🧠 Why Reflexes Matter

Babies are born with primitive reflexes—built-in movement patterns that help them survive and grow in early life. But over time, those reflexes should fade away (or “integrate”) as the brain and body mature.

The Babinski reflex shows up when you stroke the bottom of a baby’s foot and their toes flare out.

The plantar reflex is the opposite: pressure with one finger horizontally, right under the toes, causes toes to curl.

When these reflexes stick around longer than they should, you might notice signs like:

• Super ticklish feet or avoidance of foot contact

• Toes that curl or flare when standing

• Tiptoe walking (beyond toddler curiosity)

• Dislike of bare feet on different textures

That’s because the nervous system may still be reacting in “baby mode” instead of responding with calm, mature movement.

🛋️ Real Life Moment

When my little one was just learning how to cruise, I noticed that he would stand on his tiptoes quite often. It prompted me to test his reflexes out of curiosity. Even though, he was still little, I started doing little things to help him integrate like deep pressure on his feet, having him walk barefoot as often as I could to help provide his feet with sensory input. One time I even put rice crispies on the floor of the kitchen and had him stomp on them. Now, he is fifteen months, and we are still working on his plantar and Babinski reflexes, but I will tell you that he no longer walks on his tiptoes!

🦶 How to Support Reflex Integration Through Play

These playful, sensory-rich activities help feet wake up, reflexes calm down, and movement become more organized:

1. Toe Grab Games

Place small bean bags, socks, or cotton balls on the floor and have your child pick them up using just their toes!

✅ Builds awareness, foot strength, and helps inhibit the Babinski response.

⏱️ Do 3–5 pickups per foot, once or twice a day.

2. Textured Walking Paths

Set up a “sensory path” with textured mats, bubble wrap, towels, or sensory mats.

Let your child walk slowly across, pause, and describe what they feel.

✅ Helps normalize input to the soles of the feet and supports plantar reflex calming.

⏱️ Try for 3–5 minutes of barefoot walking each day.

3. Heel Drops + Calf Stretching

Gently encourage your child to rise up on tiptoes and then slowly drop their heels back down. Do this on the floor or a small step.

✅ Helps retrain flat-foot contact and balance for tiptoe walkers.

🔁 Aim for 10–15 heel drops per day.

🔬 Why It Works

When reflexes like Babinski and plantar don’t integrate, the body stays in a state of “readiness” instead of regulation.

This can lead to sensory defensiveness, balance challenges, or inefficient movement patterns like toe-walking.

By giving the feet rich sensory input—pressure, texture, stretch—we help the brain calm those reflexes and replace them with mature, coordinated motor skills.