Cruisers for babies who are very mobile, crawling and cruising the furniture but not yet walking independently.

The Cruisers class provides you with loads of ideas about music, rhythm and movement; successful massage techniques for wrigglers and squirmers; movement ideas and sensory games that have your baby in fits of laughter; and safe places for play.

For an infant, crawling on their front and creeping on all fours is very important for the development of the spine, the back and neck muscles and for the inhibition of the primitive reflexes and the development of the postural reflexes. It is also vital for all sensory input such as the tactility, for the muscles and ligaments, the primitive cross pattern actions to stimulate the later integration of the two sides of the brain, and for coordination.

By late in this year, infants can grasp and hold onto fingers and almost take their own weight by their hands, arms and shoulder muscles.

Your creeping baby will pull themselves up to stand. They are not yet ready to walk and should not be encouraged to as they need to develop strength and balance. They will cruise around the walls and furniture walking sideways, then finally turn putting one hand on the coffee table and the other on the couch and start to move forward. They need lots of practice at side-ways movement, just like they tummy crawled before they crept on hand and knees. This stage often lasts for many weeks as it takes a lot of practice over time to develop the strength necessary for upright control of the body and the development of balance.

Don’t be in a hurry for your child to walk. Let their body and brain tell you when they are ready! There is no hurry to walk… they will walk for the next 80 years! The foundational patterns that prepare your baby for walking are important to get into place first!

When your little does start to walk independently you will move to the next stage of GymbaROO the Level 3 Walkers class