What you need
- An unbreakable mirror, or a steel plate polished clean
- A folded towel or a firm cushion
- A soft mat or bedsheet on the floor
How to play
- 1
Lay them down
Put your baby on their tummy on the mat, with the folded towel under their chest and their arms forward. This makes lifting the head much easier.
- 2
Set the mirror
Prop the mirror upright about 25–30 cm in front of their face, angled so they can see themselves.
- 3
Get down with them
Lie on the floor beside them, at their eye level. Your face in the mirror next to theirs is the real attraction.
- 4
Talk and wait
Say their name, smile, stick out your tongue, wait. Count to five in your head. That silence is where a baby learns that conversation has turns.
- 5
Stop before they cry
Two minutes is a win at first. End while they are still happy so tummy time stays something they like.
What your child is learning
Honestly stated — this is what the activity actually builds, not a list of everything it might touch.
- Neck, shoulder and back strength needed for rolling, sitting and crawling
- Visual tracking and focus
- Face recognition and early social smiling
- The rhythm of back-and-forth 'conversation'
Most babies protest tummy time. Not because it hurts, but because the view is boring — carpet, floor, nothing. Give them a face to look at and the same exercise becomes something they are willing to do.
How long, how often
Short and often beats long and once. Two or three minutes, three or four times a day, is more useful than one ten-minute session that ends in tears. Build up as their neck gets stronger.
Do it after a nappy change, not after a feed
A full stomach plus lying on it is a bad combination. The easiest slot in the day is right after a nappy change, when they are alert and comfortable.
What you are actually building
Every minute on the tummy is training for rolling over, sitting up and crawling. The muscles that hold a head up are the same ones that will hold a body upright. It is the least glamorous and most important exercise of the first year.
Always stay right next to your baby during tummy time, and never leave them to sleep on their front.
Published 11 June 2026 · Suitable for Baby