Let's Play, Baby!
Give your baby their best step forward.
Their journey to happiness and success starts HERE.
Baby starts playing day one.
Play and Movement are the first steps to happiness and success.
There is no "wait and see" and there is no reason to "wait until..." Your baby's time is now and every touchpoint makes an impact.
Much of play occurs with routine baby care, and when baby is free to move, out of "containers." The floor is where your baby is master, choosing if, when, and how to move. This is where baby OWNS the path of development.
The floor is where baby can explore and discover 360 degrees of movement, including sides and TUMMY! Even if your baby hates tummy time right now, this course eases you both into happy floortime play, which gives you freedom.
And, BONUS, floortime and tummy time play facilitates SLEEP! The BEST naps come after a happy tummy time session!
Knowing how to play with your baby is different than being playful. Neither is intiutive as adults with new babies, especially when we are stretched thin. But practicing what you learn in this class will maximize the impact of your time and effort as you create beautiful, connected, bonded time with your little one.
Your confidence will soar when you gain insight on development, knowing that how you show up and what you do make a profound difference for your baby and your relationship. You will have fun playing with your baby in ways you didn't imagine, shaping baby's brain, body, and emotional well-being with smiles and giggles and amazing new tricks.
It's Playtime!
Play is Great, but WHY Should I Care About
Tummy Time?
"I know my pediatrician says I'm supposed to, and it helps my baby get stronger, but it feels like a chore, like my baby and I are being judged by how "well" we are doing, and it's just not fun."
"So, I get that it's important, but I really don't know all the reasons WHY and I certainly don't know how to make it PLAYFUL and FUN!"
Here's a taste of WHY it's important
Your baby creates new ideas and initiates and controls her movements on the floor. She has the power. She is in charge, unlike any other time in her day where things are done to her. AND, the extra friction when moving in Tummy Time enhances the feedback her brain receives from her body, multiplying the learning effect. Tummy Time counteracts all the time she is in response mode while being held, propped, or positioned in baby gear. AND SHE GETS TO PLAY!
Infant reflexes get integrated when baby is moving on the floor, especially on his tummy. Whether the grasp reflex, the rooting reflex, the startle reflex, or the ATNR, it takes 1000s of repetitions to integrate, and it doesn't happen in baby gear (aka containers). Integrated reflexes support coordination, attention, and behavior down the line. Movement for your new baby IS exploration, experimentation, and PLAY.
Baby will develop all 360 degrees of her sensory and motor body. When in contact with the floor, working with and against gravity, she unfolds from her cramped space in utero and she maps the sensory and motor pathways that are the building blocks for all movements. When baby masters movement on the floor in all three planes of motion, she creates a solid foundation off of which to learn in all the developmental domains (because everything is connected!)
Tummy Time position stretches tight muscles and prevents flat head syndrome (plagiocephaly and torticollis). Babies are born asymmetrical; positioning and movement in Tummy Time promotes symmetry and midline orientation. It improves breastfeeding, eye contact capabilities, head control, and motor skill development. If asymmetry persists beyond 3 months, it affects the muscle, skeletal, and sensory systems.
Tummy time is practiced from DAY ONE until your baby can move from the floor into sitting by herself (about 8 months). Imagine all the fun hours of play you can have with your baby as she rapidly gains skills. You will see changes daily and experience the joy of new discoveries as your baby becomes the master of her domain and shows you more of who she is...in the name of play.
Ready to join the fun?
Play is FUN, But Sometimes Your Baby Needs Help to Love Tummy Time
Once you have the tools and strategies to help her,
you will BOTH love being on the floor.
It's play and FUN, not a chore.
The Promise:
Why is it better to take this class with Wendi
than to figure it on your own?
As humans, we don't know what we don't know. We used to know how to play, but as adults many of us have forgotten. Hearing this content from Wendi, a pediatric physical therapist, play expert, developmental specialist, and a mom who "gets it," will put you at ease and into the energy of fun and play. You'll experiment as much as your baby and grow with her.
Most people don't know what tummy time is supposed to look like. How can you know how well it's going unless you know what to expect? From birth to eight months, tummy time looks different, so interactions and play looks different too. Wendi will spell it out and show you with the 10 babies who are part of the video series.
Most moms measure the success of tummy time by the stopwatch. And, it's never been part of PLAY because most babies don't like it! It may not be overnight, but Playful, Happy Tummy Time is not only possible, but it's the most fun thing you can work towards with your young baby.
And, you have me in your corner.
I've got your back.
"My son hated tummy time and it pained me as a first time mom to see his tears and frustration so I always picked him up quickly. When my son neared the six-month mark, I realized he was falling behind on his milestones. Thankfully I found this tummy time class with Dr. Wendi and she taught me simple techniques to encourage him to prop himself up. It was so helpful and I wish I participated in the tummy time class sooner!"
~ Lisa
This class is for babies, birth to eight months, and the adults who love them.
Play builds baby's awareness of what's possible.
Floor-time and tummy play awakens baby's sensory systems and maps connections between brain and body.
Play and tummy time create solid foundations for years to come.
"After attending the tummy time class I was excited with all of the new information I had learned. I couldnā€™t wait to go home and tell my husband everything. My husband and I each grew to favor different tummy time positions and the result was giving him far more tummy time than before. Thank you for your support and knowledge!"
~ Sierra
Play, Connection & Bonding
"We loved the tummy time class. My daughter wasnā€™t a big fan of laying on her tummy. But after we took the class, things keep improving here and she is happier now. Dr. Wendi is a great instructor! Very gentle and patient with our little ones."
~ Ana
Happy Tummy Timers
Here's what you get...
The “Let's Play Baby” online course has eight modules.
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Watch 10 babies, age two weeks to 6.5 months, and their moms.
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See Wendi facilitating, moms practicing, playing, and babies thriving!
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Take it at your pace.
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Revisit as often as you want to gain more insight as your baby progresses.
What worked today might not tomorrow, and each time you watch, you will have a different takeaway!
8 Modules include:
- SIDS and the Safe to Sleep Program
- What is Tummy Time?
- How to set up a safe space for floortime play?
- How to use your hands and guiding cues to help your baby learn to love being on the floor.
- How to do tummy time on the floor, in your arms, on your lap, on your chest.
- What equipment to use, and when, and what to avoid.
- Great toys for floor play.
- Knowing what to expect and supporting, not accelerating development.
Play with a Purpose
A happy tummy timer is in the perfect play and learning environment. You will experience joy, confidence and peace of mind knowing this is exactly where development happens best.
"We struggled with tummy time during my sonā€™s early weeks. In Happy Tummy Timers class, we learned several different positions and modifications to increase our time, and most importantly we learned how to connect, relax, and bond during the time together! Now, thanks to Dr. Wendi, we look forward to tummy time, and our son has gained incredible strength and control. We highly recommend caregivers take this class!"
~ Kathleen
Dr. Wendi McKenna is a pediatric doctor of physical therapy, parenting mentor, and founder of Move Play Grow.
Wendi helps families have fun from day one, creating deep and lasting bonds built from connection, trust and courage.
She merges the science of infant and child development with the art and energy of living fully into our unique vision and purpose.
There is no relationship more profound than that of parent and child. Wendi is committed to supporting families who want their family to soar.
Wendi loves spending time and connecting authentically with her husband and three children. They are her big "why" and her catalyst to reach higher every day.
"We absolutely loved our tummy time class! I learned so much about my baby's development and how to let baby have an easier time with tummy time. I loved how Dr. Wendi was so hands on and my baby loved her <3 Thank you!"