Tummy Time Sun Rays

Ages:: Preschoolers (3 to 5)
Play time:: 10 to 15 minutes
Setup:: 5 minutes
Where:: Floor

Why it helps

Helping your child feel strong and steady starts with their core and shoulder muscles. This activity encourages them to lift their head and chest while playing on the floor. This position, called 'prone,' is great for building the strength they need for sitting at a desk later. By reaching out to place beans on the sun’s rays, they are also working on their hand-eye coordination and precision. Using their 'pincer' fingers to grab tiny beans builds the fine motor control needed for holding a pencil. Plus, it is a fun way to practice staying focused while working on a big, bright piece of art together! Choking risk: dried beans can be a choking hazard. Stay within arm's reach, and keep them away from children who still put things in their mouths.

Steps

Draw a large sun with long rays on construction paper with markers.
Tape the paper to the floor with masking tape so it does not slide.
Squeeze small dots of glue along each ray.
Invite your child to lie on their tummy facing the paper, propped up on their elbows.
Set a paper plate with a small pile of beans right in front of them.
Ask your child to pick up one bean at a time with the thumb and pointer finger and press it onto a glue dot.
Encourage them to lift their head and chest to look along the rays as they reach.
Switch hands now and then so both arms get a turn reaching and pressing.

Safety tip: This tummy time game is for ages 3 and up, since dry beans are a choking hazard. Stay close, keep beans away from younger siblings, and count them at cleanup.

Make it easier

Slide a small pillow or a rolled towel under your child's chest for extra support.
Use big dried lima beans, which are easier to pinch than small beans.
Take short breaks to sit up, then lie back down for a few more rays.

Make it harder

Place the bean plate a little farther away so your child reaches forward for each bean.
Fill each ray with a different kind of bean to make a pattern.
Use child-safe tweezers to place the beans.

What to watch for

Notice whether your child props up on the elbows with shoulders lifted or sinks down between the shoulders.
Watch for a tired neck or arms, like resting the head on the floor, and take a break when you see it.
If lying on the tummy is uncomfortable, try lying over a pillow or kneeling at a low table instead.

Where this helps in daily life

Propping up on the forearms builds the shoulder and upper back strength kids use to push up from the floor, climb playground ladders, and keep the writing arm steady.

These activities are for home practice and don't replace the guidance of a licensed therapist.