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.

Description

TECHNICAL FIELD

This invention generally relates to therapeutic aid devices, and particularly to a garment configured to encourage a child to crawl.

BACKGROUND

In the course of development for infants or children, a child progresses from learning to roll over, to learning to army crawl, to learning to crawl on hands and knees, to learning to walk. Although every child develops at their own pace, some children have high difficulty transitioning to more mature movement patterns, such as transitioning from army crawling to crawling on hands and knees. This difficult transition is especially problematic for children with special needs, including but not limited to Down Syndrome. For these children, the desire to continue army crawling may need to be slowly trained out with months or years of therapy. As a result, these children may not be walking until the age of 4-6 years old, even though the physical ability to walk may have manifested years earlier.

There are many products available for assisting a child in transitioning from crawling to walking. While these products are generally useful for their intended purpose, these products have minimal applicability in teaching a child how to crawl on hands and knees, if at all. Moreover, conventional options are limited for therapeutic devices or aids designed for the transition from army crawling to crawling on hands and knees. There is a need, therefore, for a therapeutic aid device that addresses these and other problems associated with the process of learning to crawl on hands and knees.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

According to one embodiment of the present invention, a crawling encouragement garment includes a front panel including at least one pocket configured to be positioned along a front side of the child. The garment also includes a rear panel configured to be positioned along a rear side of the child. The front and rear panels are coupled to retain the garment on the child. A plurality of pressure generating members are positioned in the at least one pocket and apply pressure to the child when the child is laying on his front side. Thus, the pressure generating members encourage the child to climb into a crawling positions on hands and knees to reduce the pressure applied to the child. With appropriate supervision, the crawling encouragement garment can train children stuck in army crawling to progress to the next step of crawling, which will eventually lead to walking upright.

In one aspect, the front and rear panels include an adjustable coupling mechanism for securing the garment on children of various sizes. To this end, the front and rear panels include side edges that may include straps with a removable coupling material for coupling the front and rear panels together at the side edges. Additionally, the garment may include a front crotch panel extending from the front panel, a rear crotch panel extending from the rear panel, and a plurality of strips of removable coupling material on the front and rear crotch panels to connect those panels when positioned between the legs of the child. The adjustable coupling mechanism includes at least one of a hook and loop fastener and a series of snap fasteners.

In another aspect, the pressure generating members include at least one of hollow plastic spherical balls or elongate foam-like members. Each pocket may include an opening and a plurality of side edges stitched into permanent coupling with the front panel. Similarly, the rear panel in another aspect also includes a rear pocket for receiving pressure generating members for encouraging a child laying on his rear side to roll onto his front side. The rear pocket may be stitched into permanent coupling with the rear panel or removably connected to the rear panel for removal when not in use. The front and rear panels consist of a lightweight fabric material that minimizes weight added and sensory input to the child when the garment is secured to the child.

In another embodiment of the invention, a crawling encouragement garment for a child includes a front panel including at least one pocket positioned along a front side of the child. The garment also includes a rear panel including at least one rear pocket positioned along a rear side of the child. An adjustable coupling mechanism couples the front and rear panels to secure the garment on children of various sizes. The garment also includes a plurality of pressure generating members positioned in the pockets on the front and rear panel. The pressure generating members apply gentle pressure to the child when the child is laying on his front side or on his rear side, thereby encouraging the child to roll to his front side and climb into a crawling position on hands and knees. Each of the rear pockets includes side edges with a removable coupling material configured to couple to the rear panel such that the rear pockets are removable when not in use.

In yet another embodiment of the present invention, a method for training a child how to crawl includes positioning a crawling encouragement garment having front and rear panels onto the child. The method also includes placing a plurality of pressure generating members into a pocket on the front panel of the garment to apply pressure to the child when the child is laying on his front side. The method further includes 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 encourage 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.

These and other objects and advantages of the present invention will become more readily apparent during the following detailed description taken in conjunction with the drawings herein.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The accompanying drawings, which are incorporated in and constitute a part of this specification, illustrate various embodiments of the invention and, together with a general description of the invention given above and the detailed description of the embodiments given below, serve to explain the embodiments of the invention.

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of one embodiment of a crawling encouragement garment on a child, with a plurality of hollow plastic members positioned in the front pockets and in the rear pocket.

FIG. 2 is a top side view of the crawling encouragement garment of FIG. 1, the garment laid flat to illustrate various features.

FIG. 3 is a bottom side view of the crawling encouragement garment of FIG. 1.

FIG. 4 is a side view of the crawling encouragement garment of FIG. 1, the garment being shown as worn by the child.

FIG. 5 is a front view of the crawling encouragement garment of FIG. 1, with a plurality of hollow plastic members in the front pockets.

FIG. 6 is a rear view of the crawling encouragement garment of FIG. 1, with a plurality of hollow plastic members in the rear pocket.

FIG. 7 is another rear view of the crawling encouragement garment of FIG. 1, with a plurality of elongate foam-like members in the rear pocket.

FIG. 8 is a perspective view of the crawling encouragement garment of FIG. 1, with a plurality of hollow plastic members positioned in the front pockets but not in the rear pocket.

FIG. 9 is a top side view of an alternative embodiment of a crawling encouragement garment on a child, with a detachable rear pocket shown in a detached state.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

FIGS. 1 through 8 illustrate an exemplary embodiment of a crawling encouragement garment configured to assist a child learning how to transition from army crawling to crawling on hands and knees, also known as crawling on all fours. As shown in FIG. 1, the garment 10 is positioned over the clothing of a child 12 learning how to crawl on hands and knees. The garment 10 is adjustable at the sides and in the crotch area and is placed on the child 12 in a similar manner as a one-piece body suit or Onesie®. The garment 10 includes one or more pockets 14 along at least a front panel 16, the pockets 14 adapted to receive pressure generating members 18 such as hollow plastic members 18 in the illustrated embodiment (e.g., plastic playpen balls or elongated plastic tubes). The pressure generating members 18 define a sufficient rigidity to apply gentle pressure to the child 12 when the child 12 is laying on the floor in an army crawling position. This gentle pressure is uncomfortable for the child 12, but not painful. Therefore, with supervision or encouragement, such as by placing a favorite toy 19 a distance in front of the child, the garment 10 actively encourages the child 12 to support himself on hands and knees in a proper position for crawling on hands and knees to reach the toy 19.

FIG. 2 illustrates a top side view of the crawling encouragement garment 10 laid open on a planar surface. The garment 10 includes the front panel 16 and a rear panel 20 coupled together on opposing sides of a head aperture 22. The front panel 16 is configured to be positioned along the chest and stomach of a child 12 while the rear panel 20 is configured to be positioned along the back side of a child 12. The front panel 16 further includes an outer side 24, an inner side 26 (shown in FIG. 3), a top edge 28 coupled to the rear panel 20, a bottom edge 30 opposite the top edge 28, and a pair of side edges 32, 34 extending between the top edge 28 and the bottom edge 30. The front panel 16 is shaped to be generally rectangular except at the head aperture 22, but it will be understood that the front panel 16 may be reshaped in other embodiments without departing from the scope of the invention. As briefly described above, the outer side 24 of the front panel 16 includes a pair of pockets 14 configured to receive pressure generating members 18 such as plastic playpen balls. Although the illustrated embodiment includes two pockets 14, alternative embodiments of the garment 10 may include one pocket 14 or more than two pockets 14 as required by the size of the garment 10 and the type of pressure generating members 18 to be positioned in the pockets 14.

With reference to FIG. 3, the inner side 26 of the front panel 16 does not include any pockets 14 or other features, as this inner side 26 is configured to face the child 12 when the garment 10 is on the child 12. A front crotch panel 36 extends from the bottom edge 30 of the front panel 16 and is configured to be placed between the legs of a child 12 when the garment 10 is placed on the child 12. Each of the pair of side edges 32, 34 further includes one or more side straps 38 configured to couple the front panel 16 and the rear panel 20 along the sides of the child 12. Each of the side straps 38 may include an adjustable removable coupling mechanism such as a hook and loop fastener (also referred to as Velcro®) or a strap with a plurality of snaps.

Similarly, the rear panel 20 also includes an outer side 40, an inner side 42 (shown in FIG. 3), a top edge 44 coupled to the front panel 16, a bottom edge 46 opposite the top edge 44, and a pair of side edges 48, 50 extending between the top edge 44 and the bottom edge 46. The rear panel 20 is shaped to be generally rectangular except at the head aperture 22, but it will be understood that the rear panel 20 may be reshaped in other embodiments without departing from the scope of the invention. The outer side 40 of the rear panel 20 includes a pocket 14 configured to receive hollow plastic members 18 such as plastic playpen balls. Although the illustrated embodiment only includes a single pocket 14 along the outer side 40, it will be understood that multiple pockets 14 may be provided in alternative embodiments of the garment 10. Additionally, the pocket 14 may be omitted on the rear panel 20 in some embodiments because the hollow plastic members 18 in the pocket 14 on the rear panel 20 are only used to discourage a child from rolling over onto his back instead of climbing up on hands and knees into a crawling position.

The inner side 42 of the rear panel 20 shown in FIG. 3 does not include any pockets 14 or other features, as this inner side 42 is configured to face the child 12 when the garment 10 is on the child 12. A rear crotch panel 52 extends from the bottom edge 46 of the rear panel 20 and is configured to be placed between the legs of a child 12 when the garment 10 is placed on the child 12. The outer side 40 of the rear panel 20 may also include strips of removable coupling material 54 (such as a hook and loop fastener or a series of snap fasteners) extending inwardly from each of the pair of side edges 48, 50. The strips of removable coupling material 54 are configured to be coupled with the side straps 38 from the corresponding side edges 32, 34 of the front panel 16. Alternatively, the side edges 48, 50 could include loops (not shown) configured to adjustably receive the side straps 38 in other embodiments of the garment 10 without departing from the scope of the invention.

The assembly of the crawling encouragement garment 10 is more clearly shown in FIG. 4. First, the garment 10 is placed over a child 12 by inserting the child's head through the head aperture 22. As shown in FIG. 4, the side edges 32, 34 of the front panel 16 may then be coupled to the side edges 48, 50 of the rear panel 20 by attaching the side straps 38 to the strips of removable coupling material 54. As readily understood, the side straps 38 and the strips 54 are completely adjustable to various positions by disconnecting and reconnecting the hook and loop fastener material or by engaging different snap fasteners in the series of snap fasteners, thereby to enable the garment 10 to be snugly positioned on the child 12 regardless of the size of the child 12. The front crotch panel 36 may also be removably coupled to the rear crotch panel 52 to secure the garment 10 in position on the child 12. To this end, the front crotch panel 36 and the rear crotch panel 52 may each include an adjustable closure mechanism 56 including multiple strips of removable coupling material such as hook and loop fastener or snap fasteners, for example. In this regard, different strips of the removable coupling material on the front and rear crotch panels 36, 52 may be aligned and connected to adjust the length of the entire crotch portion extending between the bottom edges 30, 46 of the front and rear panels 16, 20. Therefore, the garment 10 is completely adjustable to children of various sizes and quickly and reliably secured on a child 12.

Either before or after the crawling encouragement garment 10 is placed on the child 12, the pressure generating members 18 may be positioned in the various pockets 14 as shown in FIGS. 5 through 7. The pockets 14 on the outer side 24 of the front panel 16 are shown in further detail in FIG. 5. In this regard, the pockets 14 are shown filled with a plurality of hollow plastic spherical-shaped balls 18 such as those used in playground ball pits or playpens. Each of the pockets 14 on the front panel 16 may receive anywhere from three to six hollow plastic balls 18. The pockets 14 further include a removable closure mechanism 58, 60 configured to retain the hollow plastic members 18 within the pockets 14 during use of the garment 10. More specifically, each of the pockets 14 in this embodiment includes three side edges 64 that are stitched permanently to the front panel 16 and another side edge 66 configured to define an opening 68 into the pocket 14. The removable closure mechanism 58, 60 includes first strips of removable coupling material 58 on the front panel 16 and second strips of removable coupling material 60 adjacent the side edge 66 of the pocket 14 that defines the opening 68. Similar to the removable coupling materials described above, the strips of removable coupling material 58, 60 may be corresponding strips of hook and loop fastener or strips of snap fasteners or other removable fasteners. Although the side edge 66 and opening 68 are directed towards the head aperture 22 in the illustrated embodiment, it will be understood that the opening 68 of the pockets 14 may be oriented to open towards a side edge or towards the front crotch panel 36 in other embodiments within the scope of the invention.

Similarly, the pocket 14 on the outer side 40 of the rear panel 20 is shown in further detail in FIG. 6. Just like the pockets 14 on the front panel 16, the pocket 14 on the rear panel 20 includes a removable closure mechanism 58, 60 configured to retain a plurality of pressure generating members 18 within the pocket 14. Also, the pocket 14 includes three side edges 64 that are stitched permanently to the rear panel 20 and another side edge 66 configured to define an opening 68 into the pocket 14. The removable closure mechanism 58, 60 includes first strips of removable coupling material 58 on the front panel 16 and second strips of removable coupling material 60 adjacent the side edge 66 of the pocket 14 that defines the opening 68. As shown in FIG. 6, the pressure generating members 18 may include a variable number of hollow plastic balls 18 such as those used in playpens. Once the hollow plastic balls 18 are inserted, the pocket 14 may be closed at the opening 68 with the removable closure mechanism 58, 60 (see FIG. 1). More or fewer hollow plastic members 18 may be inserted depending on the particular needs of the child 12. Also, as discussed above, although the pocket 14 of the illustrated embodiment is shown opening towards the head aperture 22 of the garment 10, the pockets 14 may be alternatively configured to open towards the side or bottom of the garment 10 in other embodiments.

With reference to FIG. 7, the pressure generating members 70 inserted into the rear pocket 14 are shown as elongate foam-like members 70 instead of hollow plastic balls 18. These elongate foam-like members 70 are lightweight and slightly compressible such that a gentle pressure is applied to the back side of a child 12 when the child 12 is laying on the foam-like members 70 within the pocket 14. The elongate foam-like members 70 may be cut to size for the particular pocket 14 from foam floatation noodles or guides typically used by children in the pool to learn how to swim. The particular type of pressure generating member 18, 70 may be chosen based on what materials are readily available or what type of pressure best encourages a particular child 12 to climb onto his hands and knees for crawling from the army crawl position.

The crawling encouragement garment 10 may be sewn together using a lightweight fabric material as well understood in the tailoring art. The lightweight fabric material should be chosen to provide minimal sensory impact on the child 12 to avoid unnecessary discomfort for children with high sensory sensitivity or a low tolerance for bearing additional weight. Therefore, any of a number of commercially-available soft, lightweight, durable fabrics may compose the garment 10. Furthermore, the fabric may be chosen with a decorative pattern to enhance the appearance of the garment 10 as it is worn on the outside of a child's clothing. Similarly, the pressure generating members 18 are chosen to be as lightweight as possible to avoid adding excessive weight for the child 12 to bear during use of the garment 10.

In operation, the pressure generating members 18 are placed in one or more of the pockets 14 when the crawling encouragement garment 10 is on the child 12. In one exemplary operation, hollow plastic members 18 are retained in each of the pockets 14 on the front panel 16 as well as in the pocket 14 on the rear panel 20. The hollow plastic members 18 in the pockets 14 on the front panel 16 apply gentle pressure to a child 12 laying on his front side or belly in an army crawling position. This pressure is designed to be uncomfortable but not painful such that the child 12 is encouraged to climb up on hands and knees to lift the pockets 14 from the floor surface (as shown in FIG. 1) and thereby remove the pressure. When combined with supervision of a therapist or guardian and the placement of a favorite toy 19 or some other desirable item in front of the child 12, the child 12 will learn to crawl to the favorite toy or desirable item on hands and knees instead of by army crawling. To this end, the desire to continue army crawling is repeatedly trained out of the child 12. Thus, the crawling encouragement garment 10 improves the learning process for training any child, including those with special needs, to crawl on hands and knees.

In this exemplary operation, the pressure generating members 18 are also positioned in the pocket 14 on the rear panel 20. The pressure generating members 18 apply gentle pressure to a child 12 who decides to roll over onto his back to try and avoid the discomfort caused by the pressure generating members 18 located in the pockets 14 on the front panel 16. Consequently, the child 12 will learn that the only way to remove the uncomfortable pressure is to roll back onto his front side and then support himself on hands and knees in a crawling position. The pressure generating members 18 may be removed from the pocket 14 on the rear panel 20 in other operations where the child 12 does not tend to roll over to avoid the pressure applied by the hollow plastic members 18 in the pockets 14 on the front panel 16. This alternative operation is shown in FIG. 8, and the removal of the pressure generating members 18 from the pocket 14 on the rear panel 20 reduces the total additional weight added to the child 12. Although the crotch panels 36, 52 are shown in an unconnected state in FIGS. 1 and 8, it will be understood that these crotch panels 36, 52 are connected together as described above during normal operation of the crawling encouragement garment 10.

In the exemplary operation, the pressure generating members 18 are positioned in both pockets 14 on the front panel 16. However, in other operations, the pressure generating members 18 may be removed from the uppermost of the two pockets 14 such that the garment 10 applies less gentle pressure to the child 12. However, some children may respond to this operation by climbing up onto their knees while still laying on the arms and chest. In these circumstances, it would be appropriate to insert the pressure generating members 18 in both pockets 14 on the front panel 16 to encourage the child 12 to climb up on both his knees and his hands. In this regard, the various pockets 14 may be used in any combination to overcome any specific problem areas for a child 12 or to generally train the child 12 to support himself on hands and knees in a crawling position.

As observed above, the crawling encouragement garment 10 should only be worn under the direction of a guardian or a therapist who can evaluate and monitor the progress a child 12 is making in learning to crawl. Once proper crawling habits have been formed in the child 12, the use of the crawling encouragement garment 10 may be discontinued. The crawling encouragement garment 10 is adjustable and may be resized for children of various sizes and ages. In sum, the crawling encouragement garment 10 is a useful therapeutic aid for training all kinds of children how to transition from army crawling to crawling on hands and knees, which eventually leads to walking.

With reference to FIG. 9, another embodiment of the crawling encouragement garment 80 is shown. This embodiment of the crawling encouragement garment 80 includes many of the same elements of the previous embodiment shown in FIGS. 1 through 8, and these elements have been labeled with the same reference numbers where appropriate without further description herein. In this embodiment, the pocket 82 along the rear panel 20 is configured to be removable from the garment 80 when not in use. To this end, the removable pocket 82 includes a plurality of side edges 84 with strips of removable coupling material 86 and the rear panel 20 includes corresponding strips of removable coupling material 88 along the bottom edge 46 and side edges 48, 50. The strips of removable coupling material 86, 88 may include hook and loop fastener or a series of snap fasteners as previously described such that the removable pocket 82 is readily removable and reattached to the rear panel 20. Similar to the previous embodiment, the removable pocket 82 and rear panel 20 define an opening 90 along another side edge with a removable closure mechanism 58, 60 for permitting selective access into the pocket 82. Advantageously, the provision of the removable pocket 82 enables a parent or supervising guardian to further reduce the weight added to the child 12 by the garment 80 when the use of the rear pocket 82 is not necessary to train the child 12. This arrangement is especially beneficial as the child 12 is learning how to support himself properly for the first time. It will be appreciated that one or more of the pockets 14 along the front panel 16 may also be connected in this same manner so as to be removable in other embodiments consistent with the present invention.

While the present invention has been illustrated by the description of specific embodiments thereof, and while these embodiment have been described in considerable detail, it is not intended to restrict or in any way limit the scope of the appended claims to such detail. The various features discussed herein may be used alone or in any combination. Additional advantages and modifications will readily appear to those skilled in the art. The invention in its broader aspects is therefore not limited to the specific details, representative apparatus and methods and illustrative examples shown and described. Accordingly, departures may be made from such details without departing from the scope or spirit of the general inventive concept.

Claims

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.