Floor Time

Every opportunity for simple, active play is a chance for your baby to learn more about his body and the world around him and for new skills to emerge. And floor time is nothing less – it can be one of the most stimulating activities for your baby. In the initial months, as your baby begins to enjoy time on his back reaching for hanging toys and gazing at baby mobiles, it’s tempting to leave your baby to play on the floor while you get some work done around the house. 

Playing on the floor with your baby is actually good for you too! Playful parenting is a way to enter a baby’s world, on the baby’s terms, in order to foster closeness, confidence and connection.

Let us now discuss why babies need to get down on the floor to baby play and how to set up floor play activities to keep your child engaged in this fun filled task. These ideas will guide you in creating play activities that maximize child development through those early months.

Benefits of Floor Time

Babies, who spend more time on the floor, develop their psycho-motor skills at an earlier age than those babies who are not given the opportunity to use their body to physically explore their world.

1. Promotes self exploration

Play time on the floor will give your baby enough time to learn about his own body. Babies are able to move their arms, legs and entire bodies so much easier while they are lying on their backs. Floor time makes him learn how to control the individual movements as moving on a firmer surface like floor activates proprioceptors in their joints which in turn help the baby to have a better insight of his body parts. 

2. Creates time for baby curiosity and exploration

Floor time gives your baby an opportunity to utilize their tactile system- system of touch as they explore their surroundings and use sensory information that helps with muscle and brain development. Motivated by their curiosity, once they try a new move, they are intrigued and want to repeat it several times and this creates the foundation for achieving other milestones 

3. Helps strengthen the muscles and fasten motor skill development 

When you lay your baby tummy down on the floor, it helps in building the spinal curvature which is the building block for any of the gross milestones.  Your baby will learn to keep his head upright while bearing weight on the elbows and hence strengthen the upper part of his body which is key to fine skills. Time spent playing freely on the floor allows for movement of the whole body this enables baby to develop strength in a wide range of muscles in the arms, legs, back and core.

4. Develops balance and coordination

Your baby will learn the act of balancing while on the floor as your baby tends to move sideways, back or front while spending time on his tummy or back.

5. Helps develop visual skills

Laying the baby on the floor and slowly moving toys back and forth before the baby's eyes enhances visual tracking skills. Your baby will be able to practice tracking objects horizontally and vertically, which is essential for later skills in reading.

6. Improves motor planning

Floor time allows your baby to reach out for different toys and grasp them. Scattering toys in front of your baby improves the grasping power of those little hands. But it also encourages him to analyse how to move my body to reach through my desired toy.  

7. Teaches foundation skills needed for Language and communication

Floor time encourages communication skills through play, which involves back and forth exchanges with the parent and child. These interactions help the baby to develop communication and cognitive skills

8. Allows baby to stretch

When we are holding our baby or picking them up all the time, they don’t really get the chance to stretch out. Put your baby tummy down on floor for some time and helps him stretch, which is also important for your baby

9. Provides opportunity for tummy time

Once your baby starts to enjoy playing on the floor, it gives him ample opportunity to roll onto his tummy and spend some time there to avail all the benefits of tummy time.  

10. It simply brings you and your baby closer 

Playing together on the floor is a great opportunity to strengthen the bond you have with your baby. By spending time playing with the baby daily, you are building trust and closeness that will last a lifetime.