Teacher Tips - Infants

Infants need to move! Arrange your classroom so there are open spaces where the children can crawl without bumping into things.

Infants do not have a sense of height. They will crawl under furniture and sit up without regard to bumping their heads. They will also pull up on furniture without regard to what is above them. Choose and arrange furniture with this in mind.

Check the floors! Babies will put anything in their mouths, so pick up things that are not safe for chewing!

Infants do not understand “no.” Be sure unsafe things are out of their reach. As they get older, they will learn what they can and cannot touch.

Commercially-made soft play structures made of firm foam and covered with vinyl are very good for motor development. They come in different shapes and sizes and last a long time.

To help a child to sit up, put one or two “tubes” (the kind that are used in a swimming pool) around her.

Place your hands firmly against the soles of a baby’s feet so he can use them to push off for crawling.

To encourage crawling for a baby with a visual impairment, play a musical toy a short distance away. Encourage the baby to crawl to the sound.

To encourage crawling for a child with a hearing impairment, place a lighted toy a short distance away. Make gestures to encourage the baby to crawl to the light.

Roll a ball slowly for your infants to “chase” to practice crawling. Try this with a child who seems unsure about starting to crawl.

When your older infants are ready to walk with support, get some sturdy rolling toys for them to hold onto and push from a standing position. A sturdy child-sized shopping cart and a sturdy doll stroller are two examples.

When they are ready, infants will pull up on everything! Be sure the furniture in your classroom is sturdy enough to support the children. Check the furniture for sharp edges, too.

Have a place where your infants can play outside. Arrange outdoor time apart from the older children.

For babies who are not crawling yet, put them on a mat or blanket with toys to explore.

Talk to the children about everything they do. They learn language while they’re moving, too!

Source: Bright from the Start