It is always an amazing change when a child who is so dependent on you can start crawling and walking on their own a bit. One-on-one time with our children playing and interacting is really important, but it is also important for a child to learn to explore (in safe ways) on their own. It can take time for a child to let you go, but around the older infant and toddler stage they start to be willing to let you set them free. 🙂 This sensory crawl infant and toddler activity is a fun way to encourage your child’s independent exploration and gives you a chance to #SetBabyFree safely with Huggies Little Movers!

When the twins first started to crawl around on their own, my kitchen was pretty much always covered in a layer of plastic food storage container lids! They were always digging through the low cupboards in the kitchen. At times it was cute when they would play together and I would catch them interacting, but sometimes I just wanted to see my kitchen floor without the clutter.

Mobile infants and toddlers are in a great stage for introducing fun activities that get them moving. It does not have to be complicated to keep them exploring safe and interesting-to-them items . Setting up a sensory crawl: infant and toddler activity is an easy way to keep your mobile baby exploring safely while learning.

All you need to set up a sensory crawl in your house are some items you probably already have in your cupboards. I will list what I used to set this sensory crawl activity for infants and toddlers up in my house and provide some ideas for alternatives.

Sensory Crawl Infant and Toddler Activity-Supplies:

(You can use any variety or number of items that are safe for baby. The items marked with a * are the ones I used.)

packing tape (for securing items to the floor)

baking cooling rack*

pillow*

LEGO or DUPLO building mat*

washcloth*

piece of fabric

clothing item

bubble wrap

rug grip*

piece of cardboard

(Or any other items you can think of that would be safe for baby to crawl on or walk over.)

Set Up The Sensory Crawl Activity:

First, choose the items you want to use.

Second, use strips of packing tape to secure each item to the floor. This is optional, but for walkers, it may be safer to secure anything slippery to help prevent falls.

Then, let your Little Mover loose to explore!

I started by suggesting that the twins crawl along the sensory pathway. This was so they would get close to each item to see and feel it. They did stop to touch a few times as they were crawling along the path. This sensory crawl infant and toddler activity is something you can set up and leave for a few days-it is easy to vacuum over, and can all be washed if items were to get dirty-always necessary with little movers in the house!

The twins tried walking along the path too. You can see in the video that they really were exploring the sensory experience.

 

 

At one time, they even walked hand-in-hand. I had to get a shot of that moment. 🙂

There was some running involved too. (Huggies Little Movers Diapers are very necessary!) These two keep me running all day long.

A sensory crawl activity is a great way to encourage infants and toddlers to crawl and walk by adding a safe focus for their exploration. Even if you have a baby who has not started walking, using this idea for tummy time gets your infant reaching and touching which makes play time more interesting for them.

How Do You #SetBabyFree?

You can check out even more ideas from moms for getting your infants and toddlers moving by heading over to the Huggies Little Movers Facebook page. Share your photos or videos with #SetBabyFree and you may be featured on Huggies social media channels!

I have used Huggies Little Movers Diapers with all 4 of  my children. They have always been flexible allowing my children to crawl and learn to walk at their pace. New Huggies Little Movers have a Moving Baby System* for outstanding grip, fit, and wetness protection which absorbs on contact, so babies get the most out of every little move as they begin to kick, roll, crawl and walk. The double grip strips keep the diaper secure through all the crawling and walking, and their movement is never restricted due to Huggies Little Movers comfortable contoured shape.

Upload your photo to Twitter, Facebook Google+ or Instagram and use #SetBabyFree so we can see how your baby gets moving!

I will be sharing more photos of the twinnies doing their thing and can’t wait to see what your little ones are up to!

What was your child’s favorite activity when they started crawling or walking on their own? Share in the comments below!