Climbing Before Crawling? Why Going Up Helps Your Baby Move Forward

We’ve all heard “crawl before you walk.”

But here’s something most parents don’t know:
Climbing can actually help your baby crawl. 🧠🪜🐾

Sounds backwards, right?
But the truth is, babies are born with the reflexes to crawl—they just need the right stimulation to activate them.

That’s where purposeful climbing comes in. Gentle climbing opportunities (like low bars, ramps, and arches) wake up the brain and body, helping babies connect movement patterns, strengthen their core, and prepare for one of the most important milestones: crawling.

🧠 Why Crawling Still Matters—A Lot

Crawling is a foundational movement for brain development because it:

✅ Connects both sides of the brain through cross-lateral movement
✅ Builds core and shoulder strength for posture, attention, and writing later on
✅ Stimulates visual tracking and depth perception
✅ Helps integrate primitive reflexes like the ATNR and STNR
✅ Activates the proprioceptive + vestibular systems for balance and regulation

But what if your baby doesn’t want to crawl yet?

That’s where climbing comes in.

🧗♀️ Climbing Activates Crawling Muscles + Patterns

Here’s how climbing prepares the body to crawl:

🔁 Cross-pattern movement
Pulling up with one hand, stepping up with one foot—these are the exact patterns used in crawling. Climbing wires them into the brain before baby moves forward on all fours.

💪 Core + shoulder activation
Climbing strengthens the exact same muscles needed to hold a crawling position—without the frustration of staying on the floor.

🌀 Vestibular input + motivation
When babies change levels, their inner ear activates, giving them better balance and body awareness. This sensory input fuels motor progress.

🚀 Confidence + curiosity
Exploring vertical space gives babies a new view of the world—and motivation to move.

🛝 Best EZPlay Tools to Help Baby Climb Toward Crawling

🧸 Bonobo Baby Gym

The perfect starter gym for babies learning to move. Low bars encourage pulling up, crawling under, climbing over, and exploring new planes of movement—all without overwhelming them.

🧼 Double-Sided Baby Play Mat

Provides a safe, non-slip surface underneath your gym for crawling, rocking, and rolling.

🌙 Plush Baby Mat

Use as a soft zone to launch from or land on. Also great for practicing transitions like belly-to-hands-and-knees or early kneeling.

🛠 Pro Tip: Place the gym slightly out of reach during tummy time to motivate forward motion. Even a small slope or bar can spark that first army crawl.

🪜 What Comes After Crawling?

Once your baby has built their brain-body connection through crawling, they’re ready to climb more intentionally. That’s where our next-level gyms come in:

• Koala Adventure for little climbers

• Panda Playground for toddlers building coordination and confidence

Because movement is never linear—it’s layered. And climbing helps activate all of it.

🛒 Start Climbing Toward Crawling

Shop our Bonobo Baby Gym, Double-Sided Play Mat, and Plush Mat to give your baby the right environment to move at their own pace—and unlock crawling from the inside out.

Because sometimes, the path forward starts upward. 💫

Written by Dr. Stefanie Rodsater
Pediatric Chiropractor & Founder of @buildingbrilliantbrains
Helping parents reimagine milestones through movement-first parenting.