5. Activities for creeping and crawling
To move about, many
babies first begin
to creep*,
and then to crawl*,
DEVELOPMENT ACTIVITIES 309
or to scoot
on their butt.
Note: Some babies never crawl but go directly from sitting to standing and walking. Whether
or not they crawl often depends on cultural patterns and whether the family encourages it.
If the child can lift her head well when lying on her stomach, encourage her to begin
creeping in these ways:
Put a toy or food the child
likes just out of reach.
At first it may
help to support
his feet.
CAUTION: If the
child has cerebral
palsy, supporting
the feet may cause
legs to straighten
stiffly. If this
happens do not
support her feet.
If the child cannot
bring her leg forward
to creep, help her by
lifting the hip.
cp
If the child has difficulty beginning to creep or crawl:
Let her ‘ride’ your knee. Play ‘horsey’. Slowly
move your knee up and down and sideways so that
she shifts her weight from side to side.
Or put the child over a bucket or log. To
help him bear weight with his elbows
straight, firmly push down on his
shoulders and release. Repeat several
times.
Encourage her to
lift one hand off
the ground and
shift her weight
to the other.
Then help her to
move forward.
If the baby has trouble beginning to crawl,
hold him up with a towel like this. As he
gains strength, gradually support him less.
Move him from
side to side
so he shifts
weight from
one arm and
leg to the
other.
Older brothers
and sisters
can help.
Encourage the
child to first
reach—and
later crawl—
for something
he wants.
*North American therapists use these terms in the reverse way (creep for crawl and crawl for creep).
disabled village children