Ever wonder what the difference is between creeping, crawling, and cruising? Here’s the scoop, because understanding these milestones is key in supporting your baby’s development and catching concerns early.
↘Crawling: While crawling, babies keep their bellies on the floor and pull themselves forward with their arms, using their legs to help push along. It’s sometimes called the “commando crawl” or “army crawl.”
↖Creeping: Creeping means hands and knees on the floor, arms straight, belly lifted, moving forward with opposite arm and leg. Creeping is a big milestone! Creeping helps develop strength, balance, coordination, and prepares little bodies for standing and walking. **Fun fact: Creeping on hands and knees helps both sides of the brain communicate, builds cross-body coordination, and integrates primitive reflexes. When a baby gets older, this “bilateral coordination” is important for things like tracking words across a page, focusing, and handwriting. Studies even suggest that babies who skip creeping can sometimes have more trouble with reading, writing, and attention later on.
➡Cruising: Cruising is when babies pull to stand and move sideways while holding onto furniture for support. Cruising challenges their balance and builds the confidence needed to take those first adorable steps on their own.
It is important to see each of these stages in your child’s development. Each one helps build essential strength and coordination.
Watch for these signs:
🔴Favoring one side of the body or dragging one arm or leg
🔴Seeming unusually stiff or unusually floppy
🔴Not moving independently by 9 months
🔴Not resting weight through their legs when standing
If you notice any of these signs, or if your baby’s movement just seems “off” to you, contact us! You know your baby best and we trust your gut. We offer free-screenings with our pediatric physical therapists if you’re unsure.