Mini-Milestones: Building the Path to Hands and Knees Crawling (Creeping)
As we've talked about before, each big milestone—like rolling, sitting, or walking—is made up of smaller mini-milestones. These mini-milestones are critical building blocks that pave the way for your baby’s next big skill.
Let’s dive into one of these big milestones: hands-and-knees crawling, also known as creeping.
Creeping is an exciting step in your baby’s movement journey! It builds strength, coordination, and confidence—all essential for future mobility and exploration. Below are some key moments to watch for as your baby works toward creeping.
Remember: Every baby is unique, and not all babies will go through these steps—or in the same order. That’s perfectly okay!
1️⃣ Prone Strengthening & Tummy Time Tolerance
Tummy time is the foundation for so many developmental skills! During tummy time, babies lift their heads and push up on their forearms or hands building strength in their neck, back, shoulders, and arms.
It’s also during these stages that babies develop visual tracking and head control—both of which are essential for exploring their world and learning to move
2️⃣ Tucking Knees While on Belly
As babies begin to experiment with movement, they start pulling their knees under their hips while lying on their belly, often pushing their bottoms into the air.
This "tucking" motion is an early sign of hip strength and flexibility. It’s also a critical preparation step for transitioning to the hands-and-knees position.
3️⃣ Pivoting in Circles (Both Ways)
Around this stage, babies start to rotate or pivot their bodies in a circle while lying on their tummies to get a toy out of reach.
This pivoting strengthens their core, improves weight-shifting, assists with the development of cross-coordination (allowing babies to use both sides of their brain alternately), and builds the coordination needed for crawling. Plus, it’s a fun way for them to explore their environment and interact with their surroundings!
4️⃣ Rocking on Hands and Knees
Once babies find their way to the hands-and-knees position, you’ll notice them rocking back and forth.
This rocking motion helps babies practice shifting their weight while building stability and strength in their shoulders, core, and hips. In addition, they improve coordination and learn to balance while moving. It’s a key precursor to crawling, showing they’re gaining the strength and confidence to move forward!
5️⃣ Baby "Plank"
Occasionally, babies push up onto their hands and toes in a plank-like position.
This challenging move showcases significant strength in their shoulders, arms, core, and hips and helps prepare them for the complex task of crawling. While it might be brief, they are developing balance, coordination, and spatial awareness which are essential skills for future mobility.
6️⃣ Reaching for Toys on Hands and Knees
As babies get more comfortable on their hands and knees, they start to reach for toys while balancing.
This movement strengthens their arms, shoulders, and core while maintaining stability in the hips and enhancing coordination as they learn to shift their weight side-to-side. It’s also a confidence booster as they master this new position!
7️⃣ Army Crawling (a.k.a. Belly Crawling)
Before mastering hands-and-knees crawling, some babies begin by moving forward using their arms and upper body while their belly stays in contact with the floor—this is commonly known as "army crawling."
This early form of mobility provides excellent strengthening for their arms and core, while also encouraging exploration and fostering a sense of independence. It’s often a baby’s first real taste of freedom in movement!
By around 8 months, we hope to see this transition into hands-and-knees crawling, with babies starting to push up onto all fours. This progression helps build the strength, coordination, and balance needed for more advanced forms of movement.
Take Your Time—There’s No Rush!
Every baby develops at their own pace, and that’s perfectly okay.
It’s not about racing to the next milestone but giving your baby time to develop the strength, coordination, and balance they need. This also allows them to form critical neural connections that support brain growth and cognitive development.
We’re Here to Support You
At Movevery, we believe in celebrating every step—big or small—on your baby’s developmental journey.
If you have questions about your child’s progress or want extra guidance, we’re here to help! Contact us at hello@moveverypt.com to schedule a complimentary consultation. Together, we’ll provide support, encouragement, and individualized therapy to help your little one thrive.
