5 Easy Things You Can Do To Support & Develop Your Baby's Motor Skills
You don't need special equipment or baby gym classes to support their first moves.
Cover image via One of the joys of early parenthood is watching your baby complete their first movements.
But sometimes, you can't help but wonder if you're doing things right.
"Are they doing enough tummy time?"
"Should you be helping more?"
"Are they behind their peers?"
As parents, it's not unusual to doubt whether you're helping your littles ones develop their motor skills properly.
The truth is that small, consistent actions can go a long way in supporting natural movement development. And thankfully, they don't have to be complicated or expensive.
Here are five easy things you can start doing today to support your baby's movement skills:
1. Give them more time on the floor, not just in bouncers or swings
It can be tempting to keep your baby in a rocker, swing, or carrier throughout the day, especially when you're juggling work, chores, and sleep deprivation. But some of the best movement happens when babies are simply placed on the floor.
Lying flat on a safe, padded surface gives them space to wriggle, stretch, and discover how their arms and legs work. Light, flexible clothing helps, such as a diaper that moves naturally with their body instead of adding stiffness or bulk.
Image via jcomp/Freepik
2. Make tummy time a ritual, even if it's for a few minutes
Tummy time is the OG baby workout. It strengthens the neck, shoulders, arms, and core, which make up all the muscles they'll need for rolling, pushing up, and crawling.
But if your baby fusses after a minute, don't worry! You can start small and make the activity more enjoyable by using a soft mat, placing a mirror in front of them, or laying down to chat with them face-to-face.
Also, it also helps if you use less restrictive clothing around their joints and limbs!
Image via everymum
3. Try calling your baby from side to side while they're on their back
Learning to roll isn't just about flipping over. Typically, a baby will start with subtle movements like turning their head or shifting their weight. One super simple way to encourage this is to change where you position yourself. If you usually sit on their left, try the right. Shake a toy or call their name.
This back-and-forth encourages twisting, neck control, and eventually full-body rolls.
Image via Lovevery
4. Let them kick, stretch, and flail without any swaddle time in between
Kicking might look like random baby chaos, but it's actually coordinated muscle work that's super important. Every little leg lift helps build strength in their hips, thighs, and core, which are muscles they'll rely on for crawling and standing later on.
Giving your baby swaddle-free time throughout the day lets them move as much as they want, and this also means avoiding overly thick diapers — less bulk means fewer barriers between them and the floor.
Image via yanalya/Freepik
5. Put toys just slightly out of reach to motivate small stretches and scoots
You don't need a Montessori setup to encourage movement, just the right amount of challenge. You can simply place your baby's favourite toy a little out of reach and watch them stretch, pivot, or even army-crawl their way towards it.
This is another effective way to prepare an infant for crawling, sitting up, and even walking. Keep the setup comfy with soft clothes, a safe environment (padded surfaces and no sharp corners) and a diaper that doesn't dig in or shift awkwardly as they move.
Image via Freepik
All of the steps above can be made easier when your baby has diapers that allow free movement, like the incredibly thin Offspring FeatherAir diapers
At just 1.5mm thin, the Offspring FeatherAir diapers are the thinnest diapers in the market*, which means that they're also more breathable and comfortable even during more active parts of the day.
With 130× air circulation, 11× urine absorption, and dermatologist-approved materials, they keep your baby dry, breezy, and irritation-free.
So if you're looking for one simple change to support your baby's physical movement, start by swapping to Offspring FeatherAir diapers.
*Based on Offspring's internal review of publicly available product information, comparing leading diaper brands available in Malaysia, as of May 2025.
Image via Offspring
