Baby Balance - Improving Your Little One's Balance Through Play
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So your baby is walking, now what?! As Eli got closer and closer to his first birthday and began to progress from crawling to standing independently I heard so many times “everyone wants their baby to walk, until they start to walk.” As a first-time Mom I would roll my eyes and shake my head. Of course, I knew it would be an added challenge and a change to our daily routine, but I couldn’t wait for this next big step in E’s journey. Walking is a huge milestone for all kiddos and one that can bring joy and excitement along with added stress and anxiety. The first month or two with a new walker are nerve-wracking! My husband and I joke that watching our son walk for the first month was like watching a tiny drunk man stumble around our house, bouncing off of walls and falling down sporadically. We quickly realized that we had to up our baby-proofing game big time and felt like we were trying to constantly walk just close enough to not interfere but also be there when he started to fall headfirst into things. TIP: if you have a new walker or soon-to-be walker I highly recommend picking up these Pottery Barn Freezer Packs or these Animal Boo Boo Buddies for bumps and bruises.
Prior to Eli taking those first steps, we were working on skills he would need for walking all the time - using his push walker toys, taking steps while holding onto my hand, taking steps back and forth between my husband and me - but as E spent more time walking and gaining confidence (and my general anxiety decreased) things began to settle into the “new normal.” After about a week of this new normal, the physical therapy side of my brain started to kick in and I couldn’t help but think “what’s next?” I know this is something that a lot of my clients ask as well. We spend so much time working on their little ones walking, but once they reach that point the question is, what do we work on next?
There are so many important skills that come shortly after walking! Once kiddos are up on their feet and on the move, their proprioceptive and vestibular (movement and balance) systems start to really develop. It’s important to help little ones develop these skills through play!
Mix it Up!
As adults we walk from one surface to another without thinking twice. Just waking up in the morning I walk from the carpet in my bedroom to the tile in the bathroom, back onto the carpet and then onto the hardwood floors in the living room. Adult brains have had years of experience to develop these skills, but these transitions are brand new for little ones and can actually be very challenging. The age-old adage stands true in this case: “practice makes perfect”. Giving your little one the opportunity to walk on different surfaces is the only way for them to learn how their body moves through space and how their ankles, legs, and core should respond to the changing ground under their feet.
Playing outside can be the perfect place to let little ones experience new surfaces. Sidewalks, playground rubber, grass, sand, etc. Unfortunately, right now the weather in Michigan is not ideal for allowing E to play outside. We have taken him out twice at this point to walk in the snow, which was hilarious (imagine the kid in the snowsuit from A Christmas Story) but between the cold temperatures and the ice it has been a little treacherous. Being stuck inside has forced me to come up with more creative ways to challenge E’s balance. If you have a play mat, workout mats or even a yoga mat these are a great opportunity to introduce a softer surface. There is no reason to “force” your little one to walk across these new surfaces, they may be slightly nervous at first, I suggest placing the mats in your little ones play area and placing toys on top of these surfaces, and allowing them to explore and play.
Remember how it feels when you’re trying to walk on sand or any other soft surface. Your little one may be tentative, move more slowly or fall down more often when exploring. This is totally normal!
If your little one has been walking for a while, has great balance, or just needs an extra challenge try having them stand on a couch cushion or a pillow while they are playing. This will help develop the small muscles in their feet, their legs, and their core.
Squat It Out!
When little ones are starting to develop their walking skills they will pull themselves to standing at a surface like a couch or a coffee table before taking steps. The next step in the progression to independently walking is for them to learn how to stand up in the middle of the room without support. Being able to stand up from the floor without support can be difficult for adults, let alone a little baby with very little leg and core strength. The best way to work on this skill is squats!
One of the things that I love about my job as a pediatric physical therapist is that I get to be creative! Working with kiddos is completely different than working with adults. I can show an adult how to do a squat, I can talk them through the process and instruct them to do 15 squats x 4 times a day to strengthen their knee. Now imagine trying to do that same thing with an 18 month old (I’ll let you in on a little secret, it will not go well). Pediatric PTs figure out ways to play with kids that incorporate these skills.
One of my favorite tools in the clinic, that I know all most every family has at home, are puzzles! I like to start by placing the puzzle board on a low chair, or our coffee table at home, and placing all of the puzzle pieces on the floor. Without being shown anything E squats down and picks up the puzzle pieces to place on the board. This can be done with any preferred toy! When E gets bored of playing this games with his puzzles we mix it up with his stacking rings or his sushi shape sorter
TIP: This game is great for language development as well. Once your little one has placed all the pieces in the puzzle or all the items on the table “accidentally” drop them back onto the floor and say “oops!” or “uh oh!” Repetition through play like this helps little ones learn new phrases quickly.
