Seeing your baby crawl for the first time, whether it’s a belly crawl, a butt scoot, or some other method, is a significant milestone worth celebrating. When your baby learns the fundamentals of crawling, they are gaining a sense of independence and exploration and are well on their way to learning how to walk.
When do babies start crawling?
Typically babies start crawling around 7-9 months old, but every crawler is different, and a baby will start scooching at their own pace. Some babies don’t even learn to crawl – they get right to walking!
When your little starts out, don’t be surprised if the crawling method seems a little ‘unconventional’! There are many ways to get around, and your little one will adopt his or her own technique and even evolve it over time.
Why is crawling important?
No matter how your baby decides to crawl, know that this process contributes to their mental and physical development. They learn by exploring and discovering, and crawling helps them get around to achieve this. It also builds the skills needed to stand and walk. Here are other ways crawling helps with their development:
- Vision: Crawling is how your little one learns depth perception and spatial awareness.
- Motor Skills: The more they move, the more they build the motor skills necessary to help them progress with movement and using their hands.
- Strength: When your baby crawls, they use all sorts of muscles like their core, neck, back, and shoulders which will get stronger over time.
- Balance & Coordination: Figuring out how to use their limbs in unison coupled with staying upright when rocking back and forth forms balance and coordination.
Help your baby learn to crawl.
If your little one hasn’t started crawling yet, there are ways to help them learn.
- Tummy Time: Tummy time should start from the day you bring your little one home from the hospital. This exercise helps strengthen their neck and shoulder muscles and encourages the motor skills they need to start crawling.
- Sitting upright: In the beginning, your baby will need some help and support, but sitting upright builds a strong core and leads to crawling. When they’re sitting upright, they learn to lean forward onto their hands. From there, they will learn to rock back and forth until they are coordinated and strong enough to move forward a few inches.
- Use toys: Using a favorite toy as an incentive is a great way to help your baby learn to crawl. Place it just out of their reach to encourage them to lean forward onto their hands and knees to grab it.
Create a safe crawl environment.
Once they learn how to crawl, nothing is off-limits – at least not to them. That means it’s time to create a safe crawling environment. Survey the room and remove obstacles or hazards within their reach. If you have stairs, install baby gates at the top and bottom. You can leave a stair or two open at the bottom. Under supervision, they can use the stair to learn how to pull themselves up and scooch down, which are skills that will help them learn how to walk.
Seeing your baby crawl for the first time is a monumental moment. With a little help, they’ll be ready to explore in no time, and you’ll enjoy watching their curiosity grow as they discover new things.
Disclaimer:
PerkinElmer does not endorse or make recommendations with respect to research, medication, or treatments. All information presented is for informational purposes only and is not intended as medical advice.
Resources:
Pathways.org. Baby on the Move – 5 Ways to Encourage Crawling. https://pathways.org/baby-move-5-ways-encourage-crawling/
NCBI. Crawling and Walking Infants See the World Differently. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4059790/
Pathways.org. Motor Skills. https://pathways.org/topics-of-development/motor-skills/
Adult & Child Therapy Services. Benefits of Crawling and your Baby’s Development. https://www.adultchildtherapy.org/benefits-of-crawling-and-your-babys-development/
Today.com. When do babies crawl? Pediatricians answer all your baby crawling questions. https://www.today.com/parents/when-do-babies-crawl-pediatricians-answer-all-your-baby-crawling-t140345
Zero To Three. Steps Toward Crawling. https://www.zerotothree.org/resources/202-steps-toward-crawling
