When Do Babies Crawl and Walk? Timeline, Signs, and How to Help

Few milestones generate as much excitement and anticipation as watching your baby become mobile. From those first tentative scoots across the floor to the thrilling moment they take their first independent steps, your baby’s journey to mobility is a remarkable process of building strength, coordination, and confidence.

If you are wondering whether your baby is on track or looking for ways to support their physical development, this guide covers everything you need to know about crawling and walking milestones.

When Do Babies Start Crawling?

Most babies begin crawling between 7 and 10 months of age, though the range can extend from 6 to 12 months. Some babies skip crawling entirely, moving directly from sitting to pulling up and cruising along furniture. The CDC’s 2022 updated developmental milestones actually removed crawling as a required milestone, recognizing that many typically developing babies find alternative ways to get around.

Pre-Crawling Signs to Watch For

Before your baby takes off across the floor, you will likely notice several preparatory movements:

• Rocking on hands and knees: Your baby gets into the crawling position and rocks back and forth without moving forward. This is a classic sign that crawling is just around the corner.
• Pivoting in circles on their tummy: While lying on their stomach, your baby rotates to reach toys placed around them.
• Army crawling or commando crawling: Pulling themselves forward using their arms while their belly stays on the floor.
• Pushing backward: Many babies first figure out how to push themselves backward before they master moving forward. This can be frustrating for them but is completely normal.
• Getting into hands-and-knees position: Even if they do not move yet, assuming this position shows they are building the necessary strength and coordination.
• Reaching while on tummy: Extending one arm to grab a toy while supporting weight on the other arm shows the cross-body coordination needed for crawling.

The Different Styles of Crawling

Not every baby crawls the same way, and all styles are considered normal variations. Here are the most common crawling patterns:

Classic Crawl (Cross-Crawl)

The textbook crawling style where the baby moves on hands and knees, with the opposite arm and leg advancing simultaneously (right arm with left leg, then left arm with right leg). This cross-pattern movement is beneficial for brain development as it requires coordination between both hemispheres.

Army Crawl (Commando Crawl)

The baby pulls themselves forward with their forearms while their belly stays flat on the ground. Many babies start with this style before progressing to the classic hands-and-knees crawl. Some babies stick with army crawling and never transition to the classic form.

Bear Crawl

The baby walks on hands and feet with straight arms and legs, keeping their bottom up in the air. This looks a bit like a crawling downward dog yoga pose. It is less common but perfectly normal and actually requires significant strength.

Crab Crawl

The baby pushes with their hands and moves sideways or backward rather than forward. This is often a transitional phase that resolves as the baby gains more coordination.

Bottom Scooter

Instead of getting on hands and knees, the baby sits upright and scoots forward on their bottom, using their arms to propel themselves. Bottom scooters sometimes walk later than traditional crawlers, but they are still within the normal range.

Rolling

Some babies discover that rolling is an efficient way to get from point A to point B and use it as their primary mode of transportation. While unconventional, it gets the job done.

Baby-Proofing for Crawlers

Once your baby becomes mobile, your home needs to be viewed from an entirely new perspective — literally. Get down on your hands and knees to see the world from your baby’s viewpoint.

Essential Baby-Proofing Checklist

Floors and Low Areas

• Remove or secure loose rugs that can bunch up under crawling knees
• Pick up small objects (coins, buttons, batteries, small toy parts) that are choking hazards
• Cover electrical outlets with safety covers
• Secure electrical cords and blind cords out of reach
• Place door stoppers to prevent pinched fingers

Furniture and Heavy Objects

• Anchor bookshelves, dressers, and TV stands to the wall with furniture straps
• Remove tablecloths that a baby could pull down
• Add corner guards to sharp furniture edges
• Keep heavy or breakable items off low tables and shelves

Kitchen and Bathroom

• Install cabinet locks on all low cabinets, especially those containing cleaning products
• Use stove knob covers and an oven door lock
• Keep trash cans behind locked cabinet doors or use cans with locking lids
• Install toilet locks
• Never leave water standing in buckets, bathtubs, or sinks

Stairs and Doors

• Install safety gates at the top and bottom of all staircases
• Use hardware-mounted gates (not pressure-mounted) at the top of stairs
• Keep doors to potentially dangerous rooms closed or use door handle covers

When Do Babies Start Walking?

The average age for a baby’s first independent steps is around 12 months, but the normal range is quite broad: anywhere from 9 to 18 months. Most babies are walking confidently by 14 to 15 months.

The Stages Leading Up to Walking

Walking does not happen overnight. It is the culmination of months of strength-building and balance development:

Stage 1: Pulling to Stand (8-10 months) Your baby grabs furniture, your pants, or anything within reach to haul themselves up to a standing position. At first, they may not know how to get back down and might cry for help.

Stage 2: Cruising (8-12 months) While holding onto furniture, your baby takes sideways steps. They might cruise along the couch, transfer from the couch to the coffee table, and eventually cruise around the entire room.

Stage 3: Standing Independently (9-12 months) Your baby lets go of their support and stands freely for a few seconds, gradually increasing to longer periods. You might notice them standing without realizing they have let go.

Stage 4: First Steps (9-14 months) Those magical first steps are usually wobbly, wide-legged, and short. Your baby might take one or two steps between pieces of furniture or between you and a partner.

Stage 5: Walking Independently (12-18 months) Confidence builds rapidly once those first steps are taken. Within weeks of starting to walk, most babies are toddling around with increasing speed and stability.

Shoes vs. Barefoot: What Is Best for New Walkers?

This is one of the most common questions parents have, and the answer may surprise you: barefoot is best for learning to walk.

Benefits of Barefoot Walking

• Strengthens foot muscles: Bare feet allow the small muscles of the foot to develop properly
• Improves balance: Direct contact with the ground provides sensory feedback that helps babies balance
• Develops proper gait: Shoes can alter natural walking patterns in new walkers
• Enhances proprioception: Feeling different surfaces under their feet helps babies understand where their body is in space

When Shoes Are Needed

Reserve shoes for:

• Outdoor surfaces that could injure bare feet (hot pavement, rough ground, cold surfaces)
• Public places where bare feet are unsafe or unsanitary

Choosing First Shoes

When you do need shoes, look for:

• Lightweight and flexible (you should be able to easily bend the shoe)
• Flat, non-skid soles
• Roomy toe box that allows toes to spread naturally
• Secure closure (velcro is easier than laces for this age)
• Avoid stiff, structured, or high-top shoes for beginning walkers

How to Encourage Crawling

While you cannot force a baby to crawl before they are ready, you can create an environment that motivates and supports crawling development:

Tummy Time Is the Foundation

Tummy time builds the neck, shoulder, arm, and core muscles essential for crawling. The AAP recommends supervised tummy time from the first day home from the hospital.

• Start with short sessions (3-5 minutes) several times a day
• Gradually increase duration as your baby tolerates it
• Use tummy time props like rolled towels or Boppy pillows if your baby resists
• Get down on the floor face-to-face to make tummy time social

Create Motivation to Move

• Place favorite toys just out of reach during floor time
• Sit a few feet away and encourage your baby to come to you
• Use toys with lights and sounds to create an irresistible target
• Create a safe, open floor space where your baby can practice

Support the Crawling Position

• Help your baby get into the hands-and-knees position
• Place a small rolled towel under their chest to help them get the feel
• Gently support their hips as they practice rocking
• Let them practice on different surfaces (carpet, foam mats, hardwood)

How to Encourage Walking

During the Cruising Stage

• Arrange furniture so your baby can cruise from one piece to another with small gaps
• Offer push toys (weighted walkers with handles) that move at a controlled pace
• Hold both of your baby’s hands and walk together
• Encourage standing play at a low activity table

Supporting First Steps

• Hold one hand and walk beside your baby
• Sit a short distance away and encourage them to walk to you
• Celebrate every attempt, even falls — your reaction affects their confidence
• Avoid walkers with seats (the AAP recommends against these due to safety concerns and because they can actually delay walking)

Important Safety Note About Baby Walkers

The American Academy of Pediatrics has called for a ban on infant walkers with seats. These devices:

• Cause approximately 2,000 injuries per year in the United States
• Allow babies to reach dangerous areas (stoves, stairs, pools) quickly
• Do not help babies learn to walk and may actually delay walking
• Have been banned in Canada since 2004

Push-behind walkers (like a toy shopping cart the baby pushes while standing) are a safe and helpful alternative.

When to Worry About Late Crawling or Walking

Crawling Concerns

Since crawling is no longer considered a required milestone by the CDC, the focus should be on whether your baby has developed some form of independent mobility. Talk to your pediatrician if by 12 months your baby:

• Has no way of moving independently (no crawling, scooting, rolling, or other method)
• Cannot bear weight on their legs when held in a standing position
• Moves using only one side of their body
• Seems excessively stiff or excessively floppy

Walking Concerns

Contact your pediatrician if your baby:

• Is not pulling to stand by 12 months
• Is not walking by 18 months
• Walks only on toes consistently (not just occasionally)
• Has a persistent limp or asymmetrical gait
• Was walking and then stopped (regression)
• Falls excessively compared to peers who started walking at the same time

What Your Pediatrician May Recommend

If there are concerns about motor development, your pediatrician might:

• Take a detailed developmental history
• Perform a physical examination focusing on muscle tone, reflexes, and joint range of motion
• Refer to a pediatric physical therapist for evaluation
• Refer to Early Intervention services (free evaluation for children under 3)
• Order additional tests if a neurological or muscular condition is suspected

The Connection Between Crawling, Walking, and Brain Development

Movement milestones are not just about physical ability — they are deeply connected to cognitive and social development:

• Spatial awareness: Moving independently teaches babies about distance, depth, and the layout of their environment
• Problem-solving: Navigating around obstacles builds executive function skills
• Language development: Research shows that mobile babies hear more language because they can approach caregivers and initiate interactions. Learn more about baby language development milestones.
• Social development: The ability to move toward (or away from) people gives babies new social and emotional development opportunities
• Independence and confidence: Self-directed mobility is empowering and builds self-efficacy

Frequently Asked Questions

Is it bad if my baby never crawls?

No. Many typically developing babies skip crawling entirely. The CDC removed crawling from its developmental milestone checklists in 2022. What matters is that your baby finds some way to move independently, whether that is crawling, scooting, rolling, or going directly to walking. If your baby has no form of independent mobility by 12 months, discuss it with your pediatrician.

Can I use a baby walker to help my baby learn to walk?

The American Academy of Pediatrics recommends against using seated baby walkers. They do not help babies learn to walk, may actually delay walking, and cause thousands of injuries each year. Safer alternatives include push-behind walkers (toy carts your baby pushes while walking) and stationary activity centers.

My baby is 14 months old and not walking yet. Should I be worried?

Fourteen months is still within the normal range for walking. The typical range extends from 9 to 18 months. If your baby is pulling to stand, cruising along furniture, and making progress, they are likely developing normally. However, if you have concerns, it is always appropriate to discuss them with your pediatrician.

Should my baby wear shoes when learning to walk?

Barefoot is best for learning to walk indoors. Going barefoot strengthens foot muscles, improves balance, and provides important sensory feedback. Save shoes for outdoor use and look for lightweight, flexible shoes with flat, non-skid soles and a roomy toe box.

Does using a baby carrier or stroller too much delay crawling and walking?

There is no evidence that reasonable use of carriers and strollers delays motor development. What matters is that your baby has plenty of supervised floor time each day to practice their emerging skills. Aim for multiple daily opportunities for unrestricted movement on a safe floor surface.

References

• CDC Developmental Milestones - Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
• AAP Policy Statement on Baby Walkers - American Academy of Pediatrics
• WHO Motor Development Study - World Health Organization
• Mayo Clinic: Infant Development - Mayo Clinic
• HealthyChildren.org: Movement Milestones - American Academy of Pediatrics
• Early Intervention Services - CDC Act Early

Written by

Jessica Park

Certified Pediatric Sleep Consultant

Jessica is a certified pediatric sleep consultant (CPSM) and mother of two. She has helped over 500 families establish healthy sleep habits through evidence-based techniques. Her guides draw from AAP safe sleep guidelines and the latest sleep science research.