Crawling & Development
In 1994, the Academy of American Pediatrics started the “Back to Sleep” campaign to help prevent SIDS. Studies have shown an inadvertent result of the campaign, children are meeting their milestones later, in addition to an increase in plagiocephaly and torticollis. This is due to a lack of time spent on their bellies, now known as “tummy time”.
Many children are born with conditions which hinder strength and/or motor development. Cerebral palsy and spina bifida are examples of such conditions that could benefit from the independent mobility and environmental exploration provided by an infant crawling assistance devise. With the popularity of activity centers, swings and jumpers and the hours spent in car seats and strollers, the likelihood that they’ll learn to crawl is even slimmer.
Crawling is a typical part of early childhood development that starts between ages 6-11 months. During this crucial time, infants use crawling to interact independently with their environment. This stage is important for developing strength, coordination, motor skills and cognitive development.
See the Crawligator in Action
A Crawligator customer with his junior assistant in training explains in detail the safety features of the Crawligator and how they work.
The Crawligator
The original Crawligator had success in the late 60s, but somehow disappeared from the shelf. In fact, people still sell the vintage version online.
However, safety regulations were different in 1969, so when Stacey Kohler decided to bring back the Crawligator, she did so with more safety features to meet today's Consumer Products Safety Commission safety standards, including;
A single directional gripping rear wheel to prevent
uncontrolled movement
Four gripping safety pads
The Crawligator:
- Promotes child development
- Twice the tummy time for muscle strengthening; spine and neck strengthening
- Develops mobility through kicking, reaching, pushing
- Unlike other walkers, the Crawligator stores easily.
How to use it
Introduce your infant to the Crawligator slowly and gradually making sure they are positioned comfortably on their stomach.
Once they are secure on the Crawligator begin to move them slowly in a forward direction, accustoming them to the movement.
Place toys in the distance and encourage them to reach for the toys. If they appear to get upset, take them off the Crawligator and wait a bit before trying again.
Remember to make it fun!! The Crawligator makes tummy time fun.
Always use with parental assistance.