Lying on your lap
Bend your knees up and rest your baby in your lap, with their bent legs resting on your tummy. This position encourages them to be curled up and supports their head in the middle.
Talking to your baby will stimulate them to look at you, and interact. Cup your hands behind their shoulders to help them bring their hands together, so they can see their hands and start to take them to their face. If they are calm and alert, introduce a soft toy and allow them to feel it with their hands.
If they become unsettled help them bring their hands together near to their mouth so that they start to learn how to settle themselves.
Allow your baby to experience gentle movement whilst feeling supported and secure by slowly moving them backwards and forwards. As their head control improves you can reduce the amount of support you offer.
On the floor
If your baby continues to lie with their arms and legs splayed out when they are on their back, they may find it difficult to bring their hands up to explore their face or keep their hands together above their chest.
To help them, position a rolled up towel around them, under their shoulders and around their thighs. This will support them in a curled up position with their head in middle.
As they gets more active and stronger they will need less support and will no longer require the rolled up towel.
Do not do this at night while they are sleeping.
Under a play gym
When your baby starts this new activity, provide additional support by using a rolled up towel (as above). This will make it easier for them to touch the toys, hit them with better accuracy and for longer before tiring.
Place the play gym over their tummy. Encourage them to keep their head in the middle and look at the toys.
Encourage them to use both hands to grasp and hit the toys
Remember to watch your baby for ‘cues’ indicating that they are getting tired or over stimulated. Try 1-2 minutes of interaction before having a rest. Allow them time to rest or try holding them in a different way.