Proper Motor Development: Help Your Baby Prepare for Crawling Ages 7-9 Months

On-Demand Class · Supporting development

Learn simple, fun activities that encourage your baby to crawl, including creeping, getting into crawling position, and preparing for crawling.

Class Description

This class teaches five activities you can do with your baby to help them prepare for crawing, and includes lessons on why these activities and the skills they nurture are so important. They all encourage your baby to be active, achieve new movement skills, and strengthen muscles. You will get ideas for helping your baby reach important milestones, like creeping and getting into crawling position. Learning to crawl is important for many reasons, and babies love it because it allows them to explore their environment and feel independent! The activities are meant to be fun for both of you. When practicing, we recommend keeping your smartphone next to your baby so you can do the activity properly. Repeat the activity a few times a day if possible.

Class Materials

Mattress, a few different toys, balls.

Sessions Overview

  1. Creeping - 7 months: Learn how to encourage creeping (your baby moving forward on their tummy). Creeping is exciting for babies because they can move to and get toys by themselves. To practice the activity, go directly to session 2.
  2. Session 2: Practice Creeping
  3. Strengthening Muscles for Crawling - 8 Months: Learn how to help your baby strengthen the muscle groups they will need for crawling. To practice the activity, go directly to session 4.
  4. Session 4: Practice strengthening the muscle groups needed for crawling.
  5. Standing on Hands and Knees - 8 Months: Learn how to teach your baby to stand on their hands and knees, as well as why this is important. To practice this activity, go directly to session 6.
  6. Session 6: Practice Standing on Hands and Knees
  7. Side Sitting Transitional Position - 9 Months: Learn how to teach your baby side sitting, which contains important movement components and serves as a starting point for various movements, like standing on hands and knees, standing up, and transitioning from sitting to lying. To practice the activity, go directly to session 8.
  8. Session 8: Practice Side Sitting

Your Instructor

Hanna Lewitus

Hanna Lewitus (Bpt, MAph) is a certified neurodevelopment physical therapist specializing in child neurology and motor development for premature newborns, babies, and children. Ms.Lewitus has been the head of the Physical Therapy Department of ALYN Pediatric and Adolescent Rehabilitation Hospital in Jerusalem. Her main focus is to empower parents and provide them with tools to safely guide their babies through motor development, ensuring they align with the normative development. Ms. Lewitus lives with her husband in Haifa, Israel, is mother to 3 children and grandmother to 7, and is an avid photographer and musician.

Degrees and Certifications

BA physical therapy, MAph 15 years leading a hospital physical therapy department Child Neurology Clinic in Hadassa Hospital Jerusalem NICU - Hadassa Hospital Member - national health committee for treatment policy decisions Worked in HMOs as a developmental neurology PT

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