How to Help Your Baby Learn to Roll
Your baby has been doing tummy time for weeks or months now- when will the real action begin?? As pediatric therapists, we often get asked when a baby will begin rolling. Keep reading for more information on when babies typically roll and how you can help your baby learn this important skill!
Rolling typically first occurs when a baby accidentally rolls from belly to back anywhere between 3-5 months of age. This happens due to a weight shift during tummy time (likely from turning the head) that the baby does not yet have the muscle control to counteract. Babies who accidentally roll belly to back often do so quickly without control and may look surprised! Controlled rolling belly to back will develop later once a baby has gained more solid control over the shoulder, core, and neck musculature.
Babies typically roll back to belly by 6 months of age. Before mature rolling back to belly can occur, our babies must strengthen the muscles on the front of the body, the back of the body, and the side of the body. It takes coordination of all three muscle groups for a successful roll.
In addition to tummy time, there are a lot of different activities that our babies can participate in to develop these contributing muscle groups! See below for more specifics:
Sidelying Play:
Playing in sidelying is an excellent position to support the development of rolling. Sidelying is a transitional position when rolling in either direction and requires muscle balance between the flexor muscles on the front of our babies’ body and the extensor muscles on the back in order to maintain the position (muscle groups that are important in rolling!)
Other benefits of sidelying play:
As your baby attempts to lift their head and body from the surface, sidelying strengthens the muscles on the side of the body (the lateral flexors).
Sidelying allows your baby to easily bring their hands to the middle of the body for body exploration, hand on hand play, and play with toys at midline; it also allows for easier reaching as your baby doesn’t have to lift their arm as high against gravity.
It provides new tactile, proprioceptive, vestibular, and visual experiences.
Working in sidelying (coupled with tummy time and back play) promotes a rounded head and decreases the chances of flat head syndrome.
Begin sideyling play even before your baby can maintain the position on their own by using a towel roll or pillow to support them. Try laying down next to your baby or using a mirror for increased entertainment. Be sure to work on both sides!
Hand to Foot Play
Hand to foot play is an excellent activity to encourage as a precursor to rolling. Hand to foot play strengthens our babies’ abdominal muscles (think sit-ups and leg lifts!). Activation of the abdominals is required for a mature roll back to belly and a controlled roll belly to back. Other benefits include:
Providing sensory input to the feet and hands (which helps desensitize our babies’ feet in prep for standing)
Stretching out the hamstring muscles
Activating the abdominal obliques when reaching two hands to one foot
Crossing the midline of the body when reaching two hands to one foot
Try these tricks to help your baby engage in hand to foot play:
Get down on the floor and approach your baby from below (near the feet!) to bring attention towards the feet
Use an ankle rattle or fun socks to draw your baby’s attention to the feet
Hook a ring-shaped toy around your baby’s foot and help your baby grasp the toy
Place a small towel roll under your baby’s hips to elevate them slightly off the surface (this decreases the amount of work on the abs)
Gently guide your baby’s hands to the feet and provide some assistance to hold if needed
Practice during diaper changes!
Upper Extremity Weight-Bearing
If your baby has difficulty with propping on forearms or pushing up through extended arms while on their tummy, it will be challenging to roll from belly to back -- their arms will simply get in the way and block the roll. Check out some tips below to help your baby weight-bear through the arms and build strength through the shoulder girdle!
Place your baby’s chest on a boppy pillow or on your leg with arms extended over the side for weight-bearing onto the floor (make sure their hands can reach the floor)
From this position, try activities that will encourage your baby to push into the floor (fill up a pan with water for water play; use a tummy time water play mat; present fabrics of different textures to explore)
As your baby gets stronger with weight-bearing through the arms, encourage reaching for elevated toys with one arm to work on the weight-shifts required for rolling (an activity cube, toys placed on a pillow, suction toys on a mirror or window)
Remove the additional assistance (i.e., boppy pillow or leg) as your baby gets stronger!
***Concerned about delays in your baby’s rolling skills? Reach out to Tiny Transformations to schedule a personalized evaluation with one of our highly skilled pediatric therapists.