In this article:

• When do babies start crawling?
• What are signs my baby is ready to crawl?
• How can I help my baby learn to crawl?
• How can I keep my baby safe while they learn to crawl?
• What are the stages and styles of crawling?
• When will my child stop crawling?
• Developmental concerns with crawling

Crawling opens the door to a new phase of exploration and movement for your baby. Once they learn to crawl, your baby can act on their own initiative to get a toy they see—or attempt to chase the family pet 🙃 For your baby, crawling represents a new way to act on their goals and discover the world around them.  As psychologist, professor, and developmental researcher Karen Adolph writes, “Infants will do whatever it takes to move their bodies from one place to another.” 

When do babies start crawling?

Babies begin to crawl between 6 to 10 months of age, but as with many aspects of your baby’s development, there’s a wide age range that’s considered typical for this skill. Studies find that about half of babies crawl by 8 months of age. 

While some babies skip crawling altogether, research shows crawling is helpful for your baby’s development. “Crawling is important for many reasons, including building hand-eye coordination and learning to coordinate movements where the two sides of the body are doing different things,” explains Lovevery’s pediatric occupational therapist Rachel Coley.

What signs will my baby show when they’re ready to crawl?

As your baby builds strength and balance, you may begin to see signs they’re about to crawl. In fact, there’s a series of pre-crawling signs that you can look for:

Scooting backward on belly (at 7 to 8 months, on average)

At around 8 months, your baby will likely start scooting backward with their belly on the floor. Backward scooting usually comes before forward scooting, partly because your baby’s upper body is stronger than their legs at this stage. While it may look a little odd (and result in some funny misadventures if your baby scoots under the couch), backward scooting is not uncommon. 

Your baby relies on their upper body strength to hold up their head and to push up on their belly during tummy time. This may mean that your baby finds it easier to push with their arms rather than pull with them—and when they push with their arms while lying on their belly, they’ll find themselves moving backward.

Because babies are constantly experimenting, they usually figure out how to crawl forward on their own eventually. You can aid their experimentation by putting your hand behind their feet so they can push off your hand. Bring one knee up under their tummy and put your hand at the sole of their foot so they can push through your hand and move their body up and forward. With a little practice, your baby will soon be scooting forward instead of backward.

Learning to scoot on belly forward (at 8 to 9.5 months, on average)

The classic forward scoot is another sign your baby may be getting ready to crawl. Here’s what it looks like: While on their belly, your baby will move forward by pulling with their arms and pushing with their legs. You can help them get a better grip by putting them in a short-sleeved onesie with their bare legs on the floor. 

Entice your baby with a toy just out of reach and see if they are able to move toward you. On average, babies start moving forward on their bellies somewhere between 8 and 9.5 months.

Learning to self-support on hands and knees, belly off the floor (8 to 9 months on average)

Somewhere between 8 and 9 months, your baby will likely be able to get into the hands and knees position with their belly off the floor.

Once your baby learns to support their weight on their hands and knees with their belly off the floor, you may see them begin to rock back and forth. Rocking back and forth isn’t just fun (although, for your baby, it’s definitely that), it also serves a purpose. Research suggests that your baby may do this to help them figure out balance in motion prior to crawling.

“Crawling is not an easy skill and takes much coordination and strength. Your baby must learn to keep her head up, her arms straight, her knees and hips bent, and her core activated—and then, plan how to move an opposite arm and leg forward.”

Dr. Giselle Tadros, PT

How can I help my baby learn to crawl?

You may be able to encourage your baby to crawl by letting them practice pre-crawling movements and positions, like scooting on their belly. Positioning your baby in different play positions may also encourage the development of the muscles required for crawling. 

Remember, though, that each baby’s developmental path is unique. There are many factors that can influence how and when your baby begins to crawl. 

These positions recommended by pediatric therapists can be good ways to help your baby start to crawl.

1. Pushing up onto their hands

If your baby is scooting but not yet getting into the crawling position, you can help them learn to put weight through their hands with straight elbows. 

Place your baby belly-down on a firm pillow or rolled-up blanket tall enough to help them get familiar with the position, with their arms straight. Give your baby opportunities to feel different textures with their hands while they are supporting their weight. Try placing an enticing plaything that makes noise, like the Spinning Rainbow, on an elevated surface to encourage them to lift their chest off the floor, extending their arms to see the plaything.

2. Reaching and turning on their belly

Place your baby’s favorite toys just beyond their arms’ reach on either side of their body to encourage reaching and turning on their belly, a helpful catalyst for crawling. Your baby may roll each time they reach, so you can gently help them shift their weight away from the direction they’re reaching. For example, if they reach for a toy on their right, you would gently lift their right hip off the floor.

3. Playing on all fours

Encourage your baby to play while on all fours over your leg. Place the Soft Book or Framed Mirror on the floor and position them over your legs with their hands on the book or mirror. As you introduce your baby to this new movement, you’ll want to use a toy that your baby can’t easily pick up off the floor, since they may not be able to hold their upper body’s weight on one arm. Gently use your hands to bend their knees under their hips and rock them back and forward, while holding the toy to prevent your baby from picking it up. This will strengthen your baby’s arms as they push through the floor and get used to feeling weight through their knees. 

4. Sidesitting

Position your baby to sit with one leg bent in front of them and the other bent behind, both feet pointing in the same direction. This is an intermediate position that connects your baby’s skills in sitting and tummy time and is excellent for developing the core strength for transitioning to crawling. Once your baby is in this position, give them something exciting to reach for. This will help them shift their center of gravity and put one or both hands on the floor for support, getting them almost into an all fours position.

5. Low kneel

Place a couch cushion (or a pillow of a similar height) on the floor with a toy, like the ‘Things I See’ Texture Cards, on top. Position your baby in a kneeling position, with their knees touching the cushion, their body leaning forward, and hands in front. You can gently use your hands to maintain their knees tucked under their hips. This calls for them to put weight through their knees and helps build their core strength. It can be a challenging position, so practice in short bouts and give your baby regular opportunities to practice. (Reminder: Never leave your child alone with blankets or pillows.)

6. Tall kneel

Kneeling is an important body position that engages your baby’s trunk, pelvis, and spine to stay upright. A “tall kneel” is when your baby’s bottom is lifted off their heels, which works their core muscles and helps them practice balance.

A tall kneel also requires your baby to bear weight on their knees, which is necessary for crawling and for transitioning from the floor to standing. To encourage this, place a fun toy on a low surface, like a couch or coffee table. Position your baby so they are sitting on their knees in a low kneel. Help them reach for the toy and shift forward lifting their bottom off of their knees onto a tall kneel. 

7. Tummy time

Studies have clearly shown the benefits of tummy time for your baby’s crawling development, and research indicates that babies who spend more time in a prone position (tummy down) tend to crawl earlier. Experimenting with tummy time for your baby can start as early as the first week of life. Try laying your baby on their tummy for short periods of time and work up to longer stretches. 

Introduce your baby to high-contrast images or small playthings that they can view and interact with during tummy time. With its firm but comfortable surface, the Lovevery Play Gym can be a helpful tool for encouraging tummy time. But tummy time for your baby doesn’t always have to happen on the floor: they may enjoy bonding time with you as they experience tummy time on your chest or lying across your lap.

RELATED: Parent Course: Baby’s Best Tummy Time

How can I keep my baby safe while they learn to crawl?

As your baby becomes mobile, they’ll have more opportunities to explore—which means more opportunities to get into dangerous situations. So as soon as your baby shows signs that they may be crawling soon (for example, scooting or holding in a hands-and-knees position), it’s time to think about babyproofing. 

Any area of your home that your baby has access to should be babyproofed carefully. Safety measures could include things like:

• Locking or latching cabinets that contain chemicals
• Installing baby gates at the top and bottom of stairs
• Using covers on electrical outlets
• Tying up cords on blinds and curtains
• Putting away any small toys or items that can be choking hazards
• Anchoring large furniture such as bookcases or changing tables so they cannot be pulled over

By babyproofing, you’re not only keeping your child safe, you’re giving your baby a comfortable space to play without you having to say “no” or intervene too often. 

Try creating a babyproofed play area in your home that’s a designated “yes” space for your baby, with playthings, board books, and other baby-friendly items that encourage movement and exploration, like the Play Tunnel. Having this “yes” space will encourage your baby to try out their new crawling skills in a safe environment.

What are the stages and styles of crawling?

As your baby becomes more mobile, you may see them try out a variety of different types of crawling. While it’s tempting to think of some of these crawling types as being more “advanced” than others, research tells us that may not be the case. Studies find that babies often use a variety of crawling types, sometimes even switching between types within a relatively short period of time.

“It’s not uncommon for babies to crawl in different ways, especially when crawling
is so new to them.”

Karen Adolph, child development scholar

So don’t be surprised if you see your baby army crawling one day and then switching to a bear crawl or even a scoot the next. You may also see your baby crawling differently depending on the surface they are crawling on or the clothes they’re wearing. The types of crawling described below don’t represent “stages” along a developmental path. Instead, think of them as different variations your baby may use as they piece together the puzzle of mobility in their own unique way. 

Regardless of how your baby gets from point A to point B, their newfound independence and motivation to move on their own is a milestone to celebrate. 

The classic crawl

The classic crawl, in which your baby bears their weight on their hands and knees with their belly off the floor, is what you probably imagine when you think of crawling. In this crawl, your baby moves one arm and the opposite knee forward at the same time. Like almost all forms of crawling, the classic crawl helps your baby practice balance, coordinate the two sides of their body, and build strength.

While most babies do the classic crawl at some point, it isn’t universal. Some babies use a variety of other forms of crawling first, or skip the classic crawl altogether. If your baby does learn the classic crawl, they’ll typically develop the skill between 6 and 11 months of age.

You can help encourage your child’s classic crawl through practice and play:

• Put your baby in a short-sleeved onesie without socks so they can use their skin against the floor to get a little grip (fun fact: babies don’t need knee pads because their knee caps are actually cartilage tissue, and haven’t ossified into bone yet).
• Put your baby on a smooth surface (not a rug or blanket)
• Play in a kneeling position by using an elevated surface, like a removed couch cushion. Position them in kneeling with their knees tucked under their hips and hands leaning on the couch cushion, and play with them by spinning the Spinning Rainbow on top of the couch cushion. Kneeling requires babies to put weight through their knees and helps build their core strength. 
• Sit on the floor and encourage your baby to crawl over your leg. Crawling over obstacles encourages your baby to lift their tummy off the floor and briefly bear weight through their hands and knees.
• Once your baby is on the move and crawling with their belly off the floor, you can create an obstacle course of pillows to help build their muscles and challenge this new skill. Remember never to leave your child alone with blankets or pillows.

The bear crawl

The bear crawl is a variation on the classic crawl. Instead of putting their weight on their hands and knees, your baby puts their weight on their hands and feet. Their elbows and knees stay mostly straight, and they end up walking on hands and feet like a bear.

As with other forms of crawling, babies typically begin this type of crawling between 6 to 11 months of age. Remember different types of crawling can often develop at the same time, so you might see your baby bear crawl one day and scoot the next. However, if your baby is only effectively moving by bear crawling, you may want to reach out to a pediatric physical therapist and your pediatrician for further evaluation. In some cases, it may be an indication of tightness or weakness in the hip joints, and they will be able to give you and your little one specific strategies.  

The scoot 

Some babies skip the classic or bear crawl and prefer to scoot on their bottom (also known as a “bum shuffle”). In this crawling variation, your baby uses their trunk muscles along with their legs out in front of their body to propel themselves forward. 

Many babies prefer bottom scooting because they have not yet built the strength to bear weight through their arms or endurance in their tummy muscles. Some babies dislike the feeling of bearing weight through their knees. A baby that primarily scoots may have difficulty with transitioning from the floor to standing independently, specifically with the kneeling part of the transition. 

You can set up purposeful play activities that will encourage your little scooter to try crawling.

• Start on their tummy: Put your baby on their belly instead of directly into sitting when putting them on the floor to play. This will encourage your baby to practice the transition from the floor into sitting, which can be more challenging for babies that prefer to scoot.
• Hands and knees play: Position your baby on their hands and knees and place an enticing item in front of them (like ‘Things I See’ Texture Cards). Gently hold their hips so they are encouraged to stay on hands and knees. You can also try encouraging them to rock back and forth to learn how to put their weight on their hands and knees. 
• Kneeling walking: Position your baby on their knees with their upper body supported on a tall box in front of them (the Lovevery box works well for this!). Slowly push the box forward about 1 to 3 inches to encourage kneeling walking—a great alternative way to engage the same muscles as crawling. Give your baby time to tuck their knees toward the box with each push, or assist them if needed.
• Obstacle crawling: Set up obstacles, like your leg or a rolled-up blanket, to encourage your child to crawl over and grab a toy they like.

If your baby is only effectively moving by scooting, you may want to reach out to a pediatric physical therapist and your pediatrician for further evaluation. In some cases, it may be an indication of weakness in the core and upper body muscles, and they will be able to give you and your little one specific strategies. 

The commando crawl or “army” crawl

Another common form of crawling your baby may try is the commando or “army” crawl. With this type of crawling, your baby lays on their belly and uses their arms to move them forward. 

Research suggests that as many as half of babies use this crawl, often before moving on to the classic crawl. Before your baby has enough arm strength to put weight on their hands, the army crawl allows them to put much of their weight on their belly. This also helps them solve the issue of balance since they are using their belly to help maintain stability. 

Although this type of crawling doesn’t seem very efficient, studies show that this type of crawl has some benefits. Research suggests that babies who do this type of belly crawl (commando crawl) are more efficient at later classic crawling than babies who don’t do some form of belly crawl. It seems that experiencing a phase of commando crawling may help your baby coordinate the movement of their arms and legs.

A variation on the commando crawl is sometimes called the “inchworm” crawl. This type of crawl is similar to the commando crawl in that the baby is on their belly, however, with this crawl the baby doesn’t separate their left and right sides as much. They lift their upper body to propel themselves forward, heavily relying on their arms, but do not alternate left and right legs.

Your little commando may be more interested in trying the classic hands-and-knees crawl after getting some practice putting weight on their knees. To encourage a baby to get onto all fours, try placing a couch cushion (or a big pillow of a similar height) on the floor with a toy like the Ball Drop Box on top of it. Then place your baby in a kneeling position against the cushion where they can play with the toy on top, which helps build your baby’s core strength and encourages your baby to put weight through their knees. “This can be a challenging position for an army crawler—you may need to prevent their knees from ‘frogging’ out to the side by gently keeping them together,” notes Dr. Giselle Tadros, Pediatric Physical Therapist for Lovevery. Be patient with your baby, start out slowly, and stop when they’ve had enough.

The asymmetrical crawl  

Your baby may try a form of crawling in which they primarily use one knee and one foot to move forward. This style is called an asymmetrical crawl, since your baby is using one side of their body more than the other. You might also hear it called the crab crawl, the hitch crawl, or the one-legged crawl.

Sometimes babies use asymmetrical crawling for a short period of time and then progress to a more traditional form of crawling. If you see your baby continuing to use asymmetrical crawling after a few weeks, you may want to consider speaking with your child’s pediatrician to get your little one evaluated by a licensed pediatric physical therapist. There can be many reasons why your child may prefer to crawl this way, and an evaluation will offer insight into whether your baby may benefit from specific activities. 

How to encourage symmetrical crawling

Pediatric physical therapists like to encourage symmetrical movement patterns because they help support a baby’s motor coordination and strength to develop equally on both sides. There are a few techniques you can try to help your baby try out symmetrical crawling styles, which help them learn to put their weight more evenly on both sides of their body:

• Crawling over pillows: Pediatric PTs recommend pillow crawling for many babies, even those that aren’t doing an asymmetrical crawl. Simply lay some throw pillows on the floor in a pile and encourage your baby to crawl over them. This will strengthen and stretch both sides of their body. (Reminder: Never leave your child unsupervised with blankets or pillows.)

• Kneeling: Encourage your child to play in a tall kneeling position, with their bottom lifted off their heels, by placing their toys on an elevated surface like a removed couch cushion or a step. You can help your baby maintain this position by lightly placing your hands behind their knees. Once your baby gets comfortable in this position, you can try “kneeling walking,” an alternative way to encourage bearing weight through both of their knees. While your baby plays on their knees with their upper body supported on a tall box in front of them (like the Lovevery box, slowly push the box forward a few inches at a time, and give your baby time to tuck their knees toward the box with each push, or assist them if needed.

• Playing on hands and knees: Place your child on their hands and knees over your leg to encourage them to play in the crawling position. This will help them get more comfortable on all fours while you give them a little extra support.  By playing on hands and knees, you are giving your baby the opportunity to feel their weight equally through their knees, which provides input to their joint receptors to promote this less preferred position. 

When will my child stop crawling?

Once your toddler starts walking, they will probably crawl less often—although they may crawl faster than they can walk at first. 

Even after your toddler learns to walk, it’s helpful to continue to encourage some crawling during play. Crawling has many benefits for toddlers. When your toddler crawls, they:

• Build upper body and core strength
• Engage in complex movement that requires both sides of their brain to work together 
• Receive deep-pressure sensory input and feedback on their hands, feet, knees, and legs 
• Learn how their body interacts with their environment 

If your child skipped the crawling stage, they can still gain all these motor skill benefits through crawling during play time. Here are some activities to encourage your toddler to crawl:

Tunnel time: The Play Tunnel can be used in so many ways, especially to encourage your toddler to crawl. Place a puzzle piece at one end and the puzzle base at the other. Your toddler has to crawl through the tunnel to put the puzzle piece in its place. You can also have your toddler sit in the tunnel and play a game in which you pass a ball in and out of the tunnel. They can try using their crawling motion to move the ball through the tunnel.

Crawling over: Play a simple game with your toddler where you encourage them to crawl over your legs while they are outstretched sitting on the floor. You can try adding a pillow or two to make it more challenging.

Developmental concerns with crawling

If your baby isn’t crawling yet, that’s not necessarily cause for concern. It’s important to remember that milestones are based on averages, with each child a little different from the next. While babies begin crawling around 8 months of age on average, this skill can develop anywhere from 7 months to 11 months of age. If your 8-month-old is not crawling, they might just be taking a little longer to get the hang of it.  

Although most babies crawl, some babies skip the crawling stage and go straight to walking. In fact, in 2022 the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) removed crawling from the organization’s “official” list of developmental milestones. But while crawling is no longer an official motor milestone, developmental therapists continue to encourage babies to crawl because of its many benefits. Crawling is a unique opportunity for your baby to learn how to move their body to get to where they want to be and explore their environment on their own. Similar to walking, crawling is an early skill that helps your baby develop critical motor and cognitive skills and requires both sides of your baby’s body to work together, which builds pathways between the left and right sides of their brain.

Watch for physical movements that can be precursors to crawling. Are they scooting on their belly (either forward or backward)? Does your baby try to put their weight on their hands and knees (or hands and feet)? If your baby is showing signs of typical motor development in these other ways, and has developed a form of independent mobility, there may be no cause for concern.

The main concern to be aware of is if your baby shows any sign of muscle weakness on one side of their body. If your baby regularly only uses one side of their body to propel themselves or push up, or doesn’t show any signs of self-initiated movements, this is worth discussing with your pediatrician. They can assess your baby’s developmental path and recommend a physical or occupational therapist if needed. You may also reach out to your state’s early intervention program to see if your baby is eligible for services.

---

Recommended reading on crawling

Baby’s First Steps: Walking and Other Milestones 

Lovevery’s Tummy Time Course

Tummy time for your baby: advice from a pediatric OT

Why your baby is crawling in their sleep (and what to do if it’s waking them up)