Push, Pull, and Grow: Why Your Baby Needs Resistance Play

Ever notice how babies love to push chairs, wagons, or anything they can get their hands on?

It’s not just for fun—it’s for brain growth. 🧠✨

Pushing and pulling toys activate more than just muscles. They activate the brain. In fact, these types of movement challenge the body against resistance—which stimulates proprioception, boosts coordination, and builds foundational strength needed for walking, climbing, and beyond.

At EZPlay, we’re big believers in functional movement = functional brain. Our climbing sets and accessories (like the slide board or climbing arch flipped over for a wagon hack!) are perfect for introducing push-and-pull play safely indoors.

💪 What Is Resistance Play, and Why Does It Matter?

Resistance play happens anytime your baby is pushing against something—like a heavy cart—or pulling a toy toward them. These movements challenge the core and limb muscles while enhancing motor planning, spatial awareness, and self-regulation.

Here’s why that’s a big deal:

1. Stimulates the proprioceptive system
   Proprioception is your child’s sense of where their body is in space. It keeps them from bumping into things and helps them control pressure (like how hard to hug or hold a pencil). Pushing and pulling gives the joints deep input, which helps regulate the nervous system.

2. Builds strength for crawling and walking
   Pulling up to push a toy strengthens the glutes, shoulders, and core—everything your child needs for upright movement.

3. Integrates primitive reflexes
   The asymmetrical tonic neck reflex (ATNR), palmar grasp, and even the Babinski reflex are stimulated and integrated through pushing and pulling. This is the kind of movement that rewires the brain for higher-level learning.

4. Improves focus + sleep
   Deep sensory input calms the brain, improves focus during play and learning, and helps regulate circadian rhythms. Yes—pushing a wagon today could mean better sleep tonight. 😴

🛝 How to Use EZPlay Toys for Push + Pull Fun

• Turn the slide board into a ramp push! Let your little one push a ball or toy car up the ramp and watch gravity take over.

• Use the arch flipped over as a wagon with a few pillows and toys inside. It’s toddler-approved, and they’ll love pulling it around.

• Add resistance to a toddler-size push cart (like a weighted backpack) to engage more muscles and slow it down for early walkers.

• Create a “push path” around the jungle gym—start on one side, loop around obstacles, and return for a brain-body challenge.

💡 Pro tip: Always supervise and make sure the toy provides just enough resistance—not so much that it frustrates, but enough that they have to work for it!

🧠 More Than Muscles—This Is Brainwork

Every push or pull is a form of motor planning—the ability to think, act, and adjust. When kids push toys across the room, they’re not “just playing”—they’re practicing problem-solving, strengthening coordination, and building neural pathways that support attention, learning, and emotional regulation.

And the best part? It doesn’t take fancy gear. You can use what you already have at home—or get creative with your EZPlay gym setup to encourage resistance-based play in a safe, developmentally rich way.

🛒 Want to turn your home into a baby brain gym?

Grab an indoor climbing set like the Koala Adventure or Panda Playground, and use the slide board, climbing arch, or even boxes and pillows to introduce pushing, pulling, and purposeful play.

This is how we build brilliant brains—one push at a time. 💫

Written by Dr. Stefanie Rodsater
Pediatric Chiropractor & Founder of @buildingbrilliantbrains
Helping families harness movement as medicine for the growing brain.