Moving (gross motor)
Crawling
Many babies — 7–10 months
Getting mobile — crawling on hands and knees (or scooting/army-crawling; both count).
What’s happening
Crawling is a baby's first real independence, and it comes in many styles — hands-and-knees, army-crawl, scoot, or roll. Some babies skip crawling and go straight to pulling up; that's normal too.
How to support it
- Give lots of floor time and place a favorite toy just out of reach to invite them forward.
- Get down on the floor and crawl with them — babies imitate.
- Create safe, open space to practice; barefoot is best for grip.
- Once they're crawling, the natural next step is pulling up on furniture — leave sturdy, stable things to pull up on.
Worth knowing
- A crawling baby can reach outlets, cords, stairs, and small objects — this is the moment to baby-proof: outlet covers, cord management, stair gates, and a sweep for choking hazards.
- Get down to their eye level to spot what's now in reach.
When to ask your pediatrician
Babies crawl on a very wide timeline and some skip it entirely, so late crawling alone usually isn't a concern. If your baby isn't moving to explore in any way by around their first birthday, or you have any worry, your pediatrician is the right person to check.
Often comes after sitting without support
Often leads to pulling to stand
Where this comes from
- How Do Babies Learn to Crawl?Zero to Three
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