When Should My Baby Be Crawling?

Most babies begin crawling somewhere between 6 and 10 months, with hands-and-knees crawling often showing up around 7 to 10 months. Crawling also looks a little different from baby to baby. Some do the classic hands-and-knees version, while others bear-crawl on hands and feet, scoot on their bottom, or move belly-down like a little commando, and all of these count as real progress.

The thing to remember is that crawling is the last step in a long build-up of smaller skills. When you support those earlier stages, healthy crawling tends to follow more naturally. Here is what that progression looks like, along with a simple thing you can try at each step.

The Milestones That Build Toward Crawling, and How to Help

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Tummy Time and Lifting the Head (newborn to around 4 months)

Everything starts here, because tummy time builds the neck, shoulder, and core strength that crawling later depends on. Try this: aim for short, frequent sessions of supervised, awake tummy time, beginning with a few minutes and building up across the day. If your baby fusses, start chest-to-chest while you recline, or lay them tummy-down across your lap, and get down at their eye level with a toy or a mirror to give them a reason to look up.

Learn how to make tummy time more enjoyable for your baby in our guide Why Does My Baby Hate Tummy Time? What’s Normal and What Helps – Madden Therapy Solutions, PLLC.

Pushing Up on the Arms (around 3 to 5 months)

Next, babies learn to prop on their forearms and then press up onto straighter arms, which wakes up the shoulders and upper back. Try this: during tummy time, hold a favorite toy in front of them and slowly raise it so they follow it upward and push through their arms. A small rolled towel under the chest and armpits can give a little extra lift while they get the hang of it.

Rolling and Reaching (around 4 to 6 months)

Rolling is a baby’s first real way to get somewhere, and reaching across the body builds the trunk rotation that crawling needs. Try this: lay your baby on their back and slowly move a toy from the center out to one side so they twist and reach for it. Offering toys slightly across their midline, so one hand reaches toward the opposite side, builds the cross-body coordination crawling relies on.

Sitting and Pivoting (around 5 to 7 months)

As sitting steadies, many babies start pivoting in a circle on their tummy, which is an early form of crawling. Try this: set a few toys in a loose circle around your baby during tummy time so they turn to reach each one. Plenty of floor time, rather than long stretches in seats or loungers, gives them the room to discover these movements on their own.

Rocking on Hands and Knees (around 6 to 9 months)

Before crawling forward, babies push up onto hands and knees and rock back and forth, learning to load their arms and legs. Try this: gently help your baby into the hands-and-knees position over your forearm, your leg, or a small rolled towel, and let them feel the weight in their hands. Placing a toy just ahead of them can spark the urge to reach and move toward it.

Crawling (around 7 to 10 months)

Now the pieces come together, whether it starts as a belly-down commando crawl or the classic hands-and-knees version. Try this: put a favorite toy just out of reach and crawl alongside your baby to show them how. If they get stuck, place your hand gently behind one foot to give them something to push against, and add simple obstacles like a couch cushion or a play tunnel to keep it fun.

Why Crawling Is Worth Encouraging

You may hear that some babies skip crawling and head straight for walking, and that it makes no difference either way. We see it a little differently, because crawling builds core and shoulder strength, coordination between both sides of the body, and the visual and hand skills that support later milestones like writing. So rather than waving off a skipped or stalled crawling stage as simply “every baby is different,” we think it is worth a closer look.

A few things worth checking in about:

• Not trying to move or crawl in any way by around 9 to 10 months
• Not pushing up or bearing weight on the arms during tummy time
• A strong, consistent preference for one side, like always leading with the same hand or dragging one leg
• Trouble getting up onto hands and knees

These are general ideas, so follow your baby’s lead and keep it playful rather than turning it into a drill. If your little one is simply on the earlier side and still building strength, plenty of floor time usually goes a long way. And if something feels off to you, there is no need to wait and see, because you know your baby better than anyone. 

A pediatric physical therapist in St. Petersburg can help you tell the difference between a baby who just needs a bit more time and one who could use some extra support, and early help at this age is often simple and play-based.

If you are in St. Petersburg or anywhere across the Tampa Bay area and want to talk it through, you can book a free 15-minute consultation with a licensed physical therapist.

Frequently Asked Questions About Crawling

When should I worry if my baby isn’t crawling?

Most babies are crawling in some form between 7 and 10 months, so if you are still inside that window and your baby is happily building strength on the floor, there is usually no need to worry. It is more worth a closer look if your baby is not trying to move at all by around 9 to 10 months, is not bearing weight on their arms during tummy time, or strongly favors one side. You know your baby better than anyone, so if something feels off, it is okay to ask rather than wait and see.

Is it okay if my baby skips crawling and goes straight to walking?

You will often hear that skipping crawling makes no difference, but we see it a little differently. Crawling builds core and shoulder strength, coordination between both sides of the body, and the hand and visual skills that support later milestones like writing. So while a baby who skips it can absolutely go on to do well, a skipped or stalled crawling stage is worth a closer look rather than something to automatically wave off.

How can I encourage my baby to crawl?

The simplest thing is plenty of supervised floor time, since that is where babies discover these movements on their own. You can also place a favorite toy just out of reach and crawl alongside your baby to show them how, give them something to push against behind one foot when they get stuck, and add gentle obstacles like a couch cushion or play tunnel to keep it playful. Following their lead and keeping it fun works far better than turning it into a drill.

Why is my baby army crawling instead of crawling on hands and knees?

A belly-down commando crawl is a real and common way for babies to start moving, and for many it is simply a stepping stone toward hands-and-knees crawling. Lots of floor time and play that encourages pushing up onto hands and knees, like rocking over your forearm or a small rolled towel, can help that next stage come along. If your baby stays exclusively belly-down well past the typical window or seems to be dragging one side, it is worth checking in with a physical therapist.

Does crawling really matter for my baby’s development?

It does more than it gets credit for. Beyond getting your baby from one place to another, crawling strengthens the core and shoulders, builds the cross-body coordination both sides of the body rely on, and supports the visual and hand skills that show up later in things like handwriting. That is why we think an encouraged crawling stage is worth the floor time, even though your baby is the one who gets to decide exactly how they do it.

Madden Therapy Solutions is a private pediatric practice based in St. Petersburg, FL, specializing in feeding, speech, myofunctional, occupational, and pediatric physical therapy. Our team supports children and families from infancy through elementary years, always centering compassion, connection, and meaningful progress. Click here to subscribe to our email list for more family-focused resources and updates.

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