Moving
How babies and young children start to roll, sit, crawl, walk and run, and to use their hands and fingers.
When they usually start
Each bar shows the ages when most children in the studies started. Children vary a lot. Tap a milestone to read more.
- Holding their head steady. Typical: about 2 months. The spread of ages hasn't been measured yet.
- Reaching for and grabbing toys. Typical: about 4 months. The spread of ages hasn't been measured yet.
- Rolling over. Typical: about 5 to 6 months. The spread of ages hasn't been measured yet.
- Passing a toy from hand to hand. Typical: about 5½ months. The spread of ages hasn't been measured yet.
- Sitting without support. Most children: about 4 to 9 months; typical: about 6 months
- Standing holding on. Most children: about 5 to 11½ months; typical: about 7 to 8½ months
- Crawling. Most children: about 5 to 13½ months; typical: about 8 months
- Picking up small things with finger and thumb. Typical: about 9 months. The spread of ages hasn't been measured yet.
- Walking holding on. Most children: about 6 to 14 months; typical: about 9 to 10 months
- Standing alone. Most children: about 7 to 17 months; typical: about 10 to 11 months
- Walking on their own. Most children: about 8 to 18 months; typical: about 12 to 13 months
- Scribbling. Typical: about 13½ months. The spread of ages hasn't been measured yet.
- Using a spoon. Typical: about 15 months. The spread of ages hasn't been measured yet.
- Going up stairs. Typical: about 17½ months (walking up, holding on). The spread of ages hasn't been measured yet.
- Holding a pencil to draw. Typical: about 2½ years. The spread of ages hasn't been measured yet.
Typical age only: studies haven't yet measured how widely the ages spread.
Big movements
- Holding their head steadyMost babies can hold their head steady and upright at around 2 months. In a large study in four countries, about half did so by about 2 months.
- Rolling overMost babies start rolling over at around 5 to 6 months. In a study that followed babies in Hong Kong, many rolled from back to tummy first, the opposite of what many books say.
- Sitting without supportMost babies sit on their own at around 6 months. Nearly all healthy children sit without support somewhere between about 4 and 9 months.
- Standing holding onMost babies can stand holding on to furniture at around 7 to 8 months. Nearly all healthy children do so somewhere between about 5 and 11½ months.
- CrawlingMost babies who crawl on hands and knees start at around 8 months. Nearly all of them start between about 5 and 13½ months, and some healthy babies never crawl at all.
- Walking holding onMost babies start walking while holding on to furniture or hands at around 9 to 10 months. Nearly all healthy children do so somewhere between about 6 and 14 months.
- Standing aloneMost babies can stand on their own for a moment at around 10 to 11 months. Nearly all healthy children do so somewhere between about 7 and 17 months.
- Walking on their ownMost babies take their first steps on their own at around 12 to 13 months. Nearly all healthy children walk on their own somewhere between about 8 and 18 months.
- Going up stairsMany babies first go up stairs by crawling, at around 11 months. Walking up stairs holding a hand or rail comes later: in four countries, about half did so by about 17½ months.
Hands and fingers
- Reaching for and grabbing toysMost babies start reaching for toys and holding them on purpose at around 4 months. In a large study in four countries, about half did both by about 4 months.
- Passing a toy from hand to handMost babies start passing a toy from one hand to the other at around 5 to 6 months. In a large study in four countries, about half did so by about 5½ months.
- Picking up small things with finger and thumbMost babies can pick up small things between just their thumb and first finger at around 9 months. A rougher version, using the other fingers too, comes earlier, at about 6½ months.
- ScribblingMost toddlers start scribbling with a crayon or stick at around 13 to 14 months. Holding the crayon in their fingers rather than their fist comes later, often around 18 months.
- Using a spoonMost toddlers start feeding themselves with a spoon or other utensil at around 15 months. In a large study in four countries, about half did so by about 15 months, with similar ages everywhere.
- Holding a pencil to drawHolding a pencil near the tip with the fingertips to draw usually comes in the third year. In a study in four countries, about half did so by about 2½ years, though countries differed a lot.
Researchers have their own name for this area: Motor. The sections on this page follow the way studies usually group these skills:
- Big movements (Gross motor)
- Hands and fingers (Fine motor)