Watching your baby rock on all fours but not quite take that first crawling step is one of the most exciting — and sometimes frustrating — stages of the first year. Crawling is a major developmental milestone that does not just happen on its own — it needs to be built, practiced, and encouraged through specific activities. Here are 15 proven ways to encourage your baby to crawl, based on developmental science and designed to make the process fun for both of you.
What is in this guide
- Why crawling matters — the developmental science
- The 5 stages leading up to crawling
- 15 activities and positions to encourage crawling
- What if my baby skips crawling altogether?
- Things that accidentally delay crawling
- When to speak to your health visitor
- Frequently asked questions
Why crawling matters — the developmental science
Crawling is far more than just a way to get from A to B. When a baby crawls, both sides of the brain must work together in a coordinated cross-lateral pattern — right arm and left leg, then left arm and right leg. This bilateral brain communication builds the neural pathways that later underpin reading, writing, coordination, and problem solving. Research consistently shows that babies who crawl extensively before walking develop stronger core muscles, better hand-eye coordination, more advanced spatial awareness, and stronger fine motor skills than those who skip crawling or crawl for only a short time. There is also compelling evidence linking robust crawling experience to stronger later literacy skills — the cross-body coordination of crawling directly prepares the brain for the left-right tracking of reading text. In short, every minute your baby spends crawling is an investment in their future development.
Key developmental fact: Crawling is the only movement pattern that requires both hemispheres of the brain to fire simultaneously in an alternating sequence. This bilateral neural coordination is a foundational building block for nearly every complex skill that follows — including reading, writing, and sports.
The 5 stages that lead to crawling
Stage 1 — ~4 months
Head lifting
Pushes up on forearms during tummy time, holds head steady
Stage 2 — ~5–6 months
Full push-up
Pushes up on straight arms, begins pivoting on tummy
Stage 3 — ~6–7 months
Rocking
Gets onto all fours, rocks back and forth — the launch pad
Stage 4 — ~7–9 months
Commando crawl
Drags body forward on tummy — army crawl is real crawling!
Stage 5 — ~8–10 months
Hands and knees
Full reciprocal crawling — alternating arms and legs
Important: All babies go through these stages at their own pace. Some reach full crawling at 7 months, others at 11 months. The activities in this guide support whichever stage your baby is currently at — you do not need to rush the process, just create the conditions for it.
Active motivated tummy time — daily
Tummy time is the single most important preparation for crawling — and it must be active, not passive. Simply placing a baby on their tummy and leaving them there is far less effective than using targets and motivation. Place your baby on a soft rug on their tummy and position a slowly rolling ball, a crinkle toy, or a favourite object just slightly out of reach. As they push up and try to reach it, their shoulder girdle, core, and neck muscles are all strengthening simultaneously. Aim for 3–4 sessions of 5–10 minutes per day — spread across waking periods rather than in one long session. If your baby hates tummy time, try placing them on your chest while you lie on your back — this is tummy time with a much better view!
You need: Soft rug, any interesting object to place just out of reach
Supported sitting to floor transition
Sit your baby upright and then slowly lower them sideways onto their hands — so their weight goes through their outstretched arms. This weight-bearing through open hands is called
“propping” and it builds the wrist extension strength and shoulder stability that crawling requires. Repeat from both sides. As babies get stronger, encourage them to push back up to sitting independently. This transition between sitting and floor positions also builds the core rotation that prepares the body for the alternating movement pattern of crawling. Do this gently and playfully — it should feel like a game, not an exercise.
You need: Soft floor surface — nothing else
Cushion mountain climbing
Stack two or three firm cushions or folded blankets on the floor and place a motivating toy on top. Place your baby at the base and let them work out how to climb up. The effort of pushing through arms and legs against the uneven, compliant surface of cushions is an extraordinary core and upper body workout. Unlike flat floor crawling, cushion climbing requires babies to adjust their weight distribution and balance constantly — building the proprioceptive awareness that makes coordinated crawling possible. Watch carefully and spot them closely — the falls are part of the learning but safety first.
You need: 2–3 firm cushions or folded blankets, a motivating toy on top
Rolling ball chase
Sit facing your baby on the floor with them in tummy time position. Roll a soft ball slowly toward them — let them grab it — then gently roll it away again just out of reach. A moving target is one of the most powerful crawling motivators because it activates the visual-motor system in a way that a stationary toy cannot. The baby’s eyes lock onto the moving ball and their motor system prepares to pursue it. Start by rolling it just 30cm away. As they begin to move toward it, gradually increase the distance. Use a brightly coloured ball for maximum visual engagement — a ball that also makes a sound when it rolls is even better.
You need: A soft brightly coloured ball
Mirror on the floor
Prop an unbreakable mirror flat on the floor or lean it against a low wall. Place your baby on their tummy in front of it. Babies at this age are powerfully drawn to faces — and the face in the mirror is the most fascinating face of all. Most babies will immediately begin reaching and scooting toward their own reflection. The mirror also gives babies visual feedback about their own body position and movement — seeing themselves move is motivating and helps the motor system self-correct. Use a large plastic or acrylic unbreakable mirror — never glass. You can also hold the mirror in front of your face while lying on the floor so baby sees both you and themselves.
You need: An unbreakable plastic or acrylic mirror
Motivation to moveSelf-awarenessVisual motor feedbackSocial engagement
Crinkle paper trail
Scrunch a piece of foil or crinkle paper into a ball and roll it slowly across the floor away from your baby. The sound of crinkle paper is extremely attractive to babies — the combination of visual movement and interesting sound is almost irresistible. Slowly move the paper ball just a little further each time they approach it. Most babies will be motivated to pursue it through several repetitions before they reach it — and each attempt builds strength and coordination whether or not they actually catch it. This is especially effective for babies at the commando crawl stage who need motivation to keep moving forward.
You need: A piece of foil or crinkle paper — from any kitchen drawer
You as the target — crawl together
Get down on all fours yourself and crawl away from your baby slowly. Turn and smile at them. Crawl a little further. For most babies, nothing is more motivating than following their primary caregiver — and seeing you crawl simultaneously demonstrates exactly what crawling looks like. Babies learn enormously through imitation at this age and watching you crawl activates their mirror neurons in a way that no toy can. Make it playful — crawl behind the sofa and peek out, crawl in circles, go slowly enough that they almost catch you. This is one of the most consistently effective crawling encouragement strategies recommended by paediatric physiotherapists worldwide.
You need: Open floor space — and your willingness to get on all fours!
Parent tip: The single most powerful crawling motivator is you. Your face, your voice, your movement — nothing motivates a baby to move more than the desire to reach their primary caregiver. Get on the floor at their level, make eye contact, and move just a little out of reach. This costs nothing and works every time.
Create a crawling-friendly floor space
Babies need clear, safe floor space to practice crawling — and most home environments are not set up for this. Remove low furniture that blocks movement pathways. Create a clear floor area of at least 2–3 metres — this gives your baby room to practice without hitting walls or furniture. Use a soft rug or mat on a hard floor rather than thick carpet — carpet creates too much resistance and makes crawling feel harder than it needs to be. A slightly firm, smooth surface like a yoga mat or thin rug gives the right amount of grip without excessive drag. Remove any bumps, ledges, or obstacles that might discourage forward movement.
You need: Clear floor space, a thin rug or yoga mat
Crawling tunnel from chairs and blankets
Line up two or three dining chairs in a row and drape a blanket over them to make a low tunnel. Place a motivating toy at the far end. The enclosed tunnel space triggers a powerful crawling response in most babies — the low ceiling naturally encourages the all-fours position and the clear destination at the end provides motivation. Tunnel play also builds proprioceptive body awareness as the baby’s back gently brushes the ceiling while they move through — this deep sensory input helps consolidate the body awareness needed for coordinated crawling. Make the tunnel longer as crawling improves.
You need: 2–3 dining chairs, one blanket, a motivating toy for the end
Sofa surfing support
Stand your baby at a low sofa or coffee table and encourage them to cruise along the edge — holding on and stepping sideways. While this looks like walking preparation, it also builds exactly the weight shifting and lateral body control that crawling requires. As babies cruise along furniture, they are practising the hip rotation and weight transfer that later appears in the alternating arm-leg pattern of crawling. Place interesting objects along the sofa surface just out of reach to motivate lateral movement. Alternate between floor crawling practice and supported standing to build all the muscle groups needed for both skills simultaneously.
You need: A low sofa or sturdy coffee table, interesting objects placed along the surface
Nature Nestia approach: Some of the best crawling motivation comes from the natural world. Outdoor surfaces, natural textures, and the rich sensory environment of a garden provide more varied proprioceptive input than any indoor surface — making outdoor crawling practice particularly beneficial.
Grass crawling
Take your baby outside to a patch of grass and let them crawl on the lawn — in warm weather, without shoes or socks. The uneven, slightly resistant texture of grass provides far richer proprioceptive feedback than any indoor surface. The tickling sensation of grass on hands and knees is highly stimulating and motivating for most babies, and the natural resistance of grass strengthens the hand and wrist muscles more effectively than smooth floors. Place interesting natural objects — a smooth stone, a large flower, a fallen leaf — a short distance away as targets. Many babies who show little interest in crawling indoors become highly motivated on grass because the sensory novelty drives movement.
You need: A safe, clean patch of grass — any garden or park
Natural texture crawling path
Create a sensory crawling path indoors using natural materials — a smooth wooden board, a piece of cork mat, a fluffy sheepskin rug, a slightly rough doormat, and a cool smooth stone slab. Lay them in a line and place a target toy at the far end. As your baby crawls from one surface to the next, the constantly changing sensory input keeps their interest and engagement higher than a single uniform surface would. The transition between textures also builds sensory integration — the brain’s ability to process and respond to multiple different types of sensory information — which directly supports more coordinated movement overall.
You need: 4–5 different texture samples — doormats, rugs, wooden boards, available at home
Towel under tummy — float support
Roll a small towel or blanket and place it under your baby’s tummy while they are on all fours. This “float” takes just enough weight off their middle that they can focus on the arm and leg movement without their tummy sagging to the floor. Many babies who rock on all fours but collapse when they try to move forward benefit enormously from this temporary support — it gives them a chance to feel what successful crawling movement actually feels like before they have the full core strength to do it independently. Gradually reduce the thickness of the towel over days and weeks as strength builds.
You need: A small rolled towel or folded blanket
Hand-over-hand alternating movement
Place your baby on all fours. Gently hold one of their hands and the opposite knee, and guide them through the alternating movement pattern — right hand forward, left knee forward, left hand forward, right knee forward. Do this very slowly and gently, just 3–4 cycles at a time. You are not forcing the movement — you are giving the baby’s nervous system a felt experience of what the correct pattern feels like. This proprioceptive input is processed directly by the cerebellum and motor cortex, and helps the brain create the neural map for the movement before the baby can execute it independently. Always stop if the baby shows any resistance or discomfort.
You need: Nothing — just your gentle hands
Bare hands and knees — remove socks!
This simple change makes an enormous difference. Socks on hard floors make crawling slippery and discouraging — babies expend enormous energy trying to grip a smooth surface through slippery fabric. Bare hands and bare knees provide the grip and proprioceptive feedback that make crawling feel controllable and achievable. If your floors are very cold, use non-slip socks rather than regular ones — but bare skin on a warm rug is always best. Similarly, avoid putting babies on polished wood or tile floors without a grippy mat underneath. The grip equation is one of the most overlooked factors in slow crawling development and it is completely free to fix.
You need: Simply remove your baby’s socks — that is all
What if my baby skips crawling altogether?
Some babies do skip crawling — they bottom-shuffle, roll everywhere, or go directly from sitting to pulling to stand. While this is not automatically cause for concern, it is worth noting that babies who skip crawling miss out on the bilateral brain development that crawling provides. If your baby is showing no interest in any floor locomotion by 10–11 months, or is skipping all forms of crawling in favour of other movement, speak to your health visitor. Many paediatric physiotherapists and occupational therapists actively recommend encouraging crawling even in babies who have begun pulling to stand — the developmental benefits are too significant to skip.
Things that accidentally delay crawling
- Too much time in bouncers, swings, and baby walkers — these prevent floor time and delay strength building
- Skipping tummy time — without it, the shoulder and core strength needed for crawling does not develop on schedule
- Slippery surfaces — socks on hard floors make crawling feel impossible
- Too much time in the pram — babies need floor time to develop the muscles crawling requires
- Rushing to walking — using baby walkers before crawling is well established can skip critical developmental stages
- Not enough floor freedom — babies need space and time to explore movement independently
Baby walkers and jumperoos: The American Academy of Pediatrics recommends against baby walkers entirely — they delay walking and crawling development, and are a significant safety hazard. Jumperoos are safer but should be limited to 15–20 minutes per day. Floor time is always more developmentally beneficial than any supported device.
When to speak to your health visitor
Most babies begin some form of crawling or floor locomotion between 7 and 10 months. Speak to your health visitor if:
- Your baby is not attempting any form of floor movement (rolling, pivoting, scooting) by 9 months
- Your baby shows a strong preference for one side of their body — consistently using one arm more than the other
- Your baby seems to have very low muscle tone — feels floppy, tires very quickly, or has poor head control
- Your baby was crawling and then stopped — regression of motor milestones always warrants professional review
- You have any instinct that something is not quite right — trust that instinct and ask
Frequently asked questions
When do babies usually start crawling?
Most babies begin some form of crawling — commando crawl, hands-and-knees crawl, or bottom shuffling — between 7 and 10 months. The average for hands-and-knees crawling is around 8–9 months. There is a wide normal range — some babies crawl at 6 months, others at 11 months. What matters is the direction of development, not the exact timing.
Is commando crawling (army crawl) real crawling?
Absolutely. Army crawling — dragging the body forward on the tummy using the arms — is a completely valid and developmentally appropriate form of crawling. It builds the same bilateral brain coordination and upper body strength as hands-and-knees crawling. Many babies army crawl for weeks before transitioning to hands and knees. Do not try to rush them past this stage — it is exactly where they need to be.
My baby hates tummy time — what can I do?
Try tummy time on your chest rather than the floor — many babies find this much more tolerable. Use a rolled towel under their chest for support. Get down at their level and make eye contact. Place an engaging mirror or high contrast card in front of them. Try very short sessions — even 1–2 minutes — multiple times per day rather than longer sessions. Tummy time after a nappy change (when they are happy and alert) often works better than at other times of day. Keep persisting — most babies who initially dislike tummy time come to tolerate it well within a few weeks of consistent practice.
How long should my baby practise crawling activities each day?
Aim for at least 30–60 minutes of supervised floor time spread across the day — this does not need to be in one session. Short, frequent floor time sessions of 10–15 minutes with activities interspersed with free exploration are ideal. The key is that the majority of a baby’s awake time should be spent on the floor, not in a bouncer, swing, or pram. Free floor time — where the baby chooses what to explore — is just as valuable as structured crawling activities.
Does crawling help with brain development?
Yes, significantly. Crawling requires both hemispheres of the brain to fire in an alternating coordinated pattern — a form of bilateral brain communication that builds neural pathways used later in reading, writing, coordination, and problem solving. Research links extensive crawling experience with stronger later literacy skills, better spatial awareness, more advanced fine motor control, and improved coordination. This is why many developmental specialists and paediatric physiotherapists strongly encourage crawling even when babies show interest in walking early.
Crawling does not happen in a day — it is built over weeks and months of floor time, motivation, strength, and practice. Your job as a parent is simply to create the conditions: clear safe space, interesting targets, your engaged presence on the floor, and plenty of time. Remove the socks, roll away the bouncer, get down on all fours yourself, and watch what happens. Your baby’s body knows what to do — it just needs the right environment and the right motivation to do it.
Happy crawling! 🌿
