When should my baby be scooting and crawling?

Focusing on the big milestones and comparing your baby to others is a natural instinct. As parents, we have all felt proud, worried, and maybe even competitive at times.

At Lovevery, we try not to talk about “milestones” in the traditional way; we want to help you tune into your baby. Growth and development can be subtle in certain phases, more obvious in others. We are here to help you meet your baby where they are now, whether they’re working on rolling, scooting, or crawling.

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A play mat that provides stage-based activities that engage your child throughout their first year.

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Typical development windows can span several months.

Here are the average ranges for your baby’s various forms of locomotion:

Scooting on belly backwards: babies typically scoot backwards between 7 and 8 months.

Scooting on belly forwards: Babies typically scoot forward on their bellies by pulling with arms and pushing with legs between 8 and 9 ½ months.

Crawling with belly off the floor: Babies typically start crawling between 6 and 10 months.

RELATED: Everything to know about crawling

To help get your baby moving forward

• Start by putting your baby in a short-sleeved onesie so they can use their skin against the floor to get a little grip
• Put your baby on a smooth surface (as opposed to a rug or blanket)
• Roll a ball just out of reach during tummy time to entice your baby to move
• Allow your baby to get the ball, resisting the temptation to move it farther away as they work towards it
• Once your baby is on the move and crawling with belly off the floor, you can create an obstacle course of big pillows to help build their muscles and challenge this new skill

Note: Never leave your baby unattended near pillows. Always supervise during this activity and put materials safely away when play is done.