--- title: "Tummy time with Dad" published: "2026-10-15" updated: "2026-10-15" author: "Dad Field Manual editors (drafted with AI help)" time: "3–5 min, a few times a day" cost: "$0" ages: "Newborn to 1" where: "A blanket on a clear patch of floor, or you lying back on the couch or bed with the baby on your chest, wide awake and watching." topics: ["new-dads"] print: "https://dadfieldmanual.com/print?p=tummy-time-with-dad" url: "https://dadfieldmanual.com/plans/tummy-time-with-dad/" --- # Tummy time with Dad > Tummy time is one of the first real jobs you can own with a newborn, and it's mostly lying on the floor making faces. This is a few short sessions a day, face to face, that build the neck and arm strength your baby needs to roll, sit and crawl. ## What you need - A blanket on a clear patch of floor (have) - A small towel, rolled, to prop under their arms (have) - One or two baby toys or a board book with bold pictures (have) - A timer on your phone (have) ## Before you start - **Awake and watched, every time.** Tummy time is only while your baby is awake and you're right there. If they get sleepy, it's over. - **Back to sleep, always.** When they doze off, put them on their back in their own crib or bassinet, even for a short nap. - **Chest time means you stay awake.** If you feel yourself drifting, sit up and move the baby to their back in their crib. - **Clear the floor.** No pets, pillows or older kids' small toys within reach, and never on a couch edge or bed alone. ## Steps 1. **Pick the moment** (Dad) Go when they're awake and content, like after a diaper change or when they wake from a nap. Starting the day you get home is fine. Set a timer for 3 minutes. 2. **Start on your chest** (Dad) In the first days, lie back and set the baby tummy-down on your chest. They'll try to lift their head to see your face. Talk to them: "Hey, I'm right here. Look at you." 3. **Move to the floor** (Dad) Lay the baby tummy-down on the blanket. If their head is hard to lift, slide the rolled towel under their chest and arms. Lie on your belly so your face is level with theirs, about a foot away. 4. **Give them something to look at** (Together) Make faces, sing, or hold a toy just out of reach so they stretch for it. Move the toy slowly side to side, or set toys in a circle around them so they look and reach in different directions. 5. **Stop before the meltdown** (Dad) When they fuss, roll them onto their back or pick them up. That's the session. A minute counts. Try again later in the day. 6. **Build it up** (Dad) Aim for two or three short sessions a day at first. As they start to like it, make each one a little longer. AAP suggests working up to 15 to 30 minutes a day in total by about 7 weeks. ## If it stalls - If they hate the floor, go back to your chest or your lap, tummy-down across your knees. That counts too. - If they cry the moment they're down, get your face closer. Many babies settle when they can see you. - If you only manage one minute at a time, do more sessions instead of longer ones. - If you notice they always turn their head one way, ask the baby's doctor at the next checkup. ## Variations - **First weeks:** Mostly chest time and lap time, a few minutes at a stretch. Your face is the best toy they have. - **Around 2 to 4 months:** Floor sessions get longer. Put toys in a circle around them and move a little farther away so they reach and pivot. - **With a big brother or sister:** Let an older kid lie on the floor face to face with the baby while you watch both. They can make the faces. ## Sources - **AAP: Back to sleep, tummy to play.** Babies are safest sleeping on their backs for naps and at night. Tummy time is for babies who are awake and closely supervised. Play with your baby on their tummy 2 to 3 times a day for 3 to 5 minutes, starting the day you get home from the hospital, increase it as they enjoy it, and work up to 15 to 30 minutes a day by 7 weeks. Ideas include after a diaper change or nap, putting yourself or a toy within reach, toys in a circle, and lying back with the baby on your chest. (checked 2026-10-15) - **NIH Safe to Sleep: Tummy time.** Tummy time means placing your baby on their stomach while they are awake and someone is watching. It helps strengthen neck, shoulder and arm muscles, build motor skills and prevent flat spots on the back of the head. Most babies can start a day or two after birth with two or three 3- to 5-minute sessions a day, growing longer with age; tips include a blanket on a clear floor, a rolled towel under the arms, and someone sitting in front of the baby. (checked 2026-10-15) - **AAP: Safe sleep.** Place babies on their backs to sleep on a firm, flat surface with no soft objects, and avoid falling asleep with your baby on a couch, soft armchair or cushion. (checked 2026-10-15)