Activity and Play

Baby Development: From Crawling to Walking Milestones Explained

Baby-Physical-Development-Ready-Set-Go-Your-Babys-on-the-Move

Be prepared for when your baby starts crawling and walking. Babies train to walk from birth, and each physical milestone leads to those first steps. Here's how your baby's physical development progresses and how to be ready when your little one goes on the move.

Building Muscles and Coordination

It starts with rolling over. By the time your baby can sit up unaided, they've built the coordination and muscle strength to get moving. After sitting, your baby may crawl or get around another way. It doesn't matter how they move, as long as they use their arms and legs equally on both sides and learn to coordinate them.

Rolling over builds early strength.
Sitting up unaided develops coordination and muscle strength.
Balancing on hands and knees, then pushing into a crawl.
Alternative methods: scooting on their bum, slithering on their stomach or rolling across the room.

Help Your Baby Train the Right Muscles

Give your baby lots of tummy time to develop the muscles they need, even before crawling.
Place favourite toys just out of reach to motivate movement.
Create an obstacle course with pillows, cushions and other soft objects.
Helpful hint #1: When your baby starts moving, make sure your home is childproof, with dangerous items out of reach.

From Crawling to Walking

At around 9 months, your baby should start to pull themselves up to stand. Prop them against the sofa and ensure nearby furniture is sturdy. Your baby will spend 2 to 3 months mastering standing, bending their knees and going from standing to sitting. Show them how to bend their knees to sit without toppling over and let them try it themselves.

When more stable, your baby will start cruising – walking while holding on to furniture or you. From there it's only a matter of time before those first tentative steps, usually around their first birthday. Helpful hint #2: When your baby starts cruising is a good time to introduce a push toy they can hold on to as they walk.

Beyond Your Baby's First Steps

Your baby still has much to learn before mastering walking. As balance improves, they'll stand on their own, squat and get back up again.

Age	Developmental Milestone
Around 9 months	Pulls up into a standing position.
Around 12 months	Takes first tentative steps after cruising.
By 18 months	Interested in stairs; can climb up but struggles coming down; climbs on furniture.
By 2 years	Walking, running and jumping become second nature.

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FAQs on Ready set go Your babys on the move

It starts with rolling over, then sitting up unaided, which builds the coordination and muscle strength to crawl. Around 9 months babies pull up to stand, spend 2 to 3 months mastering standing, then start cruising before taking first steps around their first birthday.

Give your baby lots of tummy time to build muscles before crawling, place favourite toys just out of reach to motivate movement, and create an obstacle course with pillows and cushions. Make sure your home is childproof once they start moving.

Babies pull up to stand around 9 months, take first steps around 12 months, become interested in stairs by 18 months, and walk, run and jump by their second birthday.

Cruising is walking while holding on to furniture or you. It happens when your baby becomes more stable on their feet, and from there it's only a matter of time before their first tentative steps, usually around their first birthday.

No, it doesn't matter how your baby gets around, whether crawling, scooting on their bum, slithering on their stomach or rolling, as long as they use their arms and legs equally on both sides and learn to coordinate them.