Knee Bounces!

Once a baby has reached 6 months or so, they're ready for some active bouncing. It's one of their favorite things - to "ride" on your knees to a rollicking rhyme.

I was at an amusement park this summer (wearily following my tireless older 2 boys around from one ride to another - why do they have so much energy??!) and I saw a "ride" for infants where you sit the child in a booster-type seat, strap them in, then pay some money to watch them go around in a tiny circle. It was one of the most ridiculous things I've ever seen. And, being the person that I am, I thought, "how much better a warm lap and an active bounce rather than a silly, plastic ride?"

So, here are a few bounces that involve moving your baby from one knee to the other and are super easy to get into your repertoire.

Trotty Horsey

Start with baby on knees - imitating a trotting horse:

Trotty horsey, trotty horsey

went right up to town.

One foot up and the other one down,

     Lift baby up then back down

Trotty horsey ran along,

A-gallopy, gallopy, gallopy gone!

   Bounce baby back and forth on knees, optional: gently drop baby through knees on "gone!"

Jack Be Nimble

This mother goose rhyme is so simple and works very well!

Jack be nimble, Jack be quick,

Jack jump over the candlestick!

Bounce baby to rhyme, then on "over" move to the other knee. Repeat! 

Father and Mother and Uncle John 
This one was shared in an earlier post, but it's worth repeating because it works so well)

Start with a steady bounce with baby/toddler on your knees:
Father and Mother and Uncle John
All rode to town one by one.

Mother fell off - woah!
lean baby over one side of knees

Father fell off - woah!
lean baby over to the other side

But Uncle John rode on, and on, and on, and on, and on....
bounce baby on knees in middle - faster and faster. 

Get going bouncing those kiddos!