Between the ages of six months and a year, your child will probably start figuring out ways to get from here to there. He may not be walking yet, but you may see him crawling or scooting.

Ready, Set, Go

Your baby's been practicing to crawl all his life. As early as his first month, he found he could push himself across his crib with his feet or knees. This reflex soon disappeared, and he shifted his focus to his arms: lifting, pushing, and pulling. His first attempts at crawling will come soon after he can sit up.

The average baby shows an interest in crawling during his seventh or eighth month, but he may not be able to get very far. You'll see a lot of collapsing, rocking, swiveling, and rolling. Your baby may figure out how to crawl on just one knee, the other leg dragging behind, a clever solution called scooting. He may pull himself forward using his arms (called creeping), or shuffle along on his bottom. In his ninth month, he may get his arms and legs working together, but to his great frustration he goes backward instead of forward. Or his bottom is up when his front end is down, or vice versa. He may break into a true crawl soon after.

When your child crawls at a later stage or not at all, don't worry. Crawling isn't an important developmental phase. Many infants skip it altogether; many good crawlers actually start walking later because they can already get where they want to go.