How it Plays

Place your baby on her tummy, facing you, on top of a beach ball that's firm but not completely inflated. Make sure her body is centered on the ball. Hold her securely under her arms and don't let go. Play a game of slowly rolling her toward you and then away from you. Make eye contact with her as you talk about what she is doing. "You're on top of the ball. Now you're rolling to Mommy. Now you're rolling away!" Variations: When you think your baby is ready for a slightly more advanced version of this game, place her on the ball facing away from you. Put a favorite toy in front of her. Kneel behind her, holding firmly onto her thighs, and roll her forward toward the toy and then away from it. Encourage her to reach out and try to grasp the toy. If your baby is older than 5 months, you can try a bouncing game: Sit her on top of the ball facing you. Bounce her gently up and down, chanting, "Bouncy, bouncy, bouncy ball. Up you go and down you fall!"

What You'll Need

Learning and Growing

These games are good for developing your baby's neck, shoulder, and upper-body strength as well as her sense of balance.