Tummy time and active babies

Tummy time is one way to help your baby to strengthen the muscles they need for sitting, rolling and crawling. It supports a baby to be healthy and active.

What is tummy time?

Tummy time is a term for time a baby spends on their tummy while awake. However, it can also be interpreted as any time when they’re not lying on their back.

All upright activity is ‘tummy time.’ So this could be lying on the parent’s chest, being carried in a sling, or simply being held by a caregiver.

The term came about after the ‘back to sleep’ campaign to reduce Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (SIDS). Some babies were then spending all the time on their back, and so the guidance evolved to ‘back to sleep, tummy to play’ (Williams & Galea, 2023).

Why is being active important for babies?

Tummy time as part of an active life has plenty of benefits for a baby, such as (IHV, 2020; NHS, 2023; Williams and Galea, 2023):

Physical development, helping the baby to strengthen the muscles they need for sitting and crawling
Developing motor skills and encouraging them to roll over
Supporting a richer learning environment
Varying the pressure on the baby’s head, and so may reduce the chance of flat head syndrome (positional plagiocephaly)

When babies and young children are physically active it (Gov. UK, 2019; IHV, 2020)

Contributes to brain development
Develops muscles and bones
Improves sleep
Encourages movement and coordination
Builds relationships and language development

How do I support tummy time?

A baby will be doing a form of tummy time from birth. For example, any time they are resting against the parent’s chest, with parent and baby looking at each other. Make sure this is a time when the parent isn’t likely to fall asleep and the baby is awake and alert (NHS, 2023).

When the baby seems to be happy on the parent’s chest, they could try tummy time on their parent’s knees. Then they could move on to a few minutes of tummy time on the floor (NHS, 2023).

To start with, some babies may find it hard to lift their head off the floor. A rolled-up towel could be made into a C shape, then the baby placed on top so the towel is under their armpits and lifting their upper body (NHS, 2023).

Aim for only a few minutes at first, building up as they feel happier. Toys or books can be placed near the baby to provide interest and encourage them to reach out (NHS, 2023).

Some babies may dislike being on their tummy at first. It’s ok to stop, go back to lying over the chest or knees, and try again another day.

Only ever do tummy time when your baby is well, awake, and an adult is there to keep an eye on them (NHS, 2023).

Our NCT Nearly New Sales often have tummy time playmats available, with mirrors as well as patterns for the baby to look at. You can also join an NCT New Baby course to meet other parents and learn more about infant development.

Other ways babies can be active

Tummy time is just one way that babies can be active. The government recommends at least 30 minutes of physical activity a day for babies under 1, including tummy time (Gov.uk, 2019).

Other ways of keeping active for young babies include (NHS, 2023):

Kicking their legs
Grabbing, grasping, pushing and pulling
Playing with caregivers and other babies
Crawling around
Playing outside
Swimming

Babies love moving and exploring the world around them. Researchers found that across cultures with different ways of raising children, the babies took advantage of opportunities to move when free to do so. As a result, their motor skills developed at the same rate (Wang et al, 2025).

Babies with a disability

Babies with a physical or developmental disability will also benefit from activity. The parent can talk with a health professional about what is suitable for their circumstances. Some activities may need to be adapted for babies and children with a disability (NHS, 2023).

Activity tips for older babies

Older babies who are walking are recommended to do at least 3 hours of physical activity spread through the day (NHS, 2023). This could be (NHS, 2023):

Running around in the park
Climbing and playing at the playground
Walking rather than using a buggy all the time
Playing with toys that are picked up and moved around
Helping with simple household tasks
Action songs and dancing

Long periods of screen time or being strapped into a buggy or car seat can stop young babies and children being active. On longer car journeys everyone will benefit from a break to move around (NHS, 2023).

Baby walkers and baby seats

Some devices aren’t recommended for longer than 20 minutes at a time. Baby bouncers and walkers encourage babies to stand on their tip toes and can delay walking. Reclining baby seats can mean it takes longer for babies to learn to sit up on their own (NHS, 2023).