Is Your Baby Skipping Crawling? Simple Hacks for Hands-and-Knees Play

Sep 1

2 min read

As your baby approaches 7 to 10 months, you might notice them wiggling all over the room. But what happens if they are army crawling on their belly, bottom-scooting, or trying to pull up to stand before ever pushing up onto all fours?

While it's true that some babies move quickly past crawling, as a pediatric PT, I love seeing babies master reciprocal hands-and-knees crawling. It strengthens the shoulder girdle, refines cross-body coordination (crossing the midline), and builds the small muscles in the hands that they'll use later for holding crayons and writing.

If your baby seems "stuck" on their belly or hesitates to lift their tummy off the rug, we can use simple setup changes in your living room to encourage hands-and-knees play naturally.

Grab The Milestone Troubleshooting Guide, a free quick-reference toolkit I designed as a Doctor of Physical Therapy. Inside, you’ll get targeted checklists to spot hidden tightness, strength gaps, or asymmetry, plus simple exercises you can start doing in your living room today to unlock their next movement!

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3 PT Setups to Encourage Hands-and-Knees Crawling

The Couch Cushion Mountain: Stack two firm couch cushions flat on the floor and place high-value toys on top. Position your baby so their chest rests against the cushion while their knees touch the floor. This lets them experience weight-bearing on their hands and knees without having to hold up their entire body weight yet.
The Thigh Bolster: Sit cross-legged on the floor and lay your baby face-down across your leg, so their hands rest on one side of your thigh and their knees on the other. Gently rocking them side-to-side helps their brain feel what it's like to shift weight across their hips and shoulders.
Tummy-to-Knee Transitions: While your baby is on their tummy, place your hand firmly behind their feet to give them a solid "wall." As they push back into your hand, gently lift upward at their hips to guide them into a classic hands-and-knees box position.