Baby-Proofing Checklist for New Crawlers

The moment your baby starts crawling, their world doubles in size. Here's a practical checklist for getting your home ready before the exploring begins.

Floor Level

Get on your hands and knees and look at your home from your baby's perspective — you'll see hazards that are invisible from standing height.

• Check under furniture for small objects — coins, buttons, batteries, pen caps
• Secure or remove floor-level electrical cords
• Put outlet covers on all accessible outlets
• Remove floor-standing lamps that can tip
• Check for sharp furniture corners at crawling height — coffee tables are the main offender
• Move pet food and water bowls — baby will find them

Access Control

• Install baby gates at the top and bottom of stairs — top-of-stairs gates must be hardware-mounted
• Use doorknob covers on doors that lead to unsafe areas
• Block bathroom access when not in use
• Secure cabinet doors where you store cleaning products or medications

Furniture Stability

Crawlers become cruisers, and cruisers pull on everything. Get ahead of this now.

• Anchor all tall furniture to the wall — bookshelves, dressers, TV stands
• Secure or mount the TV
• Remove furniture that wobbles when grabbed

Floor Surfaces

Hard floors are fine for crawling but worth addressing:

• Place a soft play mat in the main play area for comfort and traction
• Consider what your baby is wearing — bare knees on tile cause redness after active crawling sessions

Our organic crawling onesie has built-in padding at the knees, elbows, and bottom. Protecting against daily hard-floor friction means fewer sore spots and more willingness to keep moving and exploring.

Things People Forget

• Houseplants — many common indoor plants are toxic if ingested
• Dog toys — often small and chewable
• Small magnets — extremely dangerous if swallowed
• Rugs with fringe or loose backing

Baby-proofing reduces risk — it doesn't replace supervision. The goal is an environment where active supervision is enough, not a hazard-free zone where you can step away. Do a monthly sweep as your baby grows and gains access to new areas.