Your baby’s 6th sense

We often talk about our senses as if we have only five, but in fact, there are more. Alongside taste, touch, sight, smell, and hearing, proprioception encompasses sensations from skin, muscles, and joints.

Why proprioception is important

Proprioception provides your baby with information about what each body part is doing, where it is relation to the rest of the body, and where it is in relation to the ground. 

This sense helps your baby understand how much force they need to use when performing a task like lifting a cup or petting a dog. 

How to help your baby develop proprioception

Unrestricted movement and free play are key to developing proprioception, so try to minimize your baby’s time in a stroller, car seat, and baby carrier as much as you can. Here are 3 specific activities that can be effective as well.

1. Place your baby on their back, perpendicular to a wall or couch. Prop their feet up on the wall or couch and help them push their legs straight, scooting their body back. This activates the muscle receptors that teach your child to modulate force. You can also do this by having them push their feet against your arm or leg. 
2. Hand your baby the Lovevery Opposite Balls, then ask for them to hand 1 back to you. You can trade the balls back and forth. If your baby doesn’t want to give you a ball, you can offer them a 3rd ball and see if they drop one of the other 2 to play the back-and-forth game. Your baby is learning how much force they need to hold different weights in their hands. The heavy ball in particular is providing resistance to activate your baby’s muscles and proprioceptive sense. 
3. Another way your baby can learn about force is to practice pulling the fabric tissues out of the Lovevery Magic Tissue Box. Once your baby is able to pull the tissues out from one position—for example, with the box on the floor—tip the box on its side, hold it up off the ground, or put it on a low table so your baby’s muscles learn about force from different body positions. 

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