Up until just recently, most of her movement were imposed on her. Now she is feeling a little more free and can get around on her own. We want to encourage that, but at the same time, it is really important to provide some structured movement to help her learn about how certain movements feel, how gravity pulls on her body, how her body reacts in different positions, and how she can control her body.
Put a blanket (and maybe a pillow too) in a laundry basket and pick it up and move it side to side, slant it on an angle. Is he able to right his head against gravity or does he fall side to side? Hopefully you are seeing some postural control at this point as he holds his body vertical against the movement.
You can also push the basket around on the floor to allow him to feel the forward, backward, and side motion of movement.
Don’t forget about the ball! A large beach ball works great and gives your baby some great movement while challenging her balance and equilibrium. Exercises on the ball also build core and neck strength and help teach important protection reflexes that are helpful with crawling and walking.
References:
Fox, S. (1999). Baby Steps: Exercises of Baby’s First Year of Life. Berkley Publishing Group.
Sasse, M. (2010). Active Baby, healthy Brain. The Experiment Publishing.