Motor development
9 articles
Best Toys for Tummy Time by Age
The AAP wants babies on their tummies for at least 30 minutes a day by 3-4 months, broken up across short sessions. Most newborns hate it. The right p...
How to Turn Tummy Time Into an Enjoyable Game
Tummy time has a reputation as the boring chore of the newborn months, the thing the baby cries through and you both endure. It doesn't have to be. Th...
Play Ideas for Babies Who Dislike Tummy Time
A baby who cries the moment they're placed on their stomach is not broken, and you're not failing them. Prone is genuinely effortful work for a newbor...
Stacking Blocks: From First Attempts to Building
A simple stack of wooden blocks is one of the most studied and reliably useful early toys. The stacking task requires the child to coordinate vision,...
First Baby Swimming Sessions as Play
Baby swimming sessions have become a popular early activity, and for good reason — the pool environment offers a type of movement and sensory experien...
Balance and Coordination Games With Blocks
Blocks are usually used at a table or floor level in sitting play, but they have another life as props for active movement play. Once a child is mobil...
Play Activities Recommended for Babies Aged 6–12 Months
Between 6 and 12 months, most babies transform from relatively passive observers to active, mobile explorers. The developmental acceleration in this p...
The Emotional World of Learning to Walk
The first steps look like a celebration moment in baby books. The reality is messier — a few weeks of attempts, falls, frustration, and (often) terrib...
Physical Activity for Young Children: How Much, What Kind, and Why It Matters
Physical activity guidance for young children is sometimes presented in a way that makes parents feel like they should be managing a training programm...