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Home › Articles › Guiding Baby's Development › Brain Builders

Brain Builders

Stimulating Activities for Your 7-month-old Baby

By Tammy Morey

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Sitting up is the name of the game this month. By the end of 7th month, Baby will probably be sitting up without any support. Congratulations! He's getting more and more independent as each day passes.

To be able to sit without any help means Baby has mastered his sense of balance. You have probably noticed that while he is sitting he will lean forward and support himself with either one or both of his arms. Once this has happened, he will begin to explore areas within his reach. Then he will begin to maneuver himself, often turning and twisting to reach what he wants. Soon, he'll begin to get into a seated position from his stomach by pushing up and then backward on his arms, looking like he's backing into a seated position.

Of course sitting up without support also means the beginning of bumps, bruises and boo boos, all a part of the process of crawling and walking. Try not to overreact whenever he loses his balance and topples, because your responses will help determine his. A few simple rules of thumb: Stay within reaching distance, do not sit him on a hardwood floor without cushioning and, if in doubt, use a Boppy cushion or stacked pillows to surround him so he will have a soft cushion to land on.

As he gains confidence, he will begin to lunge forward from his sitting position and rest his body weight on his hands and knees. From this position, he will start rocking forward and backward, resting back on his heels and lying down on his stomach when he is tired.

Getting Ready to Crawl
Now that he's mastered sitting up, crawling may not be far behind. To help your baby build the strength in his core muscles needed to crawl, try playing "tummy time" games with him lying facedown on the floor. Because we now know the importance of not putting him to sleep on his stomach, oftentimes we carry this fear over to putting him on his stomach at any time.

Typically, babies do not like being placed on their stomachs, but by making this daily activity fun, you will be surprised at how quickly they will develop their strength while enjoying daily tummy time with you. One way to make tummy time fun is by laying him facedown on your shins (his head will be resting near your knees, and his feet will be resting on the tops of your ankles), rolling back and playing airplane games with him. This encourages him to lift his head and look at your face.

Another way to help him build his strength and balance is by placing interesting toys and objects in front of him and just out of his reach. You can do this in several positions: while he is positioned on his stomach and propped up on his arms or by placing him on his stomach on a plastic beach ball or exercise ball. This encourages him to reach and grasp the objects, and reaching is a prerequisite for crawling. As with all supervised play activities, be sure to stay within arm's distance in case he falls. Taking time to sit down on the floor and play with him every day is an important way to nurture his sense of security and well-being.

Language Lessons

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