Looking for fun tummy time activities for your baby?
Then you are in the right place! If you find tummy time boring or your little one hates doing it, check out more than a dozen tummy time ideas and activities below that your baby is sure to enjoy.
But first, let’s go through the do’s and don’ts.
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What do you need for tummy time?
And not just physically present. You need to be mentally present, focused and always monitoring your child.
Especially if they are newborns who spend time in bed or on their tummy on a soft blanket. They may delay or choke on the latter.
or a towel, play mat, play pen, or crawling rug.
Initially, only some specific clean items for them for tummy time.
Anywhere will do! It can be indoors in the living room, kitchen or bedroom.
Or outdoors, on the grass, in a park, beach, etc.
As long as the area is relatively clean, and you have a clean blanket or outdoor play pen or play mat, your baby will be fine to poop anywhere!
Tummy Time Activities and Ideas:
Put them on your chest
Swaddling is a great tummy time activity with your newborn.
You can do it dressed up, but nothing beats this special skin-to-skin bonding activity with your little one.
You can lie on an incline, or lie on your back with a thick pillow under your head.
Lie down in front of them
You can encourage your baby to fill up more by lying down on his front!
You can talk to them softly, sing to them, play peek-a-boo, or make funny faces.
Check out the mom in this video and see how she entertains her baby during tummy time.
Use a towel or pillow.
Give your kids a new perspective on their surroundings by using a small rolled-up towel or lounge pillow and placing it under their armpits and arms!
It also makes it easier for them to lift their heads to feed themselves.
Use toys during tummy time.
One-week-old babies can already see a little color. 8-10 inches away.
So at this age, you can already put some toys in front of them, to make tummy time more fun.
You can use the following tummy time toys (or Montessori tummy time toys, if you prefer) for newborns:
For older children, you can use other toys in addition to the above, such as:
Surround them with toys and objects, so they can practice exercising those neck muscles.
Just remember to always use age-appropriate toys for children who are more mobile. As most will be mouthing anything they can get their hands on and holding it!
Use books:
You can also use books for tummy time!
Get something. Soft Books: or: Bad books For infants or toddlers.
And for older people, you can support. Board Books, Sensory Books:and all kinds of books before or around them.
Use household items.
You can only use household items to fill your stomach.
It is more suitable for older children who can grasp things and have more developed hand-eye coordination.
Things like wooden spoons, wooden bowls, tupperware, and basically anything that is mouth-safe and not a choking hazard can be okay to play with.
Use family photos.
Pictures on photo stands are also a great way to make your baby’s tummy time fun.
You can post pictures of everyone they see regularly, even your pets.
Then, later, introduce some other family members or friends you want them to know!
Use your phone.
Some parents let their older kids, who hate tummy time, watch some shows on their phones.
Then gradually weaned them.
If you don’t want your child to watch TV soon, you can try just using your camera’s selfie and ask him to watch you!
Or join in and watch your child watch themselves and you, intently, on your phone screen.
You can also use some filters from different apps and blow your child’s mind!
Do sensory activities.
Another way to make tummy time more enjoyable is to add some sensory play.
Not only will your child work on their gross motor skills, but they can also develop their eye-hand coordination, and expand their cognitive and creative abilities – all through sensory play!
You can try. Sensory Bag:place some balls on a pan of water on the floor, cloth of different texture, sensory bottles, etc
Just remember to always supervise your toddler when doing these activities.
Move toys and objects.
Make tummy time toys fun and enjoyable by moving them from side to side or even further away or closer to their faces.
It is also a great visual tracking activity for your child.
Use the kids gym.
Another fun and easy way to spend tummy time is using a baby gym.
You don’t even need to grab and prepare some toys, as some non-toxic baby activity gyms already have some tummy time toys, like Lovevery.
Do this after a bath or diaper change.
Add tummy time to your diaper changing or bathing routine, especially for babies or toddlers who hate it.
Your baby will gradually get used to it and expect it.
And to make it more fun, you can interact with them – sing, make funny faces, do raspberries, etc.
The legs were spread on the floor.
Replace the usual belly time on the floor with one on your leg.
Sit on the floor with your legs spread and place your baby’s chest against your legs.
Talk to them, rub their backs, sing songs, and don’t forget to put some fun toys in front of them.
Do it in your lap
You can also allow your baby to snuggle on your lap.
Just sit and place your baby’s belly lengthwise on your lap while supporting the head.
Change locations:
Make tummy time more interesting and exciting by doing it in different places.
You can do this on the living room floor, on a non-toxic play mat.
Or in your garden, with an outdoor playpen.
Or in the kitchen, on hardwood floors or tiled floors, with blankets.
Or if you have floor-to-ceiling windows, let them face there and just watch people and things go by!
As long as the surface they are laying on is clean and there is no suffocation or choking hazard for them, this will be fine.
Use an exercise ball.
You can also use an exercise ball for more fun tummy time.
Place them on top of the ball, hold them firmly, and gently roll them back and forth.
Just stay close to your baby and hold them at all times.
Blow the bubbles.
For older kids with stronger neck and arm muscles, try blowing some bubbles around and they’ll be mesmerized.
They will continue to see their neck and upper torso get more exercise!
Hanging Items:
For older children, you can get them to stretch their stomachs and strengthen their neck and arm muscles by looking at things hanging on your wall or even the ceiling.
Just make sure it’s close enough for them to see or even swipe and that there’s no danger of it falling on their head and/or hurting them.
You can hang or glue simple items like ribbon, high contrast card, silk fabric, etc.
Do “Baby Airplane”.
This is another fun tummy time activity for your newborn or even older baby.
For babies and toddlers, hold them on your arm like a football, and fly them around the house making airplane noises.
Operate the aircraft differently for older children (3 months and older).
Lie on your back, bend your knees to your chest, then place your baby on your legs, facing you.
Make sure their body rests firmly on your legs.
Then hold them securely on your back and start spinning around making airplane sounds.
Your baby will surely laugh at this tummy time activity.
Give them a massage.
Make tummy time relaxing by giving your baby a massage.
You can give them a foot or back massage and gently rub or stroke their feet or back.
Do it with other people
A fresh face can make tummy time more enjoyable and stimulating for your baby.
If you have other children or family members with you, give them a chance to cuddle with your little one!
Always remember to supervise when you have toddlers or young children who may not understand how fragile newborns are.
When to start tummy time:
You can start tummy time in the hospital right after birth!
Although most parents would prefer to do it at home.
There really aren’t any hard and fast rules on this, as long as you do it as early and as often as possible.
Here’s some information on how long you should nurse and when is the best time to nurse your newborn.
What if my baby hates tummy time?
If your baby hates tummy time, you can try doing it for short periods of time several times a day.
So instead of doing it for a minute for your newborn, you can do it for 30 seconds.
You can also try changing their tummy time position, to keep them entertained and engaged.
Place them on your lap, hold them in a football position, and use a pillow under their armpits.
Try changing their tummy time toys more often, so they can be more distracted.
Frequently Asked Questions on Tummy Time Ideas and Activities
How do I entertain my baby during tummy time?
You can entertain your baby during tummy time by using suitable tummy toys, such as rattles, teethers, soft books, high-contrast cards, or even mirrors, photos of your family, and stuffed toys!
Just remember to always supervise them, especially if they are more mobile and want to put toys and objects in their mouths in front of them.
What should you not do on your stomach?
You should never leave your newborn alone during tummy time.
Always supervise them, especially if they are snuggling on a bed or soft blanket.
They can roll off the bed or suffocate on a soft, padded surface so always be there when your newborn is feeding.
What are tummy time exercises?
Tummy time exercises are a variety of fun activities that babies and toddlers can do, to make their tummy time more fun.
Does tummy time need to be active?
Yes, tummy time is for awake and active babies.
This is not to be done at nap time or bedtime, as doing so can cause SIDS.
Feeding when your baby is tired and sleepy is also not recommended, as he will probably hate doing it.
Tummy Time Activities: Wrapping:
I hope your little one finds the full time activities and ideas enjoyable and entertaining.
Many babies don’t really like to be full, especially when they have reflux.
So always remember to wait until the stomach is full after feeding – at least 30 minutes or more.
Also note other do’s and don’ts of tummy time such as:
- Always supervise your child.
- Do it when they are smart and happy.
- Don’t do tummy time when it’s bedtime.
