Those tiny stretches and head lifts during tummy time are your baby's first athletic feats.
These activities strengthen neck and core muscles, encourage early reflexive movements, and lay the groundwork for rolling and reaching.
Your newborn's movements are mostly reflexive right now — rooting, grasping, and the startle reflex are all working as nature intended. But even in these early weeks, brief tummy time sessions are building the neck and core strength that every future physical milestone depends on.
Don't worry if tummy time is short and fussy. Even one or two minutes several times a day is making a difference. Your baby is working harder than it looks.
Early tummy time builds the neck, shoulder, and core strength that forms the foundation for rolling, sitting, crawling, and walking.
Your newborn's best activity is you. Skin-to-skin contact, gentle rocking, and softly talking to them builds the neural connections that matter most right now.
Hold high-contrast images or your face 8-12 inches away—that's their focal sweet spot. Slowly move side to side to encourage visual tracking.
Keep everything brief and gentle. A few minutes of tummy time, a short song, a moment of eye contact—small doses add up to big development.
Strengthen your baby's neck and trunk muscles by gently lifting them in an airplane hold during tummy time — a playful way to build core strength.
Lay out different textured surfaces in a path for your baby to crawl across — a sensory-rich adventure that builds motor planning and exploration.
Set up a furniture path with interesting toys at each stop to encourage your baby to cruise along — a natural bridge to independent walking.
Stack soft blocks in front of your sitting baby and let them knock the tower over — a satisfying game that practices sitting balance and reaching.
Position your baby on their side with a rolled towel for support and encourage reaching for toys — a great way to build rolling skills.
Play a gentle tug-of-war with silky scarves to build your baby's grip strength and upper body coordination — a fun two-way game.