Encouraging Babies To Move and Sit Up: Gentle Ways To Support Their Growth

🌼 Encouraging Babies to Move and Sit Up: Gentle Ways to Support Their Growth

Watching your baby grow stronger and more curious each day is one of the fascinations of parenthood. One exciting stage in their development is learning how to move, roll, and eventually sit up on their own — all important steps toward crawling and walking!

At Wonderland Nursery we love supporting each child’s natural curiosity and movement and also supporting parents to help support their babies at home with movement. Here are some gentle, play-based ways you can encourage your baby’s physical development at home.

1. Tummy Time

Tummy time is one of the best activities to help babies build the neck, shoulder, and arm strength they need to push up and eventually sit.

Try placing your baby on a blanket/mat on the floor for a few short sessions throughout the day. You can lie down face to face with them, sing, or gently shake a toy in front of them to make it fun.

If your little one isn’t a big fan of tummy time, try turning it into a sensory adventure. Place a tuff tray infront of your baby and fill it with something safe and engaging — like cornflour and water (oobleck)or soft, cooked spaghetti. The textures, colours, and the patterns it makes will capture their attention, encouraging them to lift their head, reach forward, and explore. Sensory play like this not only makes tummy time more enjoyable but also supports fine motor development, hand-eye coordination, and curiosity through touch. Just be sure to stay close by and let the mess happen — it’s all part of the learning fun. Your baby might try to move into the tuff tray, this is also great as it’s encouraging movement which will eventually lead to crawling!

Tip: Start with just a few minutes and increase the time as your baby gets stronger and more comfortable.

2. Encourage Reaching and Rolling

As babies grow, they love exploring with their hands. Place interesting toys just out of reach when they’re lying on their tummy or back — this motivates them to reach, roll, and stretch, which strengthens their core and improves coordination.

Sensory books or bottles work great for this stage!

3. Offer Supported Sitting

Once your baby can hold their head up steadily, you can help them practice sitting with support.

Sit on the floor with your legs in a “V” shape and let your baby sit between them. This gives gentle support while still encouraging them to use their own muscles.

You can also use a firm nursing pillow, a rolled-up towel, or a V-shaped cushion placed behind your baby. The cushion offers support while they practice balancing and also provides a soft landing if they fall backward.

These small supports help babies build confidence while developing their core strength and balance safely.

4. Create Safe, Open Play Spaces

Babies need room to move! Avoid keeping them in bouncers or swings for long periods — instead, provide a clean, padded play mat on the floor where they can freely explore their movements.

Freedom to wriggle, roll, and stretch helps them gain confidence and coordination naturally.

5. Celebrate Small Milestones

Every baby develops at their own pace. Some sit up at five months, others closer to eight — and both are perfectly normal!

Celebrate every little achievement, whether it’s a longer tummy time session, a reach, or their first time sitting. Encouragement builds confidence just as much as muscles.

Remember: Movement isn’t just about muscles — it’s about curiosity, discovery, and confidence. With a little encouragement and lots of love, your baby will find their own rhythm of growth. 💛

~ Alice