Why Do Babies Bear Crawl? What Crawling on Hands and Feet Means

Bear crawling is baby crawling on hands and feet, with straight arms and legs. Nobody knows exactly why, but one research team suggests crawling styles may be babies' own answers to getting somewhere. The AAP and Pathways.org both list it as a crawling style, and the AAP's yardstick is both sides sharing the work.

The first time your baby takes off across the room with their bottom in the air, it's hard not to laugh. Then it's hard not to wonder whether it's OK. Here's what the experts say, including the few signs worth raising with your pediatrician.

Whatever style your baby picks, enjoy it while it lasts. The AAP calls this a "brief period" before pulling up, standing and walking. Our crawling development guide covers the stages, the timeline and the signs to watch for.

What is bear crawling?

Bear crawling is crawling on hands and feet instead of hands and knees. The AAP's guide to crawling styles says it looks like the classic crawl, but babies keep their elbows and knees straight, "walking on hands and feet like a bear."

Pathways.org notes it's also called a "bear walk." The giveaway is a little bottom high in the air.

Researchers in a 2012 study of crawling styles described hands-and-feet crawling as similar to standard crawling, except the weight is on the feet instead of the knees. It's the opposite of an army crawl, where the tummy drags along the floor.

Some babies crawl with one foot planted and the other knee down. If that sounds like yours, see our guide to baby crawling on one leg. For how the bear crawl fits alongside belly crawling, scooting and the rest, here's what counts as crawling.

Why do babies bear crawl?

There's no single proven reason. The researchers behind the 2012 study suggest that different crawling styles may be babies' own solutions to the same problem: how to get somewhere.

Babies also seem to adjust as they go. A couple of the babies in that study switched between hands-and-knees and hands-and-feet crawling. And one baby crawled on hands and knees indoors but on hands and feet on the grass.

An NHS children's health guide from Cambridgeshire and Peterborough puts it this way: "Your baby will find their own preferred way to move around."

When do babies bear crawl?

There's no set age, and none of the expert guides we checked give one. Bear crawling shows up during the crawling stage, and the AAP says crawling is usually mastered between seven and ten months.

A similar position can show up before crawling starts: pressing up on hands and toes with the hips lifted. In Pathways.org's guide to how crawling develops, it comes after pushing up on straight arms during tummy time at 5 months. Next comes the hands-and-knees rocking that starts around 6 to 8 months.

Is bear crawling normal?

Yes, it's a recognized way to crawl. It's on the AAP's list of crawling styles, and Pathways.org says that while hands-and-knees crawling is the goal, it's OK for babies to find different ways to move.

The AAP's yardstick, from its guide to movement at 8 to 12 months, is about both sides of the body. As long as your baby coordinates each side and uses each arm and leg equally, it says there's no cause for concern.

It's less common than the classic crawl. The researchers in the 2012 study called hands-and-feet crawling rare and said that, when it shows up, it lasts only a short period. Uncommon isn't the same as worrying.

Where experts differ is how much the crawling style matters by the first birthday. Pathways.org calls hands-and-knees crawling the pattern babies should work toward and suggests checking in if it isn't your baby's main way of getting around by 12 months. The AAP notes that a few children never crawl at all.

Does bear crawling mean walking is coming?

It can be part of getting ready to stand, but it doesn't tell you when the first steps will come. Pathways.org says that even babies who don't crawl this way may take the hands-and-feet position as they begin to move into standing on their own.

None of the sources we checked say bear crawlers walk sooner or later than other babies. The AAP describes the usual route: pulling up to stand every chance they get, cruising along the furniture, then first steps. Many babies take those around their first birthday, "although it's normal for children to start walking earlier or later."

And don't be surprised if your baby goes back to crawling after those first steps. As the AAP puts it, babies use whatever is easiest and fastest. Here's more on how long babies crawl before walking.

How to support your bear crawler

You don't need to force a different crawl or buy special equipment. An NHS physiotherapy guide from Leeds warns that trying to make your child crawl in a way they don't want to will frustrate you both. A few ways to give your baby reasons to move:

• Put a favorite toy just out of reach. Pathways.org suggests it to give your baby a reason to move forward on hands and knees.
• Crawl with them. Pathways.org says getting down on the floor and showing your baby the movement can help them figure it out.
• Build a pillow obstacle course. Once your baby is more agile, the AAP suggests mini obstacle courses of pillows, boxes and sofa cushions. Stay right there, since a baby who falls between pillows may not be able to get out.
• Go easy on seats and jumpers. Pathways.org says walkers, jumpers and seats limit the floor time babies need to build crawling skills, and the AAP strongly urges parents not to use baby walkers.

When to talk to your pediatrician

A bear crawl on its own isn't a reason to worry. These are worth raising at a checkup, or sooner if they're on your mind:

• Your baby strongly favors one side of the body when moving, one of Pathways.org's reasons to reach out.
• By 12 months, hands-and-knees crawling isn't your baby's main way of getting around. Pathways.org suggests checking in, though the AAP notes that a few babies never crawl.
• Your baby loses a skill they used to have. The CDC says not to wait: talk with your baby's doctor.
• Something about the way your baby moves seems off to you. The AAP says to discuss it with your pediatrician.

A short video of your baby crawling at home helps, since babies don't always crawl on cue at the doctor's office.

Common questions

What does it mean when a baby bear crawls?

It means your baby has found a way to get around on hands and feet instead of hands and knees. The AAP lists the bear crawl as one of six crawling styles, and one research team suggests each style may be a baby's own solution to getting somewhere. The AAP's yardstick is that both sides of the body share the work.

Why is my baby crawling with straight legs?

Crawling on hands and feet with straight legs is what the AAP and Pathways.org call a bear crawl, one of the recognized crawling styles. Some babies switch back and forth between it and hands-and-knees crawling. If something about how your baby's legs move seems off to you, or one leg works differently from the other, mention it to your pediatrician.

Why does my baby do downward dog?

That upside-down V, with hands and toes pressed into the floor and hips lifted, is on Pathways.org's list of signs a baby is getting ready to crawl. In its guide to how crawling develops, it comes right after pushing up on straight arms during tummy time. Pathways.org also says babies may take a hands-and-feet position as they begin to move into standing on their own.

One perk of the bear crawl: your baby's knees and elbows stay off the floor, so padding there matters less while it lasts. Some bear crawlers also spend time on hands and knees, though. If yours does, our padded onesie has diamond-quilted padding sewn in at the knees, elbows and bottom, all 100% organic Peruvian Pima cotton, padding included.