When Do Babies Start Crawling? Ages, Styles & Tips

Your baby rocks on hands and knees, scoots backward, or seems perfectly happy just sitting and watching. Meanwhile a friend’s baby the same age is already zooming across the living room. So you start wondering: when do babies start crawling, and is my baby on track?

Crawling is one step in a bigger picture of baby gross motor skills, and it looks different from one baby to the next. Here is the typical window, what counts, how to help, and when to ask your pediatrician.

If you want to see how crawling fits with sitting, babbling, and play, our guide to baby development and milestones covers the whole first year.

Quick answer: when do babies start crawling?

The American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) says crawling is usually mastered between 7 and 10 months. The NHS gives a similar range of around 7 to 10 months. Some babies start earlier or later, some crawl in their own style, and a few never crawl at all. That can still be typical if other movement skills are on track.

Typical window: about 7 to 10 months (AAP, NHS).
Wider normal range: in a WHO study of healthy children in five countries, hands-and-knees crawling appeared between about 5.2 and 13.5 months (1st to 99th percentile).
Not on the CDC checklist: the CDC’s current milestone checklists for 9 months and 1 year do not list crawling.

Why the range is so wide

Babies build strength in their own order. Many first push up on straight arms during tummy time, roll, and sit with support. The CDC lists rolling from tummy to back and pushing up with straight arms among the milestones by 6 months, and sitting without support by 9 months. More on these building blocks in our 7-month milestones guide.

The AAP notes that a baby may rock on hands and knees for a while, or push backward first because the arms are stronger than the legs. In the WHO study, 4.3% of healthy children did not show hands-and-knees crawling at all. The CDC’s 1-year checklist focuses on pulling up to stand and walking while holding on to furniture instead.

What counts as crawling?

Not every baby crawls in the classic way. HealthyChildren.org, the AAP’s parent site, describes several styles:

Classic hands-and-knees: one arm and the opposite knee move forward together.
Belly or commando crawl: the baby drags the belly along the floor.
Bottom scooting: the baby sits and scoots forward using the arms. The NHS also calls this bottom shuffling.
Bear crawl: elbows and knees straight, walking on hands and feet.
Crab or rolling crawl: moving backward or sideways, or rolling from place to place.

The AAP says that as long as your baby is coordinating each side of the body, these alternative styles are not a cause for concern.

How to help your baby get moving

You cannot rush crawling, but you can give your baby plenty of chances to practice.

What to do	What the sources say
Daily tummy time	The AAP suggests 2 to 3 short sessions a day from the start, working up to 15 to 30 minutes a day by 7 weeks. Tummy time is only for babies who are awake and closely supervised.
Toys just out of reach	The AAP suggests placing interesting objects just beyond reach. The CDC suggests encouraging your baby to crawl, scoot, or roll to get toys.
Plenty of floor time	The AAP says floor time and crawling play an important role in development.
Babyproof early	The AAP advises moving harmful items out of reach and out of sight before or as soon as your child begins crawling.

If your baby fusses on their tummy, short and frequent sessions are fine. Our tips to make tummy time fun can help.

When to talk to your doctor

Crawling on its own is not a must-have milestone. Bring it up with your pediatrician, or ask at the next well-child visit, if you notice any of these:

Your baby does not seem to use both sides of the body equally.
Your baby is missing movement milestones on the CDC checklist, such as sitting without support by 9 months or pulling up to stand by 1 year.
Your baby has lost skills they used to have.
Muscles seem stiff or floppy, or your baby struggles to roll over or sit (AAP).
You simply feel your baby is not moving normally. The CDC says you know your child best.

The CDC suggests asking your doctor about developmental screening if you have a concern. For children under 3, you can also call your state’s early intervention program yourself. The CDC says a doctor’s referral is not necessary.

Frequently asked questions

Is it normal for a baby to skip crawling?

It can be. The AAP says a few children never crawl, and that babies sometimes skip a milestone or learn skills out of order. The AAP also says the old idea that skipping crawling leads to reading problems later has no scientific support. What matters more is that your baby keeps gaining new movement skills and uses both sides of the body.

Do babies crawl before they walk?

Most do, but not all. Some babies go from sitting or scooting straight to pulling up and cruising along furniture. The CDC lists pulling up to stand and walking while holding on to furniture as milestones by 1 year. See what often comes next in our 8-month milestones guide.

What should I change at home once my baby crawls?

The AAP advises never leaving a crawling baby unsupervised and keeping small objects off the floor. Button batteries, coins, and balloon pieces are especially dangerous. Place sturdy gates at the top and bottom of stairs, and store harmful products out of reach in latched or locked cabinets.

Free printables: get our Safe Sleep Checklist, Feeding & Diaper Log and Hospital Bag Checklist, plus one short tip email a week. Join Babypino Weekly.

Sources

This article is for general information and does not replace advice from your pediatrician.