What age do babies crawl?

One of the joys of parenting is to observe and help your baby master the new skill of crawling in his first year. The moment your little one crawls for the first time, it'll be the one you'll remember for a long time.

Continue reading to learn everything about the baby creeping and crawling – signs of crawling, baby crawling month, when do babies start crawling, different crawling styles, and what to do if your baby doesn't crawl as expected.

Many babies learn to crawl sometime between 7 months and 10 months. But as every baby is unique, your little one might be on the move earlier or later than others. Some babies skip the crawling stage altogether.

Keep in mind that all babies grow and develop at their own pace. Try not to compare your little one to other babies. If you're wondering whether your baby is on track, consult your doctor.

Before your baby can begin crawling, she'll need to develop a complex set of skills, all of which will help strengthen your baby's muscles in preparation for crawling.

These are some of the things you might notice your baby doing as she gets ready to start crawling:

At this point in your baby's development, crawling might not be too far off, so make sure you keep a watchful eye on her. Don't leave her unattended unless she is in a safe place like her crib.

If you haven't done so already, this is also a great time to babyproof your home. As part of this process, make sure that dangerous items are locked away and that furniture that can tip over is secure so that your little one can't get in harm's way once she can move independently.

You might be surprised to learn that there is not just one way to crawl — but many! Here are some of the most common crawling styles your baby might adopt:

Your baby crawls on his hands and knees, moving one arm and the opposite knee forward simultaneously.

Your baby walks on his hands and feet, keeping his elbows and knees straight.

Your baby slithers around on his belly while moving forward

Your baby moves forward using his arms while scooting on his bottom.

Your baby moves either backward or sideways with the help of his hands.

Your baby moves around by rolling from one place to the next.

Your baby may use any one of these styles or even invent his own, so don't be worried if his crawling doesn't look like any of those listed above.

Babies are eager to move and explore, and they essentially teach themselves to get where they want to go. To encourage your baby to start crawling, try these ideas:

The aim of these exercises is to get your baby to be excited about learning to crawl and see it as a new adventure. If you feel she's starting to lose interest or is getting frustrated, it's time to stop and do something else.

Always supervise your baby when she's playing on the floor and when she's on her tummy.

Just like every other baby, your little one is developing at his own pace and on his own timeline. Try not to think in terms of "my baby should have started to crawl by now." Also, remember that your baby might not crawl exactly how you expect him to. Instead, he may use another way to get around, such as bottom scooting or belly crawling. Or he may skip crawling altogether.

Usually, there's no cause for concern as long as your baby is learning how to coordinate his arms and legs. His eventual goal is to learn how to walk, so try not to focus on how he's crawling in the meantime.

Of course, if you feel your baby is not moving properly, is unable to coordinate each side of his body, or is not using each arm and leg equally, talk to your doctor. And reach out to your doctor any time you have questions or concerns about your baby's development in general.

Crawling enables your baby to see and explore the world in a new and different way. This will make him love the expanded freedom and mobility, preparing him for more and making him want to join in with everyone else who is walking. For your baby, crawling is a new adventure, and for you as a parent, your baby moving independently is a new adventure, too.

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!

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.

There are lots of ways babies begin to crawl. Here are a few baby crawling styles, according to the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP): Trusted SourceAmerican Academy of PediatricsCrawling StylesSee All Sources

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.

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.

There are a few ways you can help your baby learn to crawl:

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). Trusted SourceCenters for Disease Control and PreventionMilestone MomentsSee All Sources

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.

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.

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:

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!

IN THIS ARTICLE: When should I expect my baby to crawl? Crawling and sleep Crawling stages 6 tips and tricks to encourage your baby to crawl Crawling styles Keep your crawler safe When to call the doctor Takeaway Crawling FAQ

Many babies will crawl between 7 and 10 months of age . Of course, baby development is on a spectrum, and some babies may be crawling at 6 months or may start to crawl later than 10 months, and some may skip crawling altogether. Note that for babies who were born early, we go by their adjusted age when it comes to development.

In 2022, the Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) removed crawling as a milestone , noting that evidence for the age that 75% of babies crawl by is not sound enough to provide a milestone. It’s therefore more important than ever for parents to know about the development of crawling and when to reach out for support.

It’s common to experience sleep challenges right around when your baby learns to crawl. Your baby may find it more exciting to practice around their crib as opposed to resting their body, closing their eyes, and going to sleep. This can be part of the reason some babies experience a sleep regression around 8 or 9 months. For more information on the 8 month sleep regression visit our blog.

Some websites distinctly cite 7 stages of crawling, but it’s a bit more complicated than that. Not all babies will go through all of the same stages before they crawl. Some babies may skip some stages, others may go out of order, and some will be working on multiple stages simultaneously, and that’s okay. Here are some of the moves your baby may try out that could mean they’ll start crawling on their hands and knees soon!

Tummy time is not only helpful in preventing babies from developing flat heads, but it’s the start of strengthening all the muscles needed before crawling can happen. The American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) recommends infants participate in 30 minutes of tummy time and other playful activities spread out throughout their day, every day as soon as they are home from the hospital. When your baby is an infant they may only tolerate 3 to 5 minutes at a time on their tummy.

As your baby gets ready to crawl, you’ll notice their head and neck control becoming stronger in that prone (position with the baby on their tummy) position and they will also start pushing up on their arms too.

Now that your baby’s head and neck muscles are stronger, you may see your baby start to move in circles on their belly. This may be the first taste of locomotion for some babies.

Some babies will rise up from their bellies into a plank position on their hands and toes, while others may assume a hands-and-knees position.

Some babies may scoot or even seem to jump forward on their bellies. Others may try a step or two in the hands and knees position.

Once your baby can balance on all fours, you may notice them starting to rock forward and backward.

Not all babies will be able to transition themselves from their belly to sitting up, but some will do so before they crawl.

While the ultimate goal is to move forward, some babies will start off by pushing with their arms so that they move backward at first.

We already mentioned how important tummy time is for the acquisition of crawling, but what else can you do to teach your baby to crawl? Try these tips and tricks and remember to stay close to your baby to keep them safe.

Place one of your baby’s favorite toys off the ground on a chair or couch for a moment as an exercise. This way your baby will be motivated to lift their head and push up onto their hands and knees to find their toy.

During tummy time, offer your baby some support under their chest. You can use your hand or position them so that their tummy is over your leg while you’re in a sitting position on the floor with your leg stretched out straight in front of you.

Get down on the ground facing your baby, and with a big smile on your face, do some push-ups. You can go on your knees if you can’t do a full push-up yourself. Your baby may get excited and eventually attempt to copy you.

Get on your hands and knees with your baby, play some music, and show them how to rock forwards and backward. This may encourage your baby to mimic you.

If your baby has a favorite toy, place it a few feet away. Show your baby how you can crawl on your hands and knees to go get their toy. Your baby may surprise you and crawl too!

Avoid dressing your baby in slippery clothing like pants, leggings, tights, and socks when first learning to crawl on a hard surface. By keeping their knees and toes exposed, they’ll have better luck getting the traction they need to prevent sliding backward.

There are several different ways your baby may crawl as they experiment with their newfound mobility.

This is the style you are most likely to associate with the word “crawling” and involves reciprocally moving opposite hands and knees across the floor in a forward motion.

Belly crawling also known as arm or commando crawling may or may not precede classical hands/knees crawling. Babies may army crawl in a forward motion by pulling themselves forward on their bellies. You’ll likely see that reciprocal opposite arms and legs type of pattern as they move.

Some babies will utilize an inch-worm style crawl in the belly position too. This is where they pull themselves forward with both arms and then do a belly flop to the ground. While they’re pulling themselves forward they’re almost in a plank-type position on their hands and feet. The army crawl style is more common but your baby may experiment with either or both.

As its name suggests, in this style of crawling, babies are up on outstretched hands and feet just like a bear as they move forward. If you don’t see this type of crawling earlier on, you may see it later as your baby prepares to stand upright.

Some babies utilize a rolling maneuver to get from point A to point B. While it may seem dizzying, it can accomplish that goal of being able to explore their environment through movement.

In this style of crawling, babies are sitting upright and use their arms to scoot their bottoms forward across the floor. They may also use a leg to help and may move in various directions.

In this less common crawl style, babies propel themselves forward using one knee and one foot with both arms.

Now that your baby is on the move, it’s important to ensure their world is safe! If you haven’t already, babyproof your space. It can be helpful to get down on all fours and move around your house to see the world as your baby does. For more information on how to make your home safe for your mobile baby, visit our childproofing checklist.

Make sure you keep a close eye on your baby now that they can move on their own. If you place them down on a bed or couch, anticipate that they will not sit still! The floor is going to be the safest place for your baby to rest from here on out. If you are concerned your baby will bruise their knees or bump their head on your hard floor, consider utilizing a crawling mat.

There are so many ways babies can move before they learn to crawl and so many ways to crawl too. While crawling is important in the development of muscles and balance needed to eventually stand upright and walk, not all babies crawl. In some cultures, parents carry their infants around to avoid crawling on the ground for various reasons including to prevent contracting germs and to keep them safe from predators.

Some studies have found that these babies do not suffer any negative sequelae as a result of never crawling. There is no evidence to support that skipping milestones, such as crawling, leads to any developmental issues . As long as your baby is moving and showing interest in exploring the world around them, they’re probably developing just fine!

If you notice your baby isn’t attempting to move or isn’t moving both sides of their body, then we recommend getting in contact with your trusted healthcare provider. You can also reach out for an evaluation by your local early intervention clinicians. In the United States, these evaluations are free, a doctor’s referral is not necessary, and they come right to your house. You can find your local early intervention therapists by clicking here.

Getting around independently gives your baby a sense of power and accomplishment, which is a huge boost to their self-esteem. It also opens up their world to new discoveries and leads the way to more complex movements, such as pulling up to stand, walking, and eventually running.

Here's more information about when babies start to crawl, with tips for helping your child achieve solitary movement.

Babies typically begin to crawl between 6 and 10 months. But keep in mind that every baby develops at a different pace. Some skip the crawling phase altogether and go straight to pulling up, cruising, and walking.

No matter what age your baby starts crawling, know that the feat is a big one. "Crawling is a huge milestone for babies because it's the first step toward independent mobility," says Rallie McAllister, M.D., co-author of The Mommy MD Guide to Your Baby's First Year.

You'll know your little one is almost ready to crawl when they start doing mini push-ups, lifting, or propping themselves up on their arms during tummy time. From there, they'll learn to lift themselves up on both arms and knees. Then they'll begin to rock forward and backward. Eventually, they'll realize that if they push off with their knees, they can move on their own!

Here are some actions that indicate your baby might start crawling soon:

Crawling is a tough job that requires a baby to use both their mind and body, says Dr. McAllister. It relies on gross motor skills, visual-spatial awareness, cognition, problem-solving, balancing, and more.

In order to start crawling, the muscles in your child's back, neck, shoulders, arms, and core must be strong enough to support their weight and help them maintain balance. Their vision also plays an important role, since they rely on both eyes together to focus on one target (called binocular vision). They go back and forth between looking off into the distance and looking at their hands, which helps build depth perception.

What's more, "crawling babies develop navigation skills and memorize facts," says Dr. McAllister. "For instance, they'll learn that they have to go around the coffee table and beyond the recliner to get to the basket of toys," she says.

When we think "crawl," we tend to imagine babies crawling on all fours, but infants will test out several different styles, including scooting, crab crawl, and classic crawl, among others.

Fortunately, odd crawling methods usually don't mean anything is wrong. "The crucial thing is that the baby is engaged in self-locomotion," says David Elkind, Ph.D., author of Parenting on the Go: Birth to Six, A to Z. Try getting down on all fours and showing them how classic crawling is done, and your baby may just pick up on the traditional technique.

Parents and caregivers can take some steps to help a baby start crawling. Here's how to encourage the important physical milestone.

Help your baby get ready for their crawling debut by giving them lots of supervised tummy time. This allows them to lift their head to look around, which builds strength in the neck, shoulders, arms, and trunk. When they kick their feet while on their tummy, it strengthens the hips and legs. Some babies don't like being on their tummy, so make it interesting. Place a favorite toy just out of their grasp, lie down in front of them to engage their attention, or place them tummy-side down on your chest and play with them.

Once your baby starts crawling, expect them to explore anything and everything within their reach. Although you already did the whole baby-proofing thing, it's important to do a second, more thorough, round before they make a move. If you don't have carpet, purchase a few non-slip rugs or colorful floor mats so your baby's little knees get a break from the hard surfaces. If your home has wood floors, make sure there aren't any uncovered nails or loose splinters that could hurt your baby.

Give your crawling baby positive encouragement and patience. As your baby makes their way through the house, expect them to go through a range of emotions: excitement when they discover something, disappointment if you remove it or take it away, and confusion or frustration when an obstacle blocks their path.

You can look forward to engaging in a near-constant game of "follow the leader." Anywhere you go, your baby will be right on your heels! With more crawling practice, they'll begin to pick up the pace (and try to beat you the next time they spy a goodie) and they'll start climbing up and over things, like pillows, sofa cushions, and stairs. Always keep an eye on them, and put up a safety gate for the stairs.

At 6 months old, babies will rock back and forth on hands and knees. This is a building block to crawling. As the child rocks, he may start to crawl backward before moving forward. By 9 months old, babies typically creep and crawl.