When do babies roll over, sit up and crawl?
Most babies roll from tummy to back by 6 months and sit without support by 9 months; on CDC's checklists, these are things most children (75% or more) can do by those ages. Crawling varies the most, and some healthy babies scoot or skip it. Most pull up to stand by 12 months and walk without holding on by 18 months.
On this page
The usual order, and why ages vary
Most babies move through a rough sequence in the first year: lifting the head, pushing up on the arms, rolling, sitting, some kind of crawling, pulling up, cruising along furniture and eventually walking. The order is fairly steady. The timing varies a lot between healthy babies.
Some babies skip classic crawling. They scoot on their bottoms, slide on their bellies or go straight to cruising. Children also often spurt in one area while pausing in another. Milestones are ranges, not deadlines.
Why moving matters for the brain
A baby's brain grows through their body. A baby who lifts their head sees more. A baby who sits can use both hands to explore. A baby who crawls can go and get the thing they're curious about. Every new skill opens new experiences, and the brain wires itself around them.
That's why the goal isn't to hurry a milestone. It's to give your baby plenty of chances to practice, on the floor, every day. WHO advises at least 30 minutes of tummy time a day for babies who aren't crawling yet, spread through the day while awake. Add your voice as they move: name what they reach for, cheer the wobble, and wait for their reply.
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Movement checkpoints by age
In 2022, CDC revised its "Learn the Signs. Act Early." checklists. CDC describes each milestone as something most children (75% or more) can do by that age. Here are the movement items, in CDC's words:
| Age | Most children (75% or more) can... |
|---|---|
| 2 months | Holds head up when on tummy; moves both arms and both legs |
| 4 months | Holds head steady without support when you are holding them; brings hands to mouth; pushes up onto elbows or forearms when on tummy |
| 6 months | Rolls from tummy to back; pushes up with straight arms when on tummy; leans on hands to support themselves when sitting |
| 9 months | Gets to a sitting position by themselves; sits without support; moves things from one hand to the other |
| 12 months | Pulls up to stand; walks, holding on to furniture; picks things up between thumb and pointer finger, like small bits of food |
| 18 months | Walks without holding on to anyone or anything; climbs on and off a couch or chair without help |
Because most children reach each one by that age, many babies get there earlier. A baby who hasn't yet is not automatically behind. But a missed checkpoint is a good reason to ask at the next visit, and asking costs nothing.
What about crawling?
Crawling isn't one of the movement checkpoints in the table above, because babies do it in so many ways and at such different times. Some crawl on hands and knees, some slide on their bellies, some scoot on their bottoms, and some go straight from sitting to pulling up and cruising. If your baby is finding some way to get around and is moving forward overall, that's usually just their own clock.
What helps is space and a reason to move: cushions to climb, a tunnel made of a cardboard box, and you calling from across the room.
How to help each stage
| Stage | What helps | What to set up |
|---|---|---|
| Head control | Tummy time, being held upright on your shoulder | Your face, a high-contrast picture, a mirror at floor level |
| Rolling | Lots of floor time on back and tummy | A toy to one side, just out of reach |
| Sitting | Supported sitting, then sitting alone on the floor | Cushions around them, toys to pass between hands |
| Crawling | Space and a reason to move | Cushions to climb, a cardboard-box tunnel, you calling |
| Pulling up and cruising | Sturdy furniture, bare feet | A low, steady sofa with toys along it |
The floor is the main tool. Strapped into a seat, a baby can't practice rolling, pushing, twisting or reaching across their body, so keep container time under an hour at a time. Tummy time starts it all: here's how much tummy time a baby needs. Wheeled walkers don't help; the AAP says they can actually delay walking (more in walkers and bouncers). Bare feet indoors let babies feel the floor and grip as they pull up and cruise.
Baby-proof before they move
Rolling and crawling arrive suddenly. Get down at crawling height and look for cords, outlets, small objects, button batteries, heavy things a baby could pull down, and stairs. Stair gates go on before crawling starts, not after the first tumble. For toys, anything that fits through a toilet-paper tube is too small for a baby, and batteries should be screwed in and magnets unable to come loose (see safe, simple toys).
When to check with your doctor
- Bring it up at the next visit if your baby hasn't reached a checkpoint for their age, or something is keeping you up at night. If your baby was born early, ask which age to use when you check.
- Ask about screening. The AAP recommends general developmental screening at 9, 18 and 30 months, or any time a parent or doctor has a concern.
- Ask about the neck if your baby really hates tummy time or always turns their head the same way. Your pediatrician can check for tight neck muscles.
- Call your doctor now if your baby loses a skill they had, for example they could sit and now can't. That's never a wait-and-see item.
A missed milestone isn't a diagnosis. It means "ask now." Most children who miss one turn out fine, and the ones who need help get it sooner.
Do this
- Give your baby floor time on their back and tummy several times a day.
- Place a toy just out of reach to one side to invite rolling and reaching.
- Check the CDC checkpoint for your baby's age before the next well visit.
- Put stair gates up and clear small objects and button batteries before crawling starts.
- Let your baby go barefoot indoors once they start pulling up.
When to ask your doctor
Check with your doctor or midwife first if…
- your baby was born early, so you can ask which age to use for milestones
- your baby always turns their head the same way or really hates tummy time
- your baby has a known health condition that affects movement
Call your doctor now if…
- your baby loses a skill they had, such as rolling, sitting or babbling
- your baby is floppy, limp or hard to wake
- your baby might have swallowed a button battery (go to the emergency room right away)
This page is general information, not medical advice. Every pregnancy and every child is different. Ask your doctor, midwife or pediatrician before changing supplements, diet or care.
Grow a Genius
In the book: Chapter 19: Movement and the Senses
Chapter 19 shows how to set up each stage of movement at home, and the Milestone Map guide gives the normal ranges month by month with a calm self-check for each age.
- The 7 Genius Builders, stage by stage
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People also ask
Is it normal for a baby to skip crawling?
Yes, for many babies. Some scoot on their bottoms, slide on their bellies or go straight to pulling up and cruising. Crawling isn't one of the CDC movement checkpoints in this guide. What matters is that your baby is moving forward overall and keeps reaching new skills.
My 7-month-old can't sit alone yet. Should I worry?
Not yet, usually. CDC's checkpoint for sitting without support is 9 months, and CDC describes its milestones as things most children (75% or more) can do by that age. Give plenty of floor time and supported sitting with cushions around. Ask your doctor if your baby isn't sitting by 9 months, or sooner if you're worried.
When do babies roll over?
CDC's checklist expects most babies to roll from tummy to back by 6 months. Many do it earlier, often during tummy time. Lots of floor time on both back and tummy, with a toy just out of reach to one side, gives your baby reasons to try.
What if my baby was born early?
Ask your doctor which age to use when you check milestones, since a baby born early may need a different comparison. Bring your questions to each well visit, and remember that developmental screening can happen any time a parent or doctor has a concern, not only at the scheduled ages.