Your baby rolling from back to front or front to back is an amazing milestone which most little ones achieve between the ages of four to seven months. It is one of the first big indicators that a baby is getting ready to start crawling, and signals that it won’t be long before they’re on the move!
Its an exciting period for families and comes at a time when babies tend to be developing their own personalities, trying solid food for the first time and are generally exploring the world around them a little more. As a result, it’s important to have a range of good quality playmats at home to help support this stage and encourage them to continue to roll both ways.
But what else can you do to help your little one become an expert roller? In this blog post we’ll be sharing some of our top tips and tricks to get your baby rolling.
Get on the playmat too
Playmats aren’t just for the baby. You can have lots of fun sharing playmats with your little one, plus it’s a great way to encourage him or her to get moving.
Perhaps you’ve noticed your baby pushing themselves one way or another and they’re not quite turning the whole way. Why not get down on the floor with them and dangle some toys one side of their head. This could encourage them to twist their head round that little bit more before pushing their legs and giving their torso the momentum to roll. It’s a really fun activity to do together!
Give them a helping hand
When your baby is trying to roll and moving their limbs from one side to another, there’s no harm in giving them a gentle helping hand to roll onto their side and then to their front or back. Roll out a some baby soft playmats, ensure that their comfortable, and let them have some time to explore their toys on the floor. Once you see them swinging their legs or grabbing their feet, they could be getting ready to roll. Gently push them onto their side and they may then be able to push themselves right the way over. A few practice runs like this and your little one will be rolling both ways in no time!
Put out their favourite toys
In order to keep your baby engaged, leave out lots of their favourite toys all over your baby playmats. This will encourage them to shuffle and move about, whilst reaching and grabbing for their rattle, teether or cuddly toy.
If one of their toys is just out of reach, you’ll probably see your little one trying to work out the best way of getting to it – and this could help encourage them to roll over.
Try placing a toy just above their head when they are lying down so they have to look up to find it. They’ll start to twist their body before pulling their arms and legs over in order to roll and grab at the toy!If you’re children are into the jungle themed toys or safari, we have our jungle playmat which is a perfect addition to any nursery!
Remember, there’s no need to rush
Never compare your baby to others and always remember that all babies develop at their own pace. You may find that your friends’ babies are rolling on their playmats by four or five months, and some may take a lot longer to develop this skill.
There is not definitive timeframe in which you should expect rolling to happen. However, if you are concerned or worried about your baby’s development, always speak to your GP or health visitor.
What baby playmats are best?
Playmats should not only be soft and comfortable for your baby to lie on a play on, they should also provide some kind of stimulation to keep them occupied and to help them develop visual and movement skills.
At Playmats Direct, our range of baby playmats have been developed and designed with learning in mind – providing a range of sensory benefits for your little ones. We also offer a wide variety of stylish designs and patterns to fit in with your home’s interior, whilst providing a safe and engaging area for your baby to develop their rolling skills.
