Ways to Play

Sitting skills.

Expected Age Range: 6-8 months, or so.

These activities are organized by the phases of sitting. 1. Propped sitting. 2. Up right sitting. 3. Side sitting. 4. Getting in and out of sitting.

For Propped Sitting

When to Start Propped Sitting

Once your baby has good enough head control and they are rolling on their own, you can begin practicing sitting.

If their back is very rounded forwards and their chin falls to their chest, it is too early to begin practicing sitting. In this case, keep practicing tummy time. 

What is Propped Sitting

“Propped sitting” is the first phase of sitting. Place your baby in “propped sitting” with their hands propped on the floor in front of them when you place them in sitting, slightly folded over, but with their chest off their legs. 

How to Practice Propped Sitting

Try to bring their attention up from the floor with a toy. This will help them make attempts to push up through their arms and sit up tall. 

For Upright Sitting

Sitting With a Tall Toy Between Your Baby’s Legs

Once your baby is able to maintain propped sitting, help them develop upright sitting by placing a tall toy between their legs. The toy should be about 6 inches tall. A small tissue box would work, as well. Your baby can put their hands on top of the box for extra support when they are learning to balance. 

Sitting in a Couch Corner or Laundry Basket

Practice sitting upright in the corner of the sofa, of a large sturdy box, or a low laundry basket. The sides will act as “bumpers” while still allowing your baby to begin learning the limits of their balance. You can place stuffed animals around your baby for extra support and they can hold onto the edges.

Sitting in a Box While Being Pulled Around

If your baby needs more support, you can place stuffed animals or pillows around your baby’s hips and trunk for extra support. Now try pulling that box or laundry basket around the room for a balance challenge and to notch up the fun.

Tilting Side to Side for Protective Extension

The protective extension reflex will emerge around the time of independent sitting. This is when your baby reflexively puts their hand out to block their fall, and regain sitting. Head righting is another reflex that helps your baby bring their head back to midline so they can keep their balance in sitting. 

You can practice eliciting this response by tilting your baby to the side while they are sitting, just until you notice them put their arm out to block their fall. Then slowly bring them back to upright sitting position. 

Allow Falling in a Safe Environment

Every little wobble brings in a flow of information to your baby’s brain, and elicits a balance response from your baby. Place pillows around your baby when they are learning to balance in upright sitting and allow them to fall within a safe environment. That means their head should be protected. 

Visual Tracking to Challenge Sitting Balance

Every time your baby moves their head to track a moving object it challenges their balance. Hold an item that your baby is interested in up off the floor at eye level and try moving it in the following directions: to the left and right, up, down, diagonally up to each side, and diagonally down to each side. Allow your baby to make attempts to reach for and grab the item. If they are able to get it, pause and let them have an opportunity to play with the item. 

For Side Sitting

Purposeful Toy Placement

Once protective extension has emerged, your baby may be ready to start exploring side-sitting position. Start encouraging side sitting by placing a toy in front of and to the side of your baby while they are sitting upright. The toy should be just outside their reach and difficult for them to get at first. You will notice them attempt to weight shift to that side and maybe put their hands on the floor in front and to the side. There will be a loss of balance at first. Then your baby may lower themselves onto their tummy from sitting. With practice and experimentation, your baby will lean outside of their base of support to reach the toy and return to sitting. Your baby should be practicing this to both the left and right sides. 

Side Sitting With One Hand Support While Playing

The more comfortable your baby becomes with reaching to the side to get to toys and lowering themself to the floor, the more frequently you will see them sitting in a “Z” sitting posture. 

This position should come naturally without you needing to place them in this position. You will notice your baby placing their left or right hand on the floor for support, while playing with a toy with the other hand. They should be equally as comfortable with both hands as support. A toy that is stable, as tall as eye level, and positioned slightly to the side is best for playing in this position. 

 “Z” sitting or side-sitting allows your baby to quickly transition out of sitting onto hands and knees or onto their tummy. They should be able to sit in this position on both sides.

For Getting Into and Out of Sitting

Tummy Time and Rolling to Get Into Sitting

Continuing to prioritize tummy time will provide your baby with the opportunities they require to learn how to get in and out of sitting on their own.

Getting in and out of sitting is done through side sitting and requires trunk rotation and trunk side-bending. Rolling is the building block skill that helps babies develop trunk rotation and side-bending. So if your baby is not rolling yet, pop over to the rolling level to practice those skills and then come back to this transition.

If your baby is rolling in both directions, then practice side sitting activities and this transition in and out of sitting should happen soon.