Sitting independently, reaching confidently, and maybe starting to scoot—your baby is on the move.
These activities strengthen core stability, develop protective balance reactions, and build the upper body strength needed for crawling.
Independent sitting is the milestone that changes everything. Your baby sits with a straight back, reaches for toys without toppling, and catches themselves with protective reactions when they do lose balance. Some babies are starting to get on hands and knees.
Create a safe floor space with interesting toys at varying distances to encourage reaching, pivoting, and early crawling attempts. Your baby's balance reactions are developing rapidly — every reach and recovery builds the neural circuits for future mobility.
Independent sitting at six months frees both hands for exploration, develops protective balance reactions, and prepares the upper body for crawling.
Your baby can sit independently now! This frees up both hands for exploration, so offer baskets of safe objects for them to discover.
Peek-a-boo is more than a game—it teaches object permanence, the understanding that things still exist when hidden. Play it often.
If you're starting solids, let mealtimes be sensory play too. Squishing, smearing, and tasting are all learning experiences.
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.