5 Minute Friday - Blanket Rides!

For some reason, everyone I know has sent my baby a blanket of some kind. My mom crochet a beautiful blanket, my mother in law hand stitched an amazing quilt, and others have sent every blanket under the sun from muslin blankets to fleece. Luckily, they can be used for more than just decor or tucked away in a drawer.

Enter blanket rides! The set up is super easy and involves simply lying your blanket out on the ground and lying your baby on top of it. You can burrito your baby up or let them lie right on the blanket depending on their sensory preference. Make sure your baby’s head is well supported on top of the blanket. Then, grab the end of the blanket and pull your baby around the room or hallway. While this activity seems so simple, there are several benefits for you and your little one.

• Wrapping in a blanket provides tactile input. Tactile input allows us to release oxytocin and helps with regulation. You can even intensify the input by giving a few gentle squeezes to your baby
• Pulling the baby provides vestibular input, or movement input that helps us understand our body’s position against gravity and assists with improving arousal levels
• The input of the baby’s body against the ground provides additional tactile input and helps aid in understanding of body awareness
• Once your baby is able to sit up, pulling slowly while they are seated is an amazing way to develop core strength
• Laughing with and smiling with your baby promotes bonding and releases oxytocin and dopamine, which are mood enhancers and stabilizers that all moms need
• While your baby is light, pulling them provides proprioceptive input for mom, which can be regulating and give you a much needed boost of energy– movement is medicine after all
• Bonus: photos and videos of your baby enjoying a gifted blanket make for a very easy and heartfelt thank you note