Brand New Dad » Month By Month » 8 Months Old » Floor Time

Your baby is starting to move around more and explore her world. You can help her practice to crawl and creep and scoot. She's on the move! First, make her floor space safe and fun.

• Find a quilt or blanket with colorful patterns to put under her.
• Place interesting objects on the floor so she can crawl to them. You can use soft pillows, stuffed animals or soft blocks.
• Let her crawl on things with different textures. This can be a big beach towel, a smooth sheet or a fuzzy blanket. You can play all sorts of fun games on the floor with your baby. Here are some ideas:
• Your baby will love to roll a ball back and forth with you. Use a soft fabric ball that has a bell inside. When you roll it, it will make a noise.
• Take turns playing a crawling game. Say, "I'm going to catch you!" and crawl after her. Then say, "You catch me!" and crawl away slowly enough for her to catch you.
• Put a towel on the floor next to your baby. Put a toy on it that's out of her reach. Show her how to drag the towel to her to bring the toy closer. Say to her "get it, get the toy."
• Make a stack of soft blocks. See how high you can make it before your baby knocks them all down. She loves to make that happen. Laugh with her when she does it.