Tummy time is a vital part of a child’s early development, growth, and learning. This is when parents place their baby or toddler on the floor to play and explore. Proper floor time, led by parents, encourages a child’s muscle and motor development, sensory and cognitive growth, and development of language and emotions.
Floor Time vs. Tummy Time
Tummy time is specifically for infants. Tummy time is the time you place your baby tummy-side down on the floor. This encourages head-lifting and other muscle building. This eventually helps babies to roll and crawl on their own.
Floor time is a broader term to refer to any amount of play time on the floor with your child. This includes tummy time for infants and floor time for toddlers.
Why It’s Important
Floor time strengthens your child’s muscles, including the back, core, and neck. This prepares children for more advanced activities such as rolling, crawling, and walking. Free play on the floor also leads infants to engage with their environment, grasping objects, reaching, pushing up, and other movements crucial to developing coordination.
By allowing your child to explore and interact with toys and other toddler-safe objects, you encourage development of spatial awareness and problem solving skills. Since floor time should be conducted with an engaged parent, you further encourage interaction with your infant and early conversation skills. This parent-child time is also vital to help build trust and positive emotions between you and your little one.
Guidelines
Make sure you’re engaged with your child during floor time. Many parents make the mistake of being physically on the floor with their children, but not present in mind. It’s easy to get distracted with your phone or TV, but absolutely crucial for your child’s development and well-being that you put such distractions aside and engage with your infant. Keep a close eye on your child to ensure safety. Speak to and engage with your child during this time. Talking, singing, and describing what your infant is doing helps build language skills.
During playtime, put toys or yourself just outside your kid’s reach. This will encourage him or her to reach for you or the toy, and attempt to move, stimulating muscle growth. Try placing toys around your child to encourage movement such as rolling and crawling as your little one maneuvers for the toys.
Follow your child’s lead. Encourage use of toys and activities that are in line with your baby’s current interest and abilities. But, let your infant set the pace for these activities.
How Much Floor Time Should Your Child Get?
The number of floor time sessions and the length of each will vary with your child’s age. The American Academy of Pediatrics recommends babies up to three-months-old receive tummy time two or three times a day, for about three to five minutes each session. Work up to 15-to-30 minutes per day by the time your baby is seven-weeks-old.
As your child grows, so too should the amount of floor time. For a four-to-six-month-old, aim for between 30-to-60 minutes of time per day. For seven-month-olds and up, try to get an hour to 90 minutes of floor play spread across the day. Once your child becomes a toddler (one to three-years-old), three or more hours of physical activity per day is recommended. Aim for at least 15 minutes of activity for each hour your child is awake.
Monitor Your Baby’s Progress
Keep an eye on your baby’s development as the months pass. The CDC has a guide of milestones for child development up to 18-months. Children develop at different rates, so don’t be alarmed if your child meets some milestones early or takes a little extra time to meet others.
Raising a child can be overwhelming. It’s stressful, and the worry of doing something wrong is very real. That’s why partnering with a good pediatrician is one of the best decisions you can make for your child’s future and for yourself. The experts at Pediatric and Adolescent Associates, a Part of Lexington Clinic are here to help. Our fellowship-trained physicians are knowledgeable and compassionate, and have dedicated their lives to helping children and their parents.
About Jennifer L. Wilson, MD, FAAP
Dr. Jennifer L. Wilson received her medical degree from the University of Kentucky and completed her residency in pediatrics at the Medical College of Georgia. Dr. Wilson is dedicated to providing excellent medical services in general pediatrics.
Dr. Jennifer L. Wilson can be reached at (859) 277-6102. For help scheduling an appointment, or to find the location closest to you, call (859) 258-4362, or visit LexingtonClinic.com.
