Go, baby, go! Crawling is an intermediate step between sitting and walking, and there are almost as many different ways for a baby to learn to crawl as there are babies.
Your little one may start with one style and then progress to another, or stick with a favorite until she gives up crawling for good. It's all normal, and pretty adorable too!
When do babies crawl?
Babies typically start to crawl around the 9-month mark or later, but some start as early as 6 or 7 months, while others take their sweet time putting four on the floor.
Some babies actually bypass crawling altogether — going straight from sitting up to standing and walking.
What are the different types of crawling styles?
There are lots of ways babies begin to crawl. Here are a few baby crawling styles, according to the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP):[1]
- The commando crawl. Sometimes also known as the “belly crawl,” your little one may begin crawling by creeping — keeping her tummy and legs down on the floor and pulling herself along with her arms.
- The bottom scoot. While learning to crawl, your baby may test out scooting around on her bottom. She'll use her legs to pull herself forward as she slides around on her well-cushioned backside.
- The classic crawl. This one’s exactly what you probably picture when you think of crawling — from her tummy, baby pushes up onto her hands and knees and moves by alternating the opposite leg and arm forward.
- The roll. Your baby may rock back and forth on hands and knees until she gets the hang of forward motion.
- The tripod crawl. Baby moves with two hands and one knee doing the work while the second leg takes it easy.
- The bear crawl. From her best downward-facing dog yoga pose, with straight legs and her behind lifted high in the air, baby waddles along on her hands and feet.
- The leapfrog. Speaking of yoga moves, with this crawl, baby gets into a hands-and-knees bridge pose and moves by thrusting herself forward.
- The crab crawl. This one has the opposite of its intended effect — baby uses her arms to push herself backward or sideways instead of forward.
Crawling speeds tend to vary too. “Some kids are very fast crawlers, and some use crawling just to go a few inches,” says Katie Lockwood, M.D., a spokeswoman for the AAP and a board-certified pediatrician at Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia (CHOP) in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.
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Whatever your child’s style, there’s really no right or wrong way to crawl. “What matters is that they’re moving their body,” says Dr. Lockwood.
How can you teach your baby to crawl?
There are a few ways you can help your baby learn to crawl:
Put her on the floor. Make sure your baby gets plenty of supervised tummy time so she can practice raising herself on all fours, says Gina Posner, M.D., F.A.A.P., a board-certified pediatrician at MemorialCare Medical Group in Fountain Valley, California, and a member of the What to Expect Medical Review Board. Tummy time helps her build strength in her back, neck and arms — the better to crawl, scooch or creep with, my dear!
Prop her up to sit. Sitting assisted at first and unassisted when they're ready also helps babies develop strong abdominal and back muscles for crawling. In fact, babies often "discover" crawling from learning to sit: One day your baby might lean over from sitting and discover she can prop up her body on her hands and arms. From there, your little one might try rocking back and forth, or even holding herself in a plank pose, until she figures out her own way to move along, inch by inch.
Give your baby “belly bait.” Another game that encourages babies to get crawling is to place tantalizing toys — some call it "belly bait" — nearby but out of reach during tummy time, or near where baby is sitting. Your little one will be extra motivated to try out new ways of moving her legs and arms when there's a clear reward in sight for those efforts.
Is crawling a developmental milestone?
Crawling may be a major accomplishment for your little one, but it’s no longer considered an official milestone by the AAP and Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).[2]
The organizations published an updated checklist of milestones in early 2022, noting that there wasn't enough evidence to say when 75 percent of children should start crawling — the new benchmark for all developmental milestones.
Of course, there are some benefits to crawling — for example, it helps build coordination and muscle tone, and allows children to explore their environments, says Dr. Posner. But some tots will never crawl at all, preferring to graduate straight to walking.
What if your baby isn't crawling yet?
If your baby is a late crawler (or never crawls at all), it's usually not cause for concern, especially if she’s rolling over, sitting up well or pulling herself up to stand. “What matters is that they’re meeting all their other milestones,” says Dr. Posner.
However, if your child is also behind in other developmental areas, such as language, social interactions or other motor skills, or if she's not able to use both sides of her body equally well, bring it up with the pediatrician.
It's not necessarily the case that a crawler will soon be ready to take those first steps, or even that an early crawler will also be an early walker. Once a baby learns to crawl, she may get so good at it that it becomes her preferred mode of transportation for quite some time.
In fact, many babies who aren't the world's greatest crawlers — or who skip crawling altogether — make an earlier leap to walking than babies who get around like Speed Racer on all fours.
How to keep your crawling baby safe
Once your baby starts crawling, you might be surprised at how soon she'll be able to move fast. Follow these tips to keep her safe:
- Dress her for movement. Covering baby's knees with comfy leggings or stretchy pants may help her keep up the pace and avoid painful rug burn, bruises or scratches.
- Childproof your house. Ideally, the best time to start childproofing your home is before she starts crawling, says Dr. Lockwood. (Some tots learn to crawl all of a sudden, so you may have less time to install that gate than you might think.) Be ready for sudden accelerations by removing hazards and breakables from her path, and keep a close watch on her at all times. Make sure your home is childproofed for a newly mobile baby — getting down on all fours yourself and looking for trouble at her level is a good step.
- Help her learn how to master stairs. Although you'll want to gate off those stairs (top and bottom), don't make them completely off-limits. Kids need to know how to climb up and, even more importantly, how to maneuver safely down. So if possible, depending on how your staircase is built, place the bottom gate a few steps up from the floor. This creates a practice area so your baby can try climbing. Be sure to stay nearby, but if your child tumbles, it won't be far. Allow your baby to crawl all the way to the top sometimes — with you following just behind. As soon as your little one has achieved upward mobility, it's time to work on safe strategies for heading back down. Show baby how to scoot down on her belly — feet first — which keeps her low to the ground and pointed in a safe direction. Be patient, as this may take months for your baby to master. It can seem tedious to monitor all this up-and-down movement, but it's really important for your baby's safety. If your little one has no exposure to stairs, she'll be at risk if she does encounter an ungated set of steps (which is likely).
- Teach her not to climb on furniture. If your baby climbs on something forbidden (say, a bookshelf or coffee table), gently remove your little one and remind her (over and over and over) that furniture is not for climbing. Guide baby to a safe place — such as those few steps you left exposed, or a pile of pillows on the floor — and reiterate that it's okay to climb there. Your little mountaineer will eventually get the message. Until then, make sure that heavy furniture is anchored to the wall, so your tot can't make it topple over.
Crawling is such an exciting accomplishment that it's not uncommon for a new crawler to experience some sleep disruption around the time she picks up her new skill. Your baby's little mind is jam-packed with brand new sensations and experiences, and sleep trouble or regression might crop up while she's working on processing it all.
This is perfectly normal, if exhausting. Double-down on your little one's bedtime routine and allow for plenty of wind-down time at the end of a busy day exploring.
Wondering what's next? As soon as your baby reaches cruising speed on all fours, it's only a matter of time until your tot is standing up on her two feet using whatever's in reach — the couch, a chair, your leg. From there, those first steps aren't far behind, followed by running, jumping, dancing and more. In short, plenty of excitement awaits!
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