Crawling encouragement garment

Abstract

A crawling encouragement garment is configured to train a child to support himself on hands and knees in a crawling position. The crawling encouragement garment includes front and rear panels with one or more pockets configured to receive pressure generating members such as hollow plastic balls or elongate foam-like members. The pressure generating members apply gentle pressure to the child laying on his front side or on his rear side such that the child is encouraged to roll onto his front side and to climb up on hands and knees and thereby learn to crawl in this position. The crawling encouragement garment is provided with adjustable coupling mechanisms to reliably secure the garment to children of various sizes. One or more of the pockets may be removable when not in use.

1 . A crawling encouragement garment for a child, comprising:
 a front panel including at least one pocket, the front panel configured to be positioned along a front side of the child;   a rear panel configured to be positioned along a rear side of the child, the front and rear panels being configured to be coupled to retain the garment on the child; and   a plurality of pressure generating members positioned in the at least one pocket, the pressure generating members configured to apply pressure to the child when the child is laying on his front side so as to encourage the child to climb into a crawling position on hands and knees to reduce the pressure applied to the child.   
     
     
         2 . The crawling encouragement garment of  claim 1 , wherein the front and rear panels include an adjustable coupling mechanism for securing the garment on the child, the adjustable coupling mechanism enabling retention of the garment on children of various sizes. 
     
     
         3 . The crawling encouragement garment of  claim 2 , wherein the front and rear panels include side edges, the adjustable coupling mechanism includes straps extending from the side edges of one of the front and rear panels, and the straps include a removable coupling material configured to engage the other of the front and rear panels. 
     
     
         4 . The crawling encouragement garment of  claim 2 , further comprising:
 a front crotch panel extending from a bottom edge of the front panel; and   a rear crotch panel extending from a bottom edge of the rear panel,   wherein the adjustable coupling mechanism includes a plurality of strips of removable coupling material on the front and rear crotch panels, the strips of removable coupling material being engaged when the front and rear crotch panels are positioned between legs of the child.   
     
     
         5 . The crawling encouragement garment of  claim 2 , wherein the adjustable coupling mechanism includes at least one of a hook and loop fastener and a series of snap fasteners. 
     
     
         6 . The crawling encouragement garment of  claim 1 , wherein the pressure generating members include hollow plastic spherical balls. 
     
     
         7 . The crawling encouragement garment of  claim 1 , wherein the pressure generating members include elongate foam-like members. 
     
     
         8 . The crawling encouragement garment of  claim 1 , wherein each pocket includes a plurality of side edges, all but one of the side edges being stitched into permanent coupling with the front panel, the other side edge defining an opening for insertion or removal of the pressure generating members. 
     
     
         9 . The crawling encouragement garment of  claim 8 , wherein the opening of the pocket is retained in a closed position by a removable closure mechanism. 
     
     
         10 . The crawling encouragement garment of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 at least one rear pocket positioned on the rear panel; and   a plurality of pressure generating members positioned in the at least one rear pocket, the pressure generating members configured to apply pressure to the child when the child is laying on his rear side so as to encourage the child to roll onto his front side to reduce the pressure applied to the child.   
     
     
         11 . The crawling encouragement garment of  claim 10 , wherein each rear pocket includes a plurality of side edges stitched into permanent coupling with the rear panel. 
     
     
         12 . The crawling encouragement garment of  claim 10 , wherein each rear pocket includes a plurality of side edges having a removable coupling material for engaging the rear panel, and wherein each rear pocket is removable from the rear panel by disengaging the removable coupling material from the rear panel when the rear pocket is not in use. 
     
     
         13 . The crawling encouragement garment of  claim 1 , wherein the front panel and the rear panel are consisting of a lightweight fabric material that minimizes weight added and sensory input to the child when the garment is secured to the child. 
     
     
         14 . A crawling encouragement garment for a child, comprising:
 a front panel including at least one pocket, the front panel configured to be positioned along a front side of the child;   a rear panel including at least one rear pocket, the rear panel configured to be positioned along a rear side of the child;   an adjustable coupling mechanism configured to couple the front and rear panels for securing the garment on the child, the adjustable coupling mechanism enabling retention of the garment on children of various sizes; and   a plurality of pressure generating members positioned in the at least one pocket and in the at least one rear pocket, the pressure generating members configured to apply pressure to the child when the child is laying on his front side or on his rear side so as to encourage the child to roll onto his front side and to climb into a crawling position on hands and knees to reduce the pressure applied to the child,   wherein each rear pocket includes a plurality of side edges having a removable coupling material for engaging the rear panel, and wherein each rear pocket is removable from the rear panel by disengaging the removable coupling material from the rear panel when the rear pocket is not in use.   
     
     
         15 . The crawling encouragement garment of  claim 14 , wherein the front and rear panels include side edges, the adjustable coupling mechanism includes straps extending from the side edges of one of the front and rear panels, and the straps include a removable coupling material configured to engage the other of the front and rear panels. 
     
     
         16 . The crawling encouragement garment of  claim 14 , further comprising:
 a front crotch panel extending from a bottom edge of the front panel; and   a rear crotch panel extending from a bottom edge of the rear panel,   wherein the adjustable coupling mechanism includes a plurality of strips of removable coupling material on the front and rear crotch panels, the strips of removable coupling material being engaged when the front and rear crotch panels are positioned between legs of the child.   
     
     
         17 . The crawling encouragement garment of  claim 14 , wherein the pressure generating members include at least one of hollow plastic spherical balls and elongate foam-like members. 
     
     
         18 . A method of training a child how to crawl on hands and knees, the method comprising:
 positioning a crawling encouragement garment onto the child, the crawling encouragement garment including a front panel with at least one pocket positioned along a front side of the child and a rear panel positioned along a rear side of the child;   placing a plurality of pressure generating members into the at least one pocket, the pressure generating members configured to apply pressure to the child when the child is laying on his front side; and   laying the child on his front side; and   placing a toy or other desirable object in front of the child to encourage the child to move to the toy or object, the pressure generating members encouraging the child to climb into a crawling position on hands and knees to reduce the pressure applied to the child as the child moves towards the toy or object.   
     
     
         19 . The method of  claim 18 , wherein the crawling encouragement garment includes a rear pocket on the rear panel, and the method further comprises:
 placing a plurality of pressure generating members into the rear pocket, the pressure generating members configured to apply pressure to the child if the child rolls onto his rear side to avoid the pressure applied by the pressure generating members in the at least one pocket on the front panel, thereby encouraging the child to roll back onto his front side and climb into the crawling position on hands and knees.   
     
     
         20 . The method of  claim 19 , further comprising:
 removing the rear pocket from the rear panel when not in use.