Ways to Play

Pulling up & getting back down.

Expected Age Range: 8-10 months, or so.

Babies learn to pull up to stand before they know how to get down. That’s why these activities are organized in order of pulling up to stand, followed by learning how to control lowering back to the floor.

Walking Hands Up Onto a Stool or Box

Once you have a proficient crawler on your hands, start leaving a small supportive stool or box (about knee height) in their play space. Your baby will begin to experiment with climbing their hands up onto the stool. 

By placing their hands up on the stool, they have to shift their weight backward and they end up in a partial kneeling position. This is the first step between quadruped position and pulling up to tall kneeling (or standing on their knees), and then eventually pulling up to stand. 

Remove the Couch Cushion

Remove the couch cushion and place some of your baby’s favorite toys where the cushion used to be. This creates a space that they are intrigued by, where they can pull up onto their knees and play. The lower height makes it a little easier for them to get up.

Put the Couch Cushion Back

Replace the couch cushion after your baby is able to easily pull up to the couch without the cushion. 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. 

Be The Jungle Gym

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. 

If they are kneeling while holding onto you, try slowly shifting their weight from side to side. Pause for 1-2 seconds on each side. This side to side weight shift prepares them for stepping one foot forward for pulling up to stand. 

Toy Placement for Mini Squats

Pulling up to the couch? Piece of cake. But then they are stuck and start crying because they don’t know how to get down. Their first attempts are big, uncontrolled, plops down to the floor. Sticking their bum out behind them and keeping their knees locked, while bracing for impact.

Eventually, as balance and strength improve, this transition down to the floor will start looking a little more elegant. And that’s because they learn to bend their knees with better control.

Try this if you want to help your baby figure it out. While standing at the couch, hold a toy to your baby’s side, at knee-level, to encourage a mini-squat as they reach for the toy. 

A mini-squat while releasing the supportive surface with one hand is a great way to start building strength and control for lowering. Remember to practice this on both sides.

Once they have mastered the mini-squat, hold the toy lower, eventually placing it on the floor. As your baby develops more control, they will be able to squat down to sit on the floor. And later on… squat to get the toy and return to standing without sitting on the floor!

Sit to Stand at the Couch

When your baby is standing and playing at a supportive surface, place a small stool or study box that is knee height behind them as a seat. Sit your baby down on the “seat” and let them try pulling up to stand from this sitting position. 

You can also help them lower from standing down to sitting by gently pulling their hips backward and down. 

This activity helps babies develop the control to bend their knees as they lower themselves down from standing.