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Tummy time

Tummy Time

Takes about:
2 minutes to play
Good for:
Newborn, Baby

Tummy time is time your baby spends lying on their front while they’re awake. It can feel like a chore, and plenty of babies grumble at it. It doesn’t have to be a session alone on a mat, though. Make it a game of hello, with your face close to theirs, a minute or two at a time, from the first days.

It’s worth doing because the NHS says it helps build the muscles your baby needs for sitting and crawling.1

How to play

  1. Pick a happy moment. Choose a time when your baby is awake, alert and content. Straight after a nappy change works well. Straight after a feed doesn’t.
  2. Start on you. Lie back on a sofa or bed, propped up on cushions, and rest your baby tummy-down on your chest, with their face near yours.
  3. Say hello. Talk, sing or pull faces. When they lift their head to find you, even for a second, make a fuss of it: “There you are!”
  4. Move to the floor. When they’re ready, lay them on a blanket on the floor, then lie on your own tummy facing them, so your face is level with theirs.
  5. Give them a boost. If lifting their head is hard work, tuck a small rolled-up towel under their chest and armpits, with their arms over the front.
  6. Stop while it’s still fun. When they fuss, flop or start to tire, roll them onto their back for a cuddle. Try again after the next nappy change.

Why it helps

  • The NHS says tummy time helps strengthen your baby’s back, neck and shoulders, and builds the muscles they need for sitting and crawling.1,2
  • The UK Chief Medical Officers advise at least 30 minutes of tummy time spread through the day for babies who can’t move about yet, starting with a minute or two at a time and building up as your baby gets used to it.3
  • Babies spend a lot of time on their backs, asleep or in car seats and buggies. One NHS children’s health service says varying the positions your baby lies in, such as playing on their tummy or side, can help prevent a flat head.4
  • Lying face to face makes it easy to answer your baby’s sounds and looks. Researchers at Harvard say this back-and-forth, which they call “serve and return”, helps build connections in a baby’s brain.5

As they grow

  • Newborn: Most tummy time happens on your chest or across your lap, a minute or two at a time, several times a day. Their head is heavy, so a wobbly lift or a turn to the side is a good effort.
  • Baby: Move more of it to the floor, and let each go last a little longer as they get stronger. Put a toy just out of reach, so they stretch, push up on their arms or wriggle towards it. Once they’re rolling and crawling, tummy time turns into ordinary floor play.

Tips

  • Lots of babies don’t enjoy tummy time at first, and the NHS says that’s very normal. Go back to your chest or lap, keep each go shorter, and try a bit every day.2
  • Little and often adds up. A minute after each nappy change, a minute after a bath and a minute before a nap soon make a good total for the day.
  • Your face is the best toy. Get down on the floor with them, and sing a song you both know.
  • Lap tummy time counts too. Sit down, lay your baby tummy-down across your knees, and keep a hand on their back.
  • Older brothers and sisters can lie face to face with the baby and chat, with you right there.

Keep it safe

  • Only do tummy time when your baby is awake and alert, and you’re there watching them the whole time.1
  • Only put your baby on your chest when you’re wide awake and unlikely to fall asleep. If you feel drowsy, put them down on their back in their cot or Moses basket.1
  • Tummy to play, back to sleep. If your baby nods off during tummy time, roll them onto their back. Put them on their back for every sleep, day or night.6,3
  • Wait a while after a feed, as lying on a full tummy is uncomfortable.4
  • On the floor, use a flat, firm spot away from stairs and furniture that could topple. Never leave them on a bed or sofa, where they could roll off.
  • If your baby was born early or has a health condition, ask your health visitor or GP how best to do tummy time.

About this game

Written with AI assistance. Written by Sam and Erin with help from Claude. We’re parents, not health professionals: if you have any worries about your baby’s development, talk to your health visitor or GP. For more on why games like this matter, see Why play with your baby?

Sources

  1. NHS. How to keep your baby or toddler active. nhs.uk
  2. NHS Best Start in Life. Baby moves. nhs.uk
  3. UK Chief Medical Officers. UK Chief Medical Officers’ physical activity guidelines. Department of Health and Social Care, 2019. gov.uk
  4. East of England Community Health and Care NHS Trust (Cambridgeshire and Peterborough Children’s Health). Learning to move. cambspborochildrenshealth.nhs.uk
  5. Center on the Developing Child at Harvard University. Serve and Return. developingchild.harvard.edu
  6. The Lullaby Trust. Sleeping position. lullabytrust.org.uk

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