I can’t even believe it has happened but my baby is 8 months old today! So much has changed. He is moving like crazy and so busy! Time is just flying by! So very shortly he will be walking and running and getting into more trouble than he already is! Right now he is doing what we affectionately call “the worm” all over our house. He is getting quite efficient and quite fast. He can now get to things he wants to get to but also get to things he shouldn’t get too! He is starting to get up on all fours but hasn’t figured out how to quite go on all fours. When that happens I am really in trouble! There are some great baby items that we have been using at our house to keep baby busy, keep us sane, keep him safe, and continue to help promote his crawling skills. These have been our eight favorite items of the eighth month that also promote his motor development!
These products are great for babies who are starting to get up on their hands and knees as well as move on their belly. Crawling is a skill that takes place between 7-10 months of age in babies. Any product that promotes tummy time and floor play helps promote crawling. These are a list of what are our favorites at our house and why from my physical therapy perspective.
This post contains affiliate links. I only recommend products I personally use or love!
1. The Activity Table
This is such a versatile item. You can read about how to utilize it depending on where your baby’s motor skills are it in my post about the many uses of an activity table. We have a Fisher Price table that we like a lot. Right now we are mostly using it on an elevated surface when we are near him so that he can work on being on all fours with a little less force of gravity and maintain the position for longer periods of time. This position is a little easier to handle. It is fun to see the baby “feeling” their body out in this new position. We say he looks like he is dancing!’
2. The O-Ball
I love this product not only for the ability for baby to easily manipulate it but it also is a great motivational product for baby to go after. C loves to hold and move the ball in his hands. When he drops it, it rolls away and he is motivated to go get it. I also will roll it slightly away from him so he can work on going after it. Such a simple but great product.
3. Play Yard
Sometimes we have to go to the bathroom so this is why I love this! I just recently purchased a Superyard Play Yard for our home. I’m able to put the little guy in it and feel that he is safe. It gives him the ability to move and play but in a safe manner. He is not contained in any sort of device that would limit his ability to play or move or work on his crawling skills. It is set up in our family room and all his stuff is contained right near his new play yard. I love that this particular one is made in the USA too. I have no complaints about it thus far.
4. Tunnel
I picked up a tunnel at Ikea but they can be found in several places. We’ve worked with C on crawling through this tunnel. The reason I really like the tunnel is that he is at the age where he is distracted! When he is in the tunnel it eliminates his distractions and he can focus on the goal of getting his toys that are in front of him and making his way through the tunnel plus it is a fun way to play with him and change it up a bit. This is best used when the baby can either crawl or creep.
I recently purchased this. I wasn’t sure what I was going to think of it but I really like it! I like that it moves and C can bat at. I like that it gives him the motivation to go after it and I like that the price wasn’t too high. The ball I purchased was the V-Tech Move and Crawl Ball and so far am very happy with it! Update: It was fine and he had fun with it for a few days but I probably wouldn’t buy it again.
It is absolutely amazing how once baby starts moving they move exactly to where you don’t want them to go! My baby’s fun of choice is our fireplace and the outlets. These definitely give me a piece of mind.
7. Mirror
This is one that we have been using since C was a little baby. We used to lay it flat on the floor for him to look at while doing his tummy time. Now we will prop it up and he will move towards it. I also will get behind him so he sees me in the mirror. This is one that makes him smile. We just use a mirror that was meant for the car when we play with the mirror. You could use most anything that works well for you!
8. Parent/Caretaker
This really isn’t a product but most babies love the adults in their lives that they spend time with. Just getting on the floor and talking to baby or holding their favorite toy and encouraging them to move is a great motivator for baby.
I would also add our golden retriever to this list. For some reason C is absolutely crazy about her. She doesn’t feel the same about him. I can tell she is warming up a bit though, especially when he eats!
Things To Remember
- Toy should not contain baby – they need to be able to move to practice crawling. This means avoiding jumpers, exersaucers, and seats. Baby can’t work on moving if baby is stuck in a device!
- Toy should promote tummy time – Even as our babies are getting older floor play and tummy time are still the most important aspect of promoting their motor development while they are in the learning to crawl stages.
- Toys should be motivational. If there is a specific toy that seems to be your baby’s favorite or motivate them use it!
- Encourage your baby to play on tummy and not always in sitting until your baby can get into sitting on their own. To better understand this check out my post on functional sitting.
What toys have worked well for you when your baby was working on mastering the skill of crawling?
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I sure hope this helped answer your question, but I understand that sometimes you want something more personal from someone who truly understands and is trained in child development, and as a bonus is a parent themselves and has been there. Pink Oatmeal is offering this services to you now!
I love the idea of using tunnel with matching ball. Thanks for the post, very informative.