Rollin’

Age
0-2 years
Child Development
Sound recognition and spatial awareness.
Equipment
Your voice
A toy that makes a sound
A blanket
Physical Activity

Rolling from front to back, and back to front.

How to Play
  1. Lie your infant tummy down on the floor while you lie beside them, just out of reach.
  2. Encourage your infant to roll over onto their back to get close to you by calling your infant’s name out loud, or using phrases like “roll over to mommy/daddy” or “look over here.”
  3. Repeat the activity using a toy that makes a sound to encourage your infant to roll, like a bell that jingles.

Try the same activity with your infant rolling from back to front (once they show signs of being ready).  Note: Signs of readiness to roll include rocking side to side while lying on the tummy and curling and kicking the legs. While it is more common for infants to start rolling over from front to back, over time, they will learn to roll over both ways.

 

Change it up / Alternatives / Additional Options

For a child who is hard of hearing or deaf, wave an object in the air to gain their attention and slowly move it from one side to the other in order to encourage rolling.

Notes

This activity helps develop the fundamental movement skill of locomotion (rolling), balance (reaching), and coordination (tracking).

Book link: There Were Ten in the Bed by Audrey Wood

Adapted from MOVE Family Resource