Baby Gymnastics
Parent guides baby through gentle back-strengthening exercises including head lifts and leg stretches. The agent coaches the parent to support baby in prone position for back work, then stretch thighs — observing head control, upper body propping, and arm extension as key gross motor milestones on the road to rolling, sitting, and crawling.
Opens a guided voice session in TogetherTime.
What you'll need
Baby placed face down on a soft mat or blanket. Baby should be alert and calm. Room should be comfortable temperature. Parent positioned beside baby.
How it works
- 1~25s
Place one hand gently on your child's waist and your other hand under their chin. Now very gently lift upward — just enough to encourage your child to raise their head. You're not doing the work for them — just giving a little nudge of support. Watch to see if your child engages those neck muscles and tries to lift their own head. What do you notice?
Watch for: Baby engages neck muscles and attempts to lift head with gentle chin support from parent.
- 2~30s
Now let go of your child's chin and let them stay on their tummy with just your hand on their waist for stability. Watch your child's back — does they try to hold their upper body up on their own? Can you see those back muscles working? Look for propping up on elbows or forearms. Even small movements mean those muscles are firing. What do you see?
Watch for: Baby attempts to hold upper body up and prop on elbows without chin support.
- 3~30s
Now let's give those legs some attention. Lay your child back down and gently take one ankle and bring their foot up toward their bottom — a gentle thigh stretch. Hold for a moment, then release and do the other leg. Alternate back and forth a few times. Watch your child's face — does they seem to enjoy this? Does they kick or push back? Any leg movement they initiates is great to see.
Watch for: Baby responds to leg stretches with active leg movement — kicking, pushing back, or resisting stretch.