Baby Crawling Stages: From Army Crawl to Hands-and-Knees
If you're waiting for your baby to start crawling and wondering why it doesn't look like the videos you've seen, you're not alone. Crawling has stages — and not every baby goes through them in the same order.
The Commando Crawl (Army Crawl)
The first stage most babies hit is the commando crawl, sometimes called the army crawl. Your baby lies flat on their stomach and drags themselves forward using their arms, with their belly still on the floor.
This usually appears around 7–8 months. It's not the most efficient way to get around, but it works — and babies can get surprisingly fast at it.
What it builds:
- Arm and shoulder strength
- Core engagement (even lying flat requires core control)
- Coordination between the left and right sides of the body
The Hands-and-Knees Stage
The next stage is what most people picture when they think of crawling: up on all fours, moving the opposite hand and foot forward together.
This cross-crawl pattern (right hand + left knee, then left hand + right knee) is actually a significant developmental milestone. It requires the two hemispheres of the brain to coordinate, which supports language, reading, and fine motor skills later on.
This usually appears between 8–10 months, but the range is wide.
Bear Crawl and Other Variations
Some babies skip hands-and-knees crawling and go straight to a bear crawl — up on hands and feet with straight arms and legs, like a mini bear walking. Others scoot on their bottoms, roll, or crab-crawl sideways.
All of these are normal. What matters is that your baby is finding ways to get around and building strength in the process.
Protecting Those Little Knees
Each stage puts different demands on your baby's joints. The commando crawl wears on elbows; the hands-and-knees stage puts real pressure on knees.
Hard floors — hardwood, tile, laminate — concentrate that pressure on a small patch of skin over bone. Baby skin is thin and the friction adds up quickly.
Clothing with built-in padding at the knees, elbows, and bottom is the simplest fix. Padding that's sewn directly into the garment stays in place no matter how fast your baby moves — unlike separate knee pads, which migrate down to the ankle within minutes.
When to Check In With Your Pediatrician
Most babies start crawling (in some form) between 7 and 10 months. If your baby isn't showing any attempts to move independently by 12 months, mention it at their well visit.
Skipping crawling entirely and going straight to walking is also common — it's not a red flag on its own, but it's worth noting for your records.