The Play Space

Pulling up & getting back down.

Get the play environment ready for a strong baby on the move. The world is your baby’s jungle gym, now.

• 1. Provide a safe and stable surfaces to pull up on.

  First and foremost, you’ll need to provide your baby with safe and stable places for them to practice pulling up to stand. Coffee tables without pointed corners or edges, the sofa, a stable chair, or a stable box.

  Some surfaces are easier to pull up at than others, depending on how well your baby is able to grip it with their hands. A fluffy couch cushion with rounded edges will be more difficult to pull up on than a more sturdy ottoman with piping along the seams that your baby can grip onto.

  Be mindful that if your furniture is not secured properly, it can be deadly if it tips over when your baby is pulling up to stand.

• 2. Place toys up on furniture.

  Move all of your baby’s toys up off the floor and onto the couch. By placing your baby's toys up on the couch, it will encourage them to crawl over and attempt to pull up to stand at this supportive surface.

• 3. Remove the couch cushion for a lower surface to pull up on.

  If your couch is too high for your baby to pull up to stand, try removing the couch cushion.

  This will be much easier for your baby to pull up to stand at because they can lean their upper body onto it, requiring less leg strength to get up. Soon they will be able to conquer the full height, cushion and all.

• 4. Place a toy at knee height in standing.

  Have some toys or items of interest that are knee-height on hand. You can use them for activities that help your baby learn how to control lowering to the floor from standing at a supportive surface, and to squat to pick up a toy and return to standing without sitting down.

• 5. Keep a small stool or sturdy box nearby.

  Have a small supportive stool or box (about knee height) available. This will be useful for your baby to experiment with climbing their hands up to mid-level heights and learn to kneel before they fully pull up to stand.

• 6. Be the jungle gym.

  You are your baby’s favorite jungle gym. It’s likely that your baby will feel most comfortable pulling up to stand when climbing up on you.

  If your baby starts climbing up on you, pause, and give them time to figure out how to do it, before you pick them up.

• 7. Avoid shoes, socks, loose or restrictive clothes.

  Whenever possible, let your baby practice with their knees, feet, and toes exposed on a non-slip surface. Traction is your baby’s friend when it comes to pulling up to stand.

  Try to avoid footy pajamas, socks, loose baggy clothing like dresses, and tight movement limiting clothes like jeans.