As a childbirth and postpartum educator, one of the things that I hear new moms and dads say all the time is that they are confused about the ways to introduce their baby to the world! One of my favorite recommendations is tummy time. I encourage parents to make it part of their routine by starting small and making it fun. The Lovevery Play Kits can help parents establish tummy time as part of their routine, as well as help foster development.
In fact, my immediate thought when I saw the first kit, the Looker Play Kit for ages 0-12 weeks, was, “this isn’t a toy box, this is an intro to tummy time box!” As the kits advance, you receive exactly what you need to progress through tummy time with your newborn.
Make it fun
Newborns can only see 10 inches in front of them in the first few weeks of life. Their ability to see color isn’t fully developed either, so babies like to look at things that are very close to their faces and things that have a stark contrast. This is why I love the Black and White Cards and the Wooden Book in The Looker Play Kit. Place the Wooden Book or the Black and White Cards in their stand a few inches in front of baby as they lay on their tummy and it will give them something to look at, that they can actually see! This can entertain them and help them stay on their tummy for a little while longer. Parents can describe the picture to encourage language development as well!
As baby grows and strengthens their muscles after a few weeks, parents can help their baby’s development by placing an object right next to their hand to encourage them to grab it! Of course, the object should be safe and something that the baby can actually grasp, like the Sensory Links or the Silicone Rattle, that also come in The Looker Play Kit. In addition to using their hands to grasp, the Black and White Mittens help babies recognize and become aware of their hand movements and control.
Keep it up!
By 3 months old, most babies can use their arms to support themselves and they might start rolling from their belly to their back. Tummy time is still important even when baby starts to roll! Babies will be more alert, will stay awake for longer periods of time, and will be interested in different activities. The Charmer Play Kit (months 3–4) is designed to help babies in their next stage of development and has so many great playthings for tummy time. Your baby will love gazing at themselves in the Framed Mirror and the Rolling Bell will hold their attention while you roll it back and forth for them.
Ready to move
Tummy time is also beneficial for babies who are 5 or 6 months old because it will encourage them to start crawling and The Senser Play Kit helps babies explore their environment with their newly developed motor skills! The Tummy Time Wobbler is a favorite that you can place just slightly out of reach from your baby to encourage them to inch forward. Not only is the colorful toy fun to wobble but it will build core muscle strength that your baby needs for crawling and walking. The Spinning Rainbow can be used during tummy time for your baby to practice using both hands at once, and it will bring just as much joy when they’re sitting up and spinning it as well.
Final thoughts
In addition to making it fun for baby, it’s important for parents to make it easily accessible for themselves! Use the box that the kit comes in as a “Tummy Time Box” and keep it next to the diaper changing station. Keep a clean swaddle blanket in the box along with the toys so that it becomes second nature to grab the box, put baby down on the blanket and enjoy a couple of minutes of tummy time before their next nap. And know that while you’re doing all of this, The Lovevery Play Kits are fostering development, familiarizing awareness, and building new brain connections for your littlest one.
