Why do babies love being rocked?
Jen Cooper of Little on learning which way is up
Jen Cooper from Little explains the vestibular sense, and why balance is something babies are still learning.
Little offers baby and toddler classes combining movement, music and sensory play. Jen Cooper describes how those early movements help children get to know their bodies
Swings, dips and whooshes tend to get a good reaction from a baby. I asked Jen what a child might be learning through those movements, beyond enjoying the game.
I asked what the vestibular sense tells us
“Vestibular sense is the sense of where the body is in space.”
Jen described being upright, tilted or leaning to one side. Most adults can close their eyes and know which way up they are. For a baby, that is still something to learn.
I wanted to know what that looks like in a class
“All those fun, exciting movements that babies love.”
Jen connected those movements with a developing sense of balance. She also emphasised doing them safely. I would ask the teacher to explain a movement and show how it suits my baby before trying it myself.
There can be quite a lot happening in a simple movement game. I would look for a teacher who explains both the purpose and how they support each baby
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