As parents of children with Down syndrome, we often hear about the challenges—delayed milestones, low muscle tone, sensory sensitivities.

But what if we could shift our focus from limitations to possibilities? One of the most powerful tools we have for fostering our children’s neurodevelopment is also one of the simplest: life on the floor.

The Science Behind the Floor

When our babies spend time on the floor they’re building the foundation for their entire development. The pressure, position, and sensations of gravity activate sensory systems like the vestibular, tactile, and proprioceptive systems. These systems are critical for posture, balance, coordination, and even speech.

The floor also encourages movements that integrate reflexes, build core strength, and develop midline awareness. As our babies turn their heads, reach for objects, and eventually push up on their arms, they’re laying the groundwork for skills like crawling, walking, and even reading.

A Comparison: Passive vs. Active Environments

Picture this: A baby placed in a swing or bouncer. Their arms are pinned at their sides, their head drops to one side, and their body passively adapts to the shape of the surface. Now contrast this with a baby on the floor, propped on their belly, turning their head, and reaching for a toy.

In the swing, their visual and tactile systems aren’t engaged, and they’re learning to wait for things to come to them. On the floor, they’re discovering their body, integrating their senses and their reflexes, exploring their environment, and building independence.

What Life on the Floor Does for Us as Parents

Watching our babies thrive in an environment designed to support their growth is transformative. We stop focusing on problem lists and start seeing possibilities. The worry about “what having a child with special needs might mean” is replaced by the empowering realization that we can redefine our reality.

When we create these environments and routines, we’re not just giving our children opportunities to develop; we’re challenging the limiting narratives in our own minds and in the minds of those around us.

Making the Floor a Way of Life

So how can we incorporate more floor time into our routines? Here are some ideas:

1. Create places in our homes that baby can be free to “live on the floor”– When baby is ready increase the challenge by using pillows, cushions, and textured surfaces to make an inviting space for exploration. This increases the sensory integration with visual motor skills and reflexes as the child has the opportunity to create integrated movement by integrating all the impactful inputs coming into his system!

2. Make up Your Mind: Unless time or safety is a factor, (and of course barring any health reason the child should not), make up your mind that once your child can creep or crawl, you will absolutely not carry them in the house no matter how long it takes. We can make up our minds to get rid of swings, pack – n – plays and any other “container” in which we might place our children when we have to get other stuff done. Create the safe place, however small, and let baby live on the floor.

3. Join In: Get down on the floor with your child. Crawl, roll, and play together.

4. Keep It Fun: Incorporate toys, mirrors, or even a metronome to add layers of engagement and sensory input.

The Bigger Picture

Life on the floor isn’t just about hitting milestones; it’s about creating the inputs that change our children’s brains. The time they spend exploring on their bellies or creeping on all fours addresses cortical, cerebellar, and reflex integration challenges that can be commonly seen in children with Trisomy 21

The floor isn’t just a place to play—it’s a powerful tool for neurodevelopment. Let’s embrace it, not just as a strategy, but as a mindset.

Let’s redefine what’s possible for our children—starting from the ground up.