Crawling Readiness Exercise
Parent helps baby practice pre-crawling movements using a rolled-up towel for support. The agent guides the parent through forward and backward crawling simulations, observing head control, arm extension, and early crawling reflexes — building the gross motor foundations for independent crawling and eventually walking.
Opens a guided voice session in TogetherTime.
What you'll need
Baby placed face down on a rolled-up towel positioned under their chest. Soft surface beneath (mat, carpet, or blanket). Baby should be alert and in a good mood.
How it works
- 1~30s
Go ahead and lay your child face down over the rolled-up towel so it's tucked under their chest. Now hold them gently by the thighs and slowly roll them forward so their hands touch the ground in front. Watch your child's head — does they try to lift it up? Even a little wobble or effort to look forward counts. Tell me what you see.
Watch for: Baby attempts to lift or hold head up when placed face down over towel support.
- 2~30s
Now let's see what happens with your child's arms. Gently roll them forward again over the towel. This time, watch whether your child tries to prop themself up on their elbows or forearms. You might see them push up a little to lift their chest off the surface. Does your child use their arms to support their upper body at all?
Watch for: Baby uses elbows or forearms to prop up upper body when on tummy over towel support.
- 3~35s
Now for the fun part — let's simulate some crawling! Gently press the soles of your child's feet with your hand. This gives them something to push off against. Watch for any forward movement — it might be tiny, even just a little scoot. Then gently pull them back and try again. Does your child push against your hands? Do you see their arms and legs moving — together or alternating?
Watch for: Baby extends arms forward and/or pushes off with feet in an early crawling pattern.
- 4~30s
Let's try one more thing — gently pull your child back by the legs so they experiences backward movement too. Watch how they responds to this new sensation. Does your child keep their head up during the backward pull? Do their arms extend to try to stay in place? This is great for building core and arm strength. Try it two or three times and tell me how your child handles it.
Watch for: Baby maintains head control during backward pulling movement, showing dynamic head stability.