Type of Flooring & Motor Skill Success

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“Do the types of floors you have impact development for your baby?”

ANSWER – Absolutely! Not in the sense that you should stress about the flooring you have, but it can definitely have a bit of an impact on motor skill development as they work through strengthening/motor planning/sensory, etc. One tip I often share with parents is to try taking your baby’s clothes off if they are close to the crawling milestone but getting frustrated slipping or sliding around!

Especially for crawling, taking clothes off is not only huge for reducing slipping & giving some traction, but it also lets them FEEL the surface they are on. And for persistent army crawling, just a diaper is even better to get them off their belly! When it comes to walking, for similar reasons – we know that barefoot is best for similar reasons AND because of foot development, strengthening, and the overall ability to interact with and adjust based on varying surfaces. The sensory input of bare skin on surfaces is wonderful for so many things, but it can also truly make a huge difference when they are right on the cusp of that next skill.

Another tip is if you mainly have hard wooded/tiled floors, try adding a rug or practicing crawling in a carpeted area while they are learning until they have really mastered the skill! I swear sometimes the smallest things make the biggest difference. You can see the difference both of these tips make in this reel. If you’re in need of an amazing, BEAUTIFUL soft play mat, we have used and loved our Shwally Home playmats (discount cod: KC) for years! And if having a safe ‘yes’ space for babe is something you need, both this portable playyard (we LOVED and used this so often outdoors when the kids were smaller!) and this indoor one are AWESOME options for safe floor play & independent exploration!

Parents also ask often if learning to crawl on hard wood floors is uncomfortable for their baby, you can read about that here! Hope that helps!

Hope this helps!

Want More?

For developmental questions, tips and guidance related to milestones about tummy time, rolling & sitting, crawling and walking, check out KC’s developmental Masterclasses linked here.

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KC is a pediatric doctor of physical therapy, wife and mom of three! She has spent her career working with children and young adults of all ability levels, and currently specializes in birth to three years.