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Why Is Crawling So Important? A Pediatric Physical Therapist’s Perspective

Writer's picture: Karen Tanso PT, DPTKaren Tanso PT, DPT

a baby learning to crawl on his hands and knees in a living room on a mat on the floor

Crawling is an incredibly important skill for your baby to develop, with countless benefits that impact your baby’s brain and many other systems. As a pediatric physical therapist and owner of Inchstones PT, LLC, I can tell you that crawling is more than just a milestone—it’s foundational to many of the skills your child will develop as they grow.


You may have heard that the CDC recently removed crawling from their milestones checklist. However, this wasn’t because crawling isn’t important or isn’t a milestone anymore. Instead, the CDC made this change because there wasn’t enough evidence and data to include it on the list. The truth is that crawling is an incredibly important developmental milestone, and while it doesn’t appear on the checklist, that doesn’t diminish its significance.


There is a lot of variation when it comes to crawling, and that’s completely normal. Babies typically sit independently before they crawl, and they’ll usually crawl before they walk. For the purpose of this blog, when I talk about crawling, I’m referring specifically to crawling on hands and knees (also known as "all fours," with the belly off the ground) and using reciprocal motion—meaning they move opposite arms and legs together.


You might also hear about army crawling, which is when babies use their elbows to pull themselves along the floor with their belly still touching the ground. While army crawling is a form of movement, it doesn’t provide the same benefits as crawling on all fours.

So, why is crawling such an important milestone? Let’s dive into the reasons and why you should encourage your baby to crawl—even if they are already walking!



The Importance of Crawling: Key Benefits for Your Baby

1. Bilateral Coordination

Crawling helps babies develop bilateral coordination—the ability to use both sides of the body together in a coordinated way. This is one of the most important benefits of crawling and directly affects future skills like walking, running, skipping, and even reading and writing!

As babies crawl, they alternate movements, using opposite arms and legs together, which builds the brain’s connection between the two sides of the body. This process helps improve coordination and supports later skills that require similar body movements, such as holding a pencil or tying shoes.



2. Core and Trunk Strength

When your baby is crawling, they’re not only strengthening their arms and legs—they’re also working their core and trunk muscles. This is one of the reasons crawling is such a critical skill. A strong core is vital for learning to sit, stand, and eventually walk. As babies crawl, they stabilize their body with their core muscles, which helps them develop the balance needed for these next milestones.

Building core strength through crawling supports postural control, making it easier for babies to sit upright, stand tall, and eventually take those first steps with confidence.



3. Arm and Hand Strength

Crawling helps develop upper body strength—particularly in the arms and hands. As your baby crawls, they push up with their arms, which builds strength in their shoulders, arms, and hands. This upper body strength is essential for many future tasks, such as grabbing toys, self-feeding, coloring, and writing.

Strengthening their arms and hands early on helps babies master the motor skills they’ll need to interact with the world around them as they grow.



4. Hip and Leg Strength

Crawling on hands and knees also plays a key role in building strength in your baby’s hips and legs. Crawling requires babies to lift and move their legs, which helps develop the muscles necessary for standing, walking, and even running later on.

The leg strength gained during crawling also plays an important role in balance and postural stability. If your baby skips crawling, they might not develop the strength needed for these upright movements, potentially leading to delays in walking or difficulty with other motor skills.



5. Body Awareness

Crawling is an incredibly complex skill, and as your baby practices, they’re developing a better sense of their body awareness. Babies learn where their body is in space, how their arms, legs, and torso work together, and how to move in a coordinated way. This self-awareness is a key component in achieving future milestones like sitting, standing, and walking.

The more your baby crawls, the more they begin to understand their body’s capabilities and limitations, which sets them up for success with other movements.



6. Vision and Spatial Awareness

Crawling also has great benefits for your baby’s vision. As your baby moves around, they’re practicing depth perception, visual scanning, and hand-eye coordination. These are all essential skills for later activities, including reading, navigating obstacles, and playing games.

By crawling, your baby gets the opportunity to practice visual tracking—which will help them as they learn to interact with objects in their environment. This visual feedback loop supports brain development and helps babies make the connection between what they see and what they do with their hands and feet.



What Happens If My Baby Skips Crawling?

Some babies skip crawling altogether and go straight to walking. While this may be perfectly fine for some children, skipping crawling can have consequences later on. Crawling helps develop motor skills like coordination, strength, and balance, which are critical for gross motor milestones like walking, running, and jumping.

Even if your baby is walking early, it can still be beneficial for their overall development to spend time crawling on hands and knees. If they’ve already skipped the crawling stage, they may be missing out on some key opportunities for strengthening muscles and coordinating their body.

It’s never too late to introduce crawling! Encouraging your baby to crawl, even if they’re walking, can help fill in any developmental gaps that may have been missed and promote overall physical and cognitive growth.



How Can You Encourage Crawling?

As a parent, there are several things you can do to support your baby’s crawling development. Here are some simple tips to help your little one on their journey:

  1. Tummy Time: Start tummy time as early as possible—this builds the muscles necessary for crawling. Gradually increase tummy time as your baby gets stronger, and make it fun with toys or mirrors to encourage them to lift their head and practice reaching.

  2. Create a Safe, Stimulating Space: Make sure your baby has a safe area to practice crawling. Use a soft mat or carpeted area, and place interesting toys just out of reach to encourage movement.

  3. Use Props: Try using rolled towels or cushions to help your baby practice pushing up or shifting their weight. This helps them build strength and control in their arms, shoulders, and core.

  4. Be Patient and Supportive: Every baby develops at their own pace, so be patient as your baby learns to crawl. If your baby isn’t crawling by 10 months, don’t panic—just keep encouraging them to move and engage in tummy time. If you have concerns about their development, reach out to a pediatric physical therapist.



Want More Tips to Support Crawling?

If you’re ready to dive deeper into how you can support your baby’s crawling journey, I’ve put together a Crawling Guide for Parents that provides expert advice, step-by-step techniques, and practical exercises to support your baby’s development.

In this guide, you’ll find:

  • Tips to make tummy time more fun and engaging

  • Ways to encourage crawling with props and toys

  • Developmental milestones to track your baby’s progress

  • Troubleshooting advice for common challenges



Crawling is a crucial milestone that lays the groundwork for all sorts of future skills. With a little guidance and encouragement, you can help your baby develop the coordination, strength, and confidence they need to thrive! If you have any questions or want more personalized support, don’t hesitate to reach out to me at Inchstones PT, LLC. I’m here to help!

Send me an email at Karen@inchstonespt.org or click here to book a FREE discovery call!

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Inchstones PT, LLC
Pediatric Physical Therapy & Wellness

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Karen@inchstonespt.org
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