How to Encourage Crawling in a Baby Who Wants to Skip It

Learn gentle ways to motivate your baby to crawl when they seem eager to skip this important developmental milestone.

  1. Why crawling matters. Crawling helps babies develop core strength, coordination between their arms and legs, and spatial awareness. It also strengthens the connection between the left and right sides of their brain, which supports future learning skills like reading and writing. The cross-pattern movement of crawling (opposite arm and leg moving together) is particularly valuable for brain development.
  2. Create crawling opportunities. Place your baby on their tummy frequently throughout the day when they're alert and happy. Put interesting toys or objects just out of reach to motivate forward movement. Create obstacle courses with pillows or couch cushions that encourage crawling around, over, and through different surfaces. Limit time in equipment like walkers, jumpers, or stationary activity centers that keep babies upright.
  3. Make it fun and rewarding. Get down on the floor and crawl alongside your baby to show them how it's done. Make crawling into games by rolling balls for them to chase or creating tunnels with your body for them to crawl through. Praise their efforts enthusiastically, even for small movements forward. Place favorite toys, books, or even yourself at the other end of the room as motivation to crawl toward something exciting.
  4. Build the right skills gradually. Start with plenty of tummy time to build neck, shoulder, and arm strength. Help your baby practice getting into crawling position by supporting their hips while they bear weight on their hands and knees. Encourage rocking back and forth in this position, which helps develop the balance needed for crawling. Practice moving from sitting to hands and knees, as this transition is important for independent crawling.
  5. What to do if baby resists. Keep tummy time sessions short but frequent if your baby fusses. Try different surfaces like a soft blanket, carpet, or even outside on grass to make it more interesting. Use mirrors, music, or bubbles to make floor time more engaging. If your baby immediately pulls to standing whenever placed on the floor, gently guide them back down and redirect their attention to toys at floor level.