Mini Kings

In a kneeling position or wide leg stretch, sit the baby with their back to you. Hook your forearms under their arms, gripping the torso and gently stand baby with most of their weight on your arms. Once baby has stood and locked their legs, move your hands down their arms until you are holding their hands. Then sit the baby down and repeat 2 or 3 times. This can
also be carried out on top of the yoga ball working in pairs to hold on to baby’s feet.
Benefits: Strengthens legs and feet and gives body awareness, good for balance.

Cobra
For a baby that is over 5/6 months with good head and neck control you can lie them on the floor and gently lift their shoulders, so that their chest lifts slightly off the floor. Alternatively, kneel with your knees either side of baby’s hips and when you raise their shoulders encourage them to look up to see your face. A cushion or rolled up blanket can be used under their
chest for support.

Plank

With baby on their tummy, slide your hands under their chest then gently lift the baby leaving their hands on the cushion. Upon feeling them push against the floor taking their own weight, you can move your hands down to the hips. Hold for 5-8 seconds.

Benefits: Strengthens arms and abdomen and upper body, aids crawling, gives body awareness. Must use a cushion.

Handstand
Use once baby has established head holding and a good degree of upper body strength. Start by standing baby between
your legs, you may want to sit on your knees. Using a cushion, hold baby around their chest area and ask them for “hands
down” gently positioning them close to the cushion, tilting them towards it. Once baby has hands locked on the cushion,
support their upper body strength so it is similar in stance to a plank then move your hands to hips and start to tilt baby to a 30 degree angle. Once weight is held, slide hands back to thighs holding baby in a handstand for 6-8 seconds and progress to longer.

Downward Dog

Using the same stance as above to start, ask baby for “hands down, head down” onto the cushion. Once hands are down, the head also comes down but this may not happen instantly. You can stroke the back of baby’s head to encourage the downward stance or often raising the bottom and legs slightly encourages this. Support around hips and once head is down encourage the legs to come down so the feet are on floor.

Inversion Lift
Bring baby up on parent’s legs as for the basic inversion twice, holding for 3 seconds in between. On the last one, lift baby up holding around the hip area and move away off the legs so they are vertical and facing away from parent/carer. Hold for 8-10 seconds and bring them back on to legs.

Inversion Flip
Sit with your legs stretched out and place baby on your shins face up with their head at your ankles and a cushion by your feet; this is the same stance as basic inversion. Hold the baby securely at the hips with the thumbs underneath and fingers on the top and bend the knees. Lift baby to vertical, place their chest on your knees and lay them tummy down on your shins.

Inversion Flying
Working in pairs, facing each other and babies stood in front facing each other too. Holding around the torso, say “123 jump” and lift babies up on top of parent/carers’ heads. Hold for a couple of seconds and bring babies back down to face each other.

Japanese Sitting

Kneel with baby in front on their tummy then gently lift baby’s chest making sure that their knees are bent and are tucked under the body as you lift in a kneeling position. Hold for 5 to 10 seconds, then lift them up for a cuddle before lying them down and massaging their thighs. Feet should point inwards, not outwards to avoid ‘W sitting’ which is bad for the hips.

Benefits: Brings awareness to the knees, strengthens the femurs and quadriceps, good for preparing to crawl. Helps avoid ‘W’ sitting.
Caution: For babies 6 months plus with good head and neck control.

Sit and Stand Ups
With baby lying on the floor, hold on to their hands or lower arms and help them to come to sitting. Do not pull them up, babies should be lifting themselves and pulling against the parent/carers’ hands.
Benefits: Engages core, builds strength, promotes body confidence, strengthens legs, helps balance.
Cautions: Never pull the baby up by the hands instead let the baby do the work and encourage them to lift themselves by letting them wrap their hands around your fingers. Babies can be supported around the fleshy part of the lower arm above the wrist but never on the wrist.

Shoulder Flip
Standing up with baby standing or seated in front of you and facing you. Put your hands down baby’s back with thumbs placed just above hips on their back and fingers around the front. Get a good grip on their torso and lift up to shoulder so baby is facing out. Switch arm position to put one arm across their chest and the other across their hips. Reverse the move to gently place baby back on the floor. Walking can also be added. Can be done with parents sitting on knees for a lower level flip – a good introduction before trying a standing shoulder flip.
Benefits: Vestibular system, co-ordination.
Caution: Bend from the knees and do not overstretch the back. Ensure a good grip around baby’s torso.

Backward Flip
In a kneeling position with a cushion in front, lie baby down the legs facing up with bum at parent/carer’s belly. Cupping the top of baby’s shoulders with your hands, come up and forward onto knees and flip baby’s legs over to bring them to sit or stand on the cushion facing you.
Caution: Ensure babies arms stay inside your arms and baby’s head tucks under. Always use a cushion.
Benefit: Ensures spinal flexibility.

Crab
Lie baby on their back with their knees bent. Place one hand on their feet to hold them down on the floor and the other hand under baby’s hips. Gently lift the hips to around 3 inches off the floor and hold for approximately 5 to 30 seconds, or until the baby has had enough. Baby should be on their shoulders or top of back not directly on their heads. Then slowly lower the hips back down to the floor.
Counterpose – Bring baby’s knees into chest.

Benefits: Strengthens legs, thighs, hips, spine and abdomen.
Caution: Do not try to raise too high, lower the baby if they try to bend the top of their head toward the floor. Only for babies over 6 months with good head and neck control. Not for babies with high muscle tone.

Extended Roly Poly
Parent/carer to have their legs together stretched out in front of them in a seated position. Place the baby over the lower part of the thighs. Putting the fingers of one hand on the upper back and the fingers of the other hand on the lower back and the thumbs underneath the torso, gently rock the baby. Being careful of the head and neck, gently roll the baby down to the ankles taking care to make sure the hands are free and placed over the thighs. Make sure that the baby ends up on their tummy in the parent/carer’s ankles. If the baby is happy then leave them in this position for about 60 seconds.
Benefits: The vestibular system, helping with balance and co-ordination, body awareness.

Alternative Tummy Time

This can be used from 6 month if the baby has not had a lot of tummy time. It helps to open up the chest to encourage deeper breathing with a third more oxygen intake and also strengthens the spine. Ensure a cushion is at the side of your thigh where babies head will land. Lie baby on their back on your thighs, the head can touch the cushion whilst the legs hang
loose at the opposite side. Encourage floppiness and limbs to lie away from the body. A gentle rock or massage on tummy can be used. Lay baby flat for at least 30 seconds after this stretch.