When Do Babies Start Crawling?

Crawling is a significant developmental milestone for your child. Learn more about the various types of crawling styles, when your baby is likely to crawl, and how to encourage her to begin.

Go, baby, go! Crawling is a transitional stage between sitting and walking, and there are as many different ways for a baby to learn to crawl as there are different babies. Yours may start with one style and then progress to another, or stick with her favorite until she gives up crawling for good. The various ways in which babies crawl are normal (and probably quite adorable!).

When do babies crawl?

Babies typically begin crawling around the 9-month mark or later, but some begin as early as 6 or 7 months, while others take their time. Some babies skip crawling entirely, going straight from sitting to standing to walking.

What are the different types of crawling styles?

Babies can crawl in a variety of ways, including:

Crawl of the commandos Your child may begin crawling by creeping — keeping her belly and legs down on the floor and pulling herself along with her arms — which is also known as the “belly crawl.”

The bottom scoot: As your baby learns to crawl, he or she may try the bottom scoot: She pulls herself forward by slid her well-cushioned bottom along the floor.

The traditional crawl. This is exactly what you think of when you think of crawling — baby pushes up on her hands and knees from her belly and moves by alternating the opposite leg and arm forward.

The move. Your baby may rock back and forth until she learns to move forward.

The tripod scurries. The baby moves with two hands and one knee doing the work while the other leg rests.

The bear is crawling. Baby waddles along on her hands and feet from her best downward-facing dog yoga pose, with straight legs and her behind lifted high in the air.

The jumpfrog. Speaking of yoga moves, this crawling baby enters a hands-and-knees bridge pose and moves forward by thrusting herself.

Crab crawling This one has the frustrating effect of having the opposite effect — baby uses her arms to push herself backward or sideways rather than forward.

How can you teach your baby to crawl?

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

It’s tummy time. Make sure your baby gets lots of supervised tummy time so she can practice standing on all fours. Tummy time helps her build strength in her back, neck, and arms, which makes it easier for her to crawl, scooch, or creep, my dear!

Prop your baby up to sit. Sitting with assistance at first, then unassisted when she is ready, helps babies develop strong abdominal and back muscles for crawling. In fact, babies frequently “discover” crawling while learning to sit: she may lean over from sitting and discover she can prop up her body with her hands and arms one day. She could then try rocking back and forth or even holding herself in a plank position until she finds her own way to move forward, inch by inch.

This is belly bait. Another game that encourages babies to crawl is to place tantalizing toys nearby but out of reach during tummy time or near where the baby is sitting. When there’s a clear reward in sight for her efforts, she’ll be even more motivated to try out new ways of moving her legs and arms.

What if your baby isn’t crawling yet?

It’s not a cause for concern if your baby crawls late (or never crawls at all). However, if she is also falling behind in other areas of development, such as language, social interactions, or other motor skills, or if she is unable to use both sides of her body equally well, she should consult her doctor.

It is not always true that a crawler will soon be ready to take her first steps, or that an early crawler will also be an early walker. When a baby learns to crawl, she may become so skilled at it that she uses it as her primary mode of transportation for quite some time. In fact, many babies who aren’t the best crawlers (or who skip crawling entirely) start walking sooner than babies who move around like Speed Racer on all fours.

How to keep your crawling baby safe

You might be surprised at how quickly your baby can move once she starts crawling. To keep her safe, try the following suggestions:

Dress her for activity. Covering baby’s knees with comfortable leggings or stretchy pants may help her maintain her pace while avoiding painful rug burn or scratches.

Make your home childproof. Prepare for unexpected accelerations by clearing hazards and breakables from her path and keeping a close eye on her at all times. Make sure your home is childproofed in preparation for a newly mobile baby (getting down on all fours yourself and looking for trouble at her level is a good step).

Assist her in learning how to use stairs. Although you should gate off the stairs (top and bottom), don’t make them completely inaccessible. Children must learn how to climb and, more importantly, how to safely descend. So, depending on how your staircase is built, place the bottom gate a few steps up from the floor if possible. This creates a practice area for your baby to try out her climbing skills. Of course, you should stay close by while she’s doing it, but if she falls, it won’t be far. Allow her to crawl all the way to the top on occasion (with you following just behind her behind, of course). It’s time to work on safe downtown strategies as soon as she’s achieved upward mobility. Show her how to scoot down on her belly, feet first, to stay low to the ground and pointed in a safe direction (be patient, this may take months for her to master). Monitoring all of this up-and-downing may appear tedious, but it is critical for your baby’s safety. If she has no prior experience with stairs, she will be at risk if she encounters an ungated set of steps (and she probably will).

Teach her to avoid climbing on furniture. If she climbs on something she shouldn’t (say, a bookshelf or coffee table), gently remove her and remind her (over and over) that furniture isn’t for climbing. Guide her to a safe location (such as the few steps you left exposed or a pile of pillows on the floor) and reassure her that it is safe to climb here. Your little mountaineer will eventually get the message (but make sure all heavy furniture is securely fastened to the wall so she can’t topple it).

Crawling is such an exciting milestone that it’s not uncommon for a new crawler to have some sleep disruption around the time she learns her new skill — her little mind is jam-packed with brand-new sensations and experiences, and she may have difficulty sleeping while she works on processing it all. This is completely normal… albeit exhausting. Increase your child’s bedtime routine and allow for plenty of wind-down time at the end of a busy day of exploring.

What happens next? When your baby is cruising on all fours, it’s only a matter of time before she’s standing up on her two feet, using whatever is in reach — the couch, a chair, your leg. It’s only a matter of time before she takes her first steps and is running, jumping, dancing, and doing other things.