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Physical Activities for Young Infants in Child-Care Centers

Child-care centers buzz with energy as children run, crawl and climb their way through each day. The energy is a bit lower in the nursery, however, where young infants are still immobile. But babies need physical activity starting from the moment they are born. With a little planning, caregivers can help infants get the activity they need to continue to grow and develop as healthy babies.

  1. 1 to 2 Months

    • Caregivers can help infants increase their muscle strength by turning the babies and rolling them, or by holding them and gently bouncing and swaying. This helps the babies develop connections between the brain and muscles. By 2 months, caregivers can let infants practice rolling over and practice lifting up their heads and chests while on their tummies. Infants can be put on their backs (for playtime only) and toys can be dangled above them. The babies will get in lots of physical activity with all the time they spend kicking, but will not yet reach for the toys.

    3 to 4 Months

    • At 3 to 4 months, babies are much stronger and are ready for more physical activity. Caregivers can place infants on their laps facing them, and encourage the baby to stand while holding their hands. Babies can be given more playtime on their tummies, since they're now able to support themselves on their arms. This physical activity will strengthen babies' backs and help prepare them for crawling. Infants at 3 to 4 months are able to reach out, swipe at and grasp toys briefly, which is good arm exercise, and child caregivers can hold toys out to infants to encourage this.

    5 to 6 Months

    • By 5 and 6 months, infants begin to sit upright with support, which gives their muscles a workout. Caregivers can encourage this physical activity by supporting the infant with pillows. Babies can also grab and drop toys, so caregivers should hold out toys to infants for arm exercise. Some babies may rock back and forth on all fours. Caregivers can encourage the rocking, which strengthens an infant's back, leg and arm muscles. If babies begin to slither forward, caregivers can beckon the babies to come to them. Babies should be encouraged to stand with support and bounce.

    Safety

    • To enable safe physical activity for infants, caregivers must keep babies in sight at all times. They should also provide safe and clean play areas, including clean floors and blankets. Caregivers must also remember that infants have a physical activity limit and give distress signals when they need to stop. These may include crying or fussing. To avoid overwhelming the babies, caregivers can limit physical activity, providing several opportunities per day for exercise.

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