Kids & Babies
Many babies start crawling somewhere around 7 to 10 months, but the timing varies a lot, and some healthy babies never crawl on hands and knees. The CDC's milestone checklists don't include crawling for that reason. What matters more is that your baby finds some way to move around and keeps gaining new skills, like sitting and pulling up to stand.
Before crawling on hands and knees, many babies pivot in circles on their tummy, scoot backward, or army crawl, pulling themselves along on their forearms and belly. Some babies scoot on their bottom, roll across the room, or go straight to pulling up and walking along furniture.
Crawling on hands and knees builds strength in the shoulders, hips and trunk, so it's worth encouraging. But skipping it is usually not a problem on its own. Read more in Is it OK if my baby skips crawling?
Talk with your pediatrician if your baby:
A pediatric physical therapist watches how your baby moves and checks strength, balance and how both sides of the body work together. Through play, they help your baby build the skills crawling needs. You are part of every visit, you get a home program, and we coordinate with your pediatrician.
At ARI Physical Therapy in Bakersfield, every visit is one-on-one and in person with a licensed physical therapist, and our clinic director, Deepa Konnur, PT, MPT, OCS, is a board-certified Orthopedic Certified Specialist. We accept most private insurance plans and Medicare, and we have staff who speak Spanish and Hindi. We can usually see new pediatric patients within 1–2 weeks.
Read our full guide: Gross motor delays →
Ready to feel better?
Talk to a licensed physical therapist at ARI, one-on-one. Request an evaluation and we'll get back to you, usually within one business day.
This page is general information, not a diagnosis. If you have symptoms, a licensed clinician should evaluate you.
Clinically reviewed by Deepa Konnur, PT, MPT, OCS, board-certified Orthopedic Certified Specialist · Reviewed October 2026