Gross motor skillsStart · 0–4 months

Tummy time over a roll

You rest their chest on a rolled-up towel, and from a little higher than the floor, they try lifting their head to look around.

To do with your baby in the first 4 months. It works on: balance, upper body strengthening and tummy Time. You'll need: blanket and bath towel.

In the app, one activity a day for their age →

What do I need?

• Blanket
• Bath towel

How do I do it?

1. 01

   Make the roll

   Roll up a large bath towel or a blanket into a firm cylinder about 10–12 cm (4–5 in) across.

2. 02

   Rest their chest on it

   Lay your baby tummy-down over the roll, with their chest and upper tummy resting on it. Their arms go out in front and their legs stretch out behind.

3. 03

   Keep their face clear

   Stay close the whole time. When they get tired and rest their head, gently turn it to one side so their nose stays clear, or leave it for today.

4. 04

   Watch them try

   Notice how, from up there, they try lifting their head to look around. At first they'll hold it up for 5 to 10 seconds, then a little longer each time.

5. 05

   Repeat through the day

   Play like this for 2 or 3 minutes, a few times a day. If they get frustrated or start to fuss, leave it for today.

What are they learning?

From the roll they can see what's around them, which makes them want to lift their head and look. That works their neck, shoulders and upper back. Time on their tummy also helps keep the back of their head from getting flat.

• Balance

  Adjusts their body on the roll to keep from tipping to one side

• Upper body strengthening

  Works their neck, shoulders and back as they lift their head

• Tummy Time

  Spends some time on their tummy, a little higher than on the floor

What the research says

1. How trying out many different positions ties into babies' early movement

   Dusing · 2016

2. What tummy time does for a 4-month-old's motor milestones

   Dudek-Shriber & Zelazny · 2007

3. A review of what research says about tummy time and baby health

   Hewitt et al. · 2020

See all 6 references

1. Dusing SC. Postural variability and sensorimotor development in infancy. Developmental medicine and child neurology. 2016;58 Suppl 4:17-21. doi:10.1111/dmcn.13045 doi.org/10.1111/dmcn.13045
2. Harbourne RT, Stergiou N. Nonlinear analysis of the development of sitting postural control. Developmental Psychobiology. 2003;42(4):368-377. doi:10.1002/dev.10110 doi.org/10.1002/dev.10110
3. Dudek-Shriber L, Zelazny S. The effects of prone positioning on the quality and acquisition of developmental milestones in four-month-old infants. Pediatric Physical Therapy. 2007;19(1):48-55. doi:10.1097/01.pep.0000234963.72945.b1 doi.org/10.1097/01.pep.0000234963.72945.b1
4. Bertenthal, B. I., & Von Hofsten, C. (1998). Eye, head, and trunk control: The foundation for manual development. Neuroscience and Biobehavioral Reviews, 22, 515–520.
5. Hewitt L, Kerr E, Stanley RM, Okely AD. Tummy Time and Infant Health Outcomes: A Systematic Review. Pediatrics. 2020;145(6):1-27. doi:10.1542/peds.2019-2168 doi.org/10.1542/peds.2019-2168
6. Russell DC, Kriel H, Joubert G, Goosen Y. Prone positioning and motor development in the first 6 weeks of life. South African Journal of Occupational Therapy. 2009;39(1):11-14.

Reviewed by Javier Atance Ibar, PhD in Education