Standing with support
6–12 monthsSuccess MindsetNo materials needed
Help your child pull up to standing using furniture or your hands. Once they're up, step back slightly and let them work to maintain balance. Describe what you see: 'Your legs are getting stronger' or 'You're holding on tight.' When they sit back down, acknowledge that trying is good practice. Repeat as long as they're interested.
Part of the Imprint developmental journey — personalized to your child.
How to Do This Activity
Help your child pull up to standing using furniture or your hands. Once they're up, step back slightly and let them work to maintain balance. Describe what you see: 'Your legs are getting stronger' or 'You're holding on tight.' When they sit back down, acknowledge that trying is good practice. Repeat as long as they're interested.
Why It Works
Standing requires strength, balance, and persistence. By letting your child struggle slightly while you provide supportive language about their effort, you teach that abilities develop over time. Students with growth mindset showed greater resilience after setbacks and actively sought challenging tasks (Blackwell, L. S., Trzesniewski, K. H., & Dweck, C. S., 2007). This mindset foundation begins when caregivers consistently respond to infant struggles with patience and effort-focused language.
Tips for Parents
Stay close enough to catch them if needed, but don't hold them up the whole time.
Keep your tone calm and encouraging. This should feel playful, not like pressure.
Materials Needed
None
Learning Methods
Responsive InteractionMovement-Based Learning
Loved this activity? Let us do the planning for you.
Imprint personalizes every activity to your child — their interests, their stage, the traits they're building — so playtime is more fun and every moment counts.
Science-backed. Private by design. No spam.