Active Play for Babies

In honor of Kids Eat Right Month, my family and I are making a conscious effort to be more physically active together everyday. The more I reflect on our daily activity, the more I realize that our 10-month old son is the most physically active person in our family! In fact he has held this title since I started doing bicycle leg kicks and tummy time with him at 3-weeks of age. Now that he’s walking with assistance and crawling like a speed racer, he’s leading by example, and making sure Mom and Dad keep up!

Forget the gym or free weights. Most baby’s use their body weight + toys for physical activity. If only I had that much fun working out! The best part for them? They don’t think of it as working out. They WANT to move, run, climb, etc. The best part for parents? Their activity doesn’t require bells and whistles. Carpets, play mats, walkers, and Mom or Dad’s hands do the job! We’ll definitely be buying (or saving Joey’s) these toys for baby #2:

0-3 months: NogginStick Developmental Light-up Rattle, Dandelion Organic Crinkle Elephant

3-6 months: Little Tikes Tap-A-Tune Drum, Nino Plastic Egg Shaker

6-9 months: Soft carpet (baby is rolling and crawling), OBall Roller

9-12 months: VTech Sit to Stand Walker, A well rested Mom and Dad

We have other toys in our house (a lot actually), but these are the go-to’s that Joey uses multiple times a day! Here’s a snapshot of how our Mr. Busy-Body is a mover n’ shaker:

Here’s a few of my favorite “active baby” photos before Joey started sitting up and crawling…

When baby starts showing signs of activity (such as my Joey examples), grab your running shoes and be sure to stretch every night when baby is asleep. Things are about to get busier in your house!