Best Surfaces For Learning to Crawl

When you and I were first learning to crawl, carpet was the predominate flooring choice in homes (80’s baby 👋🏼). Since then, hardwood is more common. And this impacts your baby's experience as they are learning to crawl! 

Hard floor surfaces are more slippery, while carpet has more friction.  More friction makes it easier for babies to grip the floor and stabilize themselves on hands and knees. 

So if your baby is wearing pants and socks while trying to crawl on hardwood, it's going to take a lot more control. 

If you don't have carpet at home and want to add more friction…

 Try this:

Put down a floor mat or yoga mat, and let your baby practice crawling with bare feet and knees.

Bare feet and knees allow your baby to more easily grip the floor surface. And yoga mats are designed specifically to be non-slip!

With this set up, your baby should have an easier time getting up onto their hands and knees.

Interested in learning more about ideal floor surfaces for other skills? You’ll like this post: Ideal Floor Surfaces for Different Motor Skills.

Did you learn something new?

If you're looking for a comprehensive guide with everything all in one place, I'm excited to share my book, "Meaningful Movement: A Parent's Guide to Play." You'll discover simple ways to play with your baby, and create spaces that provide natural opportunities for movement.

P.S. This information is for educational purposes only. It is not medical advice and is not a substitute for skilled physical therapy intervention. While I am a physical therapist, I am not your child's physical therapist. If you have questions or concerns about your child's health and/or development, please contact your pediatrician.