Is It Okay For My Little One To Walk On Their Knees?
“Is occasional knee walking after learning to walk okay? ”
ANSWER - Totally normal!
Yes, children walking on their knees both BEFORE learning to walk independently AND after is often totally normal and is actually a GREAT hip strengthening activity I even pull into therapy sessions sometimes!
Before we dig in more on knee walking, let’s quickly review average expected timelines of upright skills leading into independent walking.
A QUICK NOTE BEFORE YOU READ ON:
When looking at the expected average timelines for the skills listed below, please remember development is a range for a reason! Some children may master the skill sooner than average, some may be a bit later than average, some may need support to get there, and some may never do the skill in the ‘expected’ way. My hope is to empower you with the information you need to understand your child’s development, including what to expect, when to expect it, how to confidently support each stage, AND when to advocate for more support for your little one.
If you have concerns about your child’s development and don’t feel you are being heard, check out this blog for some helpful information and tips.
And if you haven’t already, be sure to check out our freebies here, including our 0-3 Year Gross Motor Milestone Checklist for a quick layout of what to expect & when as your little one navigates their unique journey through milestones!
Average Ranges for Pre-Walking & Walking Skills:
Pulling to stand with hand support: 9-10 months
Cruising along furniture with hand support: 10-11 months
Beginning to let go with one/both hands, transition between two items in standing (letting go briefly): 11-12 months
Taking steps with hand support or other external support (for example: using a pushwalker they stand behind *not referring to a sit in walker with wheels, which I actually do not recommend if you can avoid them, more on that HERE(pls link containers blog)*)
Independent Walking: 12-18 months
A note: As a pediatric physical therapist, I prefer the 16 month mark as the time to begin discussing a possible referral with your pediatrician for an individualized physical therapy evaluation IF your child is not progressing through the above pre-walking skills, which are strong signs walking is right on the horizon!
Now, back to knee walking!
As mentioned earlier, though I know it can be alarming for some parents, knee walking is actually a great activity for hip & core strengthening! Though not EVERY child will knee walk, there are fairly predictable times that a child does, including BEFORE they are walking independently AND AFTER they are walking independently!
Before independent walking, knee walking is typically seen as a child progresses from hands and knees crawling towards pulling to stand on furniture with hand support. Most often in this stage, children tend to lift their hands off the floor (from the crawling position) and then use knee walking to get the rest of the way to whatever it is they are hoping to pull to stand on. For some children, they may even ditch crawling and use knee walking as their primary way of getting around. And while that can be absolutely ‘normal’ (and again, great for hip and butt muscle strengthening!), we do still want to see steady progression towards independent steps within that 12-16/18ish month time frame mentioned above!
After independent walking, occasional knee walking can be seen for lots of reasons! Varying from things like exploring their body and how it relates to things within their environment, plain old silliness, taking the path of least resistance to get to something they want rather than rising all the way into standing, for stability or when on unpredictable/unstable surfaces they aren’t sure they can balance on yet, and more! Generally speaking, seeing occasional knee walking either pre OR post independent walking is not usually a concern.
How to Encourage The Transition From Knee Walking To Independent Walking
Now that we’ve got the WHEN covered, let’s talk about how! If it hasn’t happened yet and/or they are seeming ‘stuck’ in the progression above from pre-walking to those independent steps here are some things that you can do:
This is where environment set up is HUGE! …….Are you sick of hearing me say that yet?! 😂
But seriously - often times when knee walking becomes a preferred mode of getting around, it’s because they are QUICK……which means they get where they want, when they want and that is MOTIVATING! So, our goal is to tap into that motivation in another, strategic way - namely by using things they LOVE and intentionally setting up their play space using those things. For knee walkers, the key to environment set up is to raise EVERYTHING YOU CAN onto higher surfaces, the more motivating the item is, the better! Think - place those motivating toys onto the couch, a bench, even a diaper box flipped on the side works!
We want everything off the floor and in places they can still get to (because remember, success drives motivation!) BUT that they have to rise into standing and/or work through those pre-walking skills above in order to get to!
It’s a small but mighty hack, and I promise, once implemented - you’ll start to see changes SO soon.
And if you’re looking for some seriously awesome toys that are not only FUN but also foster development and pre-walking through walking skills, check out my ‘Encouraging Walking Faves’ list here.
Hope this helps!
Want More?
For developmental questions, tips and guidance related to milestones about tummy time, rolling & sitting, crawling and walking, check out KC’s developmental Masterclasses linked here.
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KC is a pediatric doctor of physical therapy, wife and mom of three! She has spent her career working with children and young adults of all ability levels, and currently specializes in birth to three years.
