they explore the box’s contents.  

Teaching Baby How to Crawl:
Activities for Baby in a Sitting Position

Mama OT tells us that being able to transition between sitting and being on all fours is a very important development toward crawling. Until baby gets there, we can help baby practice with shifting their weight and turning at their core by playing in a sitting position outside of any support devices.

The Twist and Reach, By Teaching Littles – Placing baby’s favorite toys just out of reach on either side can encourage baby to twist and shift their weight to play. This activity can help baby practice transitioning from a seated to a hands-and-knees position.

Tug of War – Improve baby’s sitting balance with a gentle tug of war.  Give baby a towel or blankie and playfully tug to pull it away. 

Scarves in the Kleenex Box – Place scarves and other soft materials in an empty kleenex box and baby will sit content for a while!

Sing Songs – Singing with baby is a great way to keep them engaged while sitting.  Songs that include hand gestures or funny noises are always a win!  Rainy Day Mom provides an easy list of nursery rhyme songs that do just that.

Play Catch – Rolling a ball to your sitting baby encourages them to reach forward to grab the ball.  This leaning forward action is especially helpful as baby learns to transition to being on all fours.

Crawling Activities

Teaching Baby How to Crawl:
Encouraging Early Crawling

As baby improves their reaching, balance and coordination, crawling isn’t too far from the horizon. Mama OT mentions that babies usually begin crawling once they have established “a strong hand preference for which hand to move first (and fall forward onto) after time spent rocking and playing in the hands-and-knees position.”

Elevated Toys, By Cando Kiddo – Get baby practicing that hands and knees position by placing their favorite toy on a floor mattress or couch cushions. Doing so will have them strengthening their core, leg and arm muscles and improving coordination.

Homemade Baby Roller, By Your Kids OT – Support your babies hips and guide them gently to roll forward as they reach for a toy.  They will be improving their ability to shift weight between each arm.

Roll Ball through an Open Box – Open a box at both ends and roll the ball through.  Baby will reach for the ball in anticipation of it’s arrival and they’ll be eager to crawl to catch it. Looking for the ball will also encourage them to pivot while on their tummies, which helps with co-ordination.

Teaching Baby How to Crawl:
Crawling Obstacle Courses

Soft Hide-and-Seek Obstacle Course, By Teach me Mommy – When teaching baby how to crawl, the right motivation will get them moving! Lay out some of your baby’s favorite soft toys then hide them under various textured towels or blankets.  Baby will love experiencing the different textures and the special surprises along the way.

Cushion Obstacle Course, By Hands on as We Grow – Have baby explore the cushion mountain on their own or by hiding toys. This fun activity encourages baby to strengthen their arms and legs and fine-tune their balance.

Texture Crawl, By I Can Teach My Child – Find objects with a variety of safe textures for baby and let them loose to crawl and explore.

Zig-Zag Obstacle Course, By Hands on as We Grow – Place colorful toys along a zig-zag path to create a mini obstacle course.  Start baby at one end and watch their motivation soar to crawl and explore!

Teaching Baby How to Crawl:
Movement Motivators

Tunnel Baby Game, By Kids Activities – The delight in this activity comes from baby feeling the tickle of the leaves as they pass through the tunnel. You can attach feathers, yarn, plastic spoons or other seasonal items like paper snowflakes.

Box Tunnel, By The Imagination Tree – … Or you can use socks and a box!  I just had to include this idea too!

Hide and Seek: Music Edition – Hide a variety of musical toys in an open space and encourage baby to listen and find them.

Photo Crawl, By The Stay-at-Home Mom Survival Guide – Use photos from an old calendar or magazine and tape them to the floor for baby to explore.

Baby Scavenger Hunt – Start by pointing out a soft toy and naming it.  Invite baby to come help you find another one you may have hidden or just placed further away. Baby might crawl with you right away or need some initial prompting.

Bubble Wrap Run, By Play, Create, Explore – Babies and bubblewrap.  Need I say more?  Baby can explore freely or have them chase a bubble popping sibling.

Even MORE Movement Motivators

Crawl Tag – Start crawling away from your baby and look back to invite them to chase you. Alternatively, you could start by tickling their toes and see if they run away so you can start the chase!

Playing with Bubbles – This one could technically be used at any stage when teaching baby how to crawl. Baby will be eager to crawl and reach to pop the bubbles.

Play with Ice – Lay an outdoor vinyl tablecloth down indoors or out.  Place ice cubes on the tablecloth and invite baby to grab and chase the sliding cubes.

Crawl and Paint, By Bambini Travel – Messy is inevitable when teaching baby how to crawl, so why not embrace it to the fullest?  Squirt some paint onto the paper, or place some into take-out tins and watch baby go!

Christie, a mom and occupational therapist at Mama OT, provides some great insights on the stages and development of crawling in this three part series. I found her thorough explanations on how different developmental milestones contribute to crawling very insightful, and helpful in writing this post.

I hope you found an idea or two just perfect for you and your little crawler … or your soon to be crawler!

Thank you so much for reading friends.