How to Create a “Yes” Space for Your Peanut
By Dr. Alli Chisholm, PT, DPT
Also known as a safe place for you to put your baby down to play independently, having a “yes” space for your little one can be a great therapeutic way for your baby to get in that much-talked about floor time.
Some common questions and statements I hear from parents are…
“I definitely don’t put my baby on the floor enough…”
“I carry my baby wherever I go.” (FYI, I love baby wearing and think it is a great option, as long as you’re incorporating some floor play time with your little one as well!)
“We have a dog at home and he mostly ignores the baby, but I’m still worried about putting her on the floor.”
“My baby loves their bouncer/play table/jumper so much that I feel bad taking them out of it!”
“I’m not ready for my baby to start moving… I need a baby cage!”
The GOOD thing is, there isn’t only one way to get in floor time, AND there are ways to create a safe “yes” space for your peanut that can be both fun and functional, allowing your little one to get in that therapeutic play, and you as a parent to maybe get something done, or even play alongside your little one!
The Pack N Play or Bassinet
For your little one who is not quite rocking and rolling anywhere and everywhere yet, and you may have a rambunctious toddler and/or loving pet roaming around the house, I love using a Pack N Play or bassinet. You can place your little one in side lying with a chunky towel roll behind their back and a mirror/contrast cards at belly level to look at, switch sides after a couple minutes, lay on their belly to practice tummy time, then lay on their back to interact with them overhead; if you’re using a Pack N Play, you can also place a smaller play gym in their for your baby to interact with overhead to practice hand eye coordination!
The Open Floor Plan
Just as it sounds, this is simply having an open space for your little one to play in, not closed off by any sort of enclosure. For this option, my recommendation is to lay a thin, folded up blanket on the floor for baby to lay on, a play mat*, or lay simply on the carpet; as long as the surface you’re laying your baby on is firm and flat, then you’re good to go to ensure ease of movement, safety, and equal pressure on all sides of their malleable noggins! While a very small baby might not be going anywhere, as your baby becomes more mobile, I would suggest upping the ante here by adding an enclosure and/or making sure you’re constantly around your baby, especially if your home is not yet baby-proofed!
The Barrier Gate
If you don’t have a lot of space in your home and/or your little one is not yet pulling to stand, using a long, barrier gate like this one is a great option to not only to allow some extra space for your baby to roll around and play in, but it also prevents them from being able to get into anything else you may not want them to get into in the room and/or block any pets from easily being able to access your floor-bound baby You can also use it as a “barrier” around unsafe landmarks in your house, like a fireplace, for example. A bonus is that you’ll have the space to get in the enclosure with your peanut to play with them!
The Gate Enclosure or Playard
So now that baby of yours might be FULLY on the move… army crawling, crawling on hands and knees, pulling to stand, cruising along furniture, the whole shebang. Regardless if they are doing some or all of these things, it might be time to have a more secure and spacious area for your peanut to move and groove. What’s wonderful about using a barrier gate like the one mentioned above - shaping it into a circular enclosure - or using a playard is that the sides are SECURE! This is important for when your little one is pulling to stand, standing at, and/or cruising along the side, the walls of the enclosure aren’t closing in on them; this safely allows you to place your baby in the enclosure with some age-appropriate toys to practice all that fun movement they’re doing.
The Gated Room
If you already have a small, baby-proofed room - like the nursery or a small bathroom - that you can simply place a gate** on the doorway, this can be an amazing option for families who don’t have a lot of space for a playard, barrier gate, or Pack N Play. Again, make sure all corners are covered and cabinets/drawers are securely fastened before considering this option! There are great foldable baby play mat options out there for you to fold up and store away when you’re not using the space as your baby play area that can be easily taken out to use during floor playtime!
*When choosing a play mat, look at the reviews! One that is firm, flat, and safe for your baby to play on is a must, but I made the mistake of purchasing one without fully looking at the reviews and, while we used it for awhile, it was SO hard to clean that we ended up having to just throw it out! Some people who don’t have a lot of space in their home will purchase an aesthetically pleasing play mat that acts as a living room “rug”; as someone who also has a small living room, we did this, which really helped out with space and added an extra level of safety in preparation for those anticipated falls for when our first was starting to pull to stand and cruise around the coffee table!
**When you click on this link, you’ll see a dog gate come up, but I actually used this gate for my dog and my baby and found it very functional and safe. It was a little tricky at first figuring out how to secure it in the doorway, but it’s easy once you figure it out the first time, and I found that it easily stayed in place, even with baby leaning or pulling on it!
