The Amazing Act of Crawling

By Laura Knauer of  Baby Sensory

You may have heard the statistic that states that a baby who skips crawling and goes straight to walking could have a learning difficulty later in life. This research has stirred up a lot of controversy and has many parents losing sleep because their little one has yet to get on all fours and shuffle across the living room. The fact is, babies develop at different rates and many do choose to skip crawling and start walking straight away. That’s okay! However, it’s also true that nothing can match regular crawling in terms of energy efficiency, coordination, stability and versatility. There is also evidence that crawling does actually fire groups of neurons (brain cells) in different parts of the cortex responsible for visual processing, sensory perception, conscious planning and prediction. So, what is a parent to think? Does my baby need to crawl or not?!

The deal is, if a baby walks before he crawls, this does not necessarily impact learning later in life. It’s the ACT of crawling itself that stimulates learning and development, even if this happens months (or even years) after the child begins to walk. What is important to remember is that the order in which crawling and walking happens are much less important than simply providing activities that encourage tummy time (for very little ones) and crawling. Even a toddler who crawls through a tunnel or into a playhouse, or chases a toy around the living room on hands and knees, is learning from the experience! So – don’t stress if your baby begins scooting and walking before crawling, but DO encourage activities that require your child to get on their hands and knees and explore the world around him!

10 good reasons for encouraging crawling

(Excerpted from the “Tummy Time” article by Dr. Lin Day, founder of Baby Sensory):

1. Stimulates the left and right hemispheres of the brain to work together
2. Brings oxygen-rich blood to the brain, an important component to overall brain health and immune system stimulation
3. Encourages cross-lateral exercise (left arm-right leg; right arm, left leg) which stimulates thinking and movement at the same time
4. Strengthens hand grasp for physical activities and later writing
5. Improves hand-eye co-ordination and eye-teaming, which is crucial for visual development and later reading skills
6. Perfects movement, control and balance
7. Improves elasticity and contractibility of the muscles, which thicken and strengthen in preparation for later walking
8. Reduces stress and frustration, which can be major obstacles in terms of learning and sleeping
9. Gives babies a sense of freedom: freedom to explore and learn about the world, to create alternative exploration scenarios, to interact with the environment at eye level and to find out about distance and space
10. Enables babies to explore the textures and properties of different objects and to find out what hurts and delights them

Crawling may seem simple enough, but the series of movements are actually very complex. Careful observation shows that babies alternate movement between the four limbs to maintain their center of gravity and to propel themselves forward. For example, the baby moves the left hand with the right knee and then the right hand with the left knee (or vice-versa). The action is quick, reliable and the center of gravity is maintained with each movement. That said, it takes hard work to learn the art of crawling so please don’t lose sleep if your little one takes a little more time than his friend to perfect this complicated maneuver!

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About Baby Sensory:

Founded in the UK by Dr. Lin Day, Baby Sensory provides hundreds of sensory development activities that are great fun for parents and babies to share in the vital first year. Many activities involve exercises and stretches that build the muscles necessary for crawling and other important physical milestones. The classes also include fiber optic light shows, bubbles, bells, musical fun, baby signing, puppet shows, amazing light balls and so much more. With over 40 unique lesson plans, you and your baby will experience something new each and every week! Designed for newborns through 13 months, Baby Sensory is the perfect way to expose your little one to hundreds of unique experiences during a critical year of development and exposure.

For More information about classes in Vancouver, Washington contact Laura t 360.524.4672 or visit www.babynw.com

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Laura Knauer is a local mom to a 2 1/2 year old little boy named Aven and has been living in the Portland/Vancouver area for over 10 years. She loves art, a good book, being in the mountains, and spending time with her family. With a Masters degree in Education and license in School Counseling, plus specific training in early childhood development, Laura has a passion for working with children and inspiring creativity and learning at all ages. After many years working as a nanny, in the childcare setting, and in the public school system, Laura is now proud to be brining the award winning Baby Sensory program to families in the Pacific Northwest.