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Celebrate Crawling! 8 Reasons Crawling Creates Capable Kids
Did you know that this generation of kids is less likely to crawl than any generation in the history of toddlers? That is, if you live in the U.S. or the U.K. We have embraced the Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (SIDS) "Back To Sleep" program which trains new Moms to place their babies on their backs to minimize suffocation risk. Gratefully, there has been a decrease in SIDS. We've just forgotten the second part of the message..."Tummy Time for PLAY." Why care if kids don't crawl? Many pediatricians advise us to use a different developmental milestone to guage a child's development. However, crawling creates capable kids.Bucket Babies. Have you noticed that our babies are now placed in "infant carriers" for a good part of the day? We apparently can no longer carry a baby, or transport a baby with out an infant carrier. What happened to the old-fashioned supporting a child with one arm? And juggling daily chores with a baby, dipping and bending to get things done...baby in tow? Their heads could perceive this movement, building a foundation for balance reactions. Their little bodies would be challenged by gravity, building core muscles. Our sweet babies now spend hours a day, flat on their backs, in rigid plastic...then go to sleep, where else, but on their backs!
Why crawl? The Walk The Walk blog by Susan Simms is an excellent description of some of the benefits of crawling. As a school-based occupational therapist, I was often asked what the best tool or activity was to help handwriting. Teachers were confused when I said, "a tunnel." If you are a teacher of pre-K, K, 1st and 2nd grades, you can help our kids by using tunnels, animal walks and tummy reading. You will strengthen all the muscles that are developed in our generation of "bucket babies." These muscles of the neck, shoulders, wrists, back and even the muscles that help our eyes work that are essential for schoolwork. Here's a list of some of the reasons crawling creates capable kids:
- Strengthens neck muscles used for reading and looking from the desk to the whiteboard
- Builds wrist strength, essential for writing control
- Strengthens shoulder muscles used in all fine-motor tasks, especially writing
- Builds core muscles of the back and abdomen used for sitting comfortably in a chair
- Strengthens ocular control essential for reading and locating objects in the classroom
- Cross crawl integrates reflexes to ensure efficiency in motor tasks like drinking from a drinking fountain
- Cross crawl helps the body reach across midline making tasks, like getting crayons out of the box, or drawing diagonal lines and letters, executed more efficiently
- Crawling builds core muscles that help breathing, and breathing effectively calms the body
Are you concerned that kids don't crawl? Have you incorporated any crawling activities into class or home? Do you have ideas that can help our non-crawlers?
Comment
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Comment by Kelli McCoy on June 15, 2012 at 11:13pm -
Man, I wish I had saved my tunnel from when the boys were little for my current classroom now! I will be looking at garage sales this summer.
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Comment by Diana Ashby Henry on November 22, 2011 at 12:03pm -
You have taught me so much. You have been and continue to be an inspiration to many across the US. We are all fortunate to have you as a mentor!
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Comment by Sue Wilkinson on November 22, 2011 at 8:44am
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Tools for Infants sounds terrific! Everyone is raving about Tools for Tots. What I like is that Tools for Tots is now required reading at many pre-Ks and daycares. BRAVO! I can't wait till every teacher understands sensory processing. Thanks for changing the planet Diana!
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Comment by Diana Ashby Henry on November 17, 2011 at 3:27pm
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Perfect! Many thanks for posting this Ms Sue. You rock!!!! We will be addressing crawling in our upcoming Tools for Infants book.
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Comment by Lorna d'Entremont on October 5, 2011 at 12:32pm -
Thanks for pointing out the benefits of crawling. During a remedial reading class I took, one of the activities suggested teachers do with students who had problems with reading was to have a long tunnel like tube for these youngsters to crawl through to redo the crawling they might have missed during toddlerhood!
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Comment by Martianne Stanger on September 30, 2011 at 9:26am
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I so believe in the benefits of crawling not only for babies, but older children as well. I always incorporate crawling into story house activites, obstacle courses and the like. It's great for vestibular work as well as developing in all the ways you mentioned. It also is a good alternative for "no running". When I worked on a cruise ship and at a camp, I used to say, "you can crawl as fast as you like" ratehr than "no running". worked great!
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