When Do Babies Walk? Typical Ages, Stages and How to Help

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Illustration of a sunny playroom with a wooden push walker wagon full of blocks, a green rug with small footprints leading to a yellow ball, and a cream sofa

Quick answer: Many babies take their first independent steps around their first birthday, but the healthy range is wide. In the World Health Organization’s motor development study, healthy children started walking alone anywhere from about 8 to 17.6 months. The CDC’s milestone checklist says most children take a few steps on their own by 15 months and walk without holding on by 18 months. If your child is not walking by 18 months, or you notice a loss of skills or uneven use of the legs at any age, talk with your pediatrician.

First steps are the milestone everyone waits for, and the comparisons start early: a cousin walked at nine months, a neighbor’s baby at fourteen. This guide explains what is typical, the stages that lead up to walking, signs your baby is close, simple ways to help at home, what to know about shoes and walkers, and when it is worth checking in with your doctor.

When do babies walk? The real age range

The most useful numbers come from the WHO Multicentre Growth Reference Study, which followed healthy children in Ghana, India, Norway, Oman and the USA. It estimated a “window of achievement” for six gross motor milestones, from the 1st to the 99th percentile. For walking alone, that window runs from 8.2 to 17.6 months, and it was the widest window of all six milestones. In other words, a nine-month-old walker and a seventeen-month-old walker can both be perfectly healthy.

The CDC’s “Learn the Signs. Act Early.” milestones are set at the age when at least 75% of children have reached a skill. That is why they look later than family stories: they describe what most children do by a certain age, not the average.

Milestone WHO window (1st to 99th percentile) CDC checklist
Standing with assistance 4.8 to 11.4 months Pulls up to stand by 1 year
Walking with assistance 5.9 to 13.7 months Walks holding on to furniture by 1 year
Standing alone 6.9 to 16.9 months Not listed separately
Walking alone 8.2 to 17.6 months A few steps alone by 15 months; walks without holding on by 18 months

If your baby was born early, use their corrected age (age from their due date) when you compare milestones. The American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) explains that using corrected age during the first two years gives a better idea of when to expect common developmental goals.

The stages before the first steps

Walking is the last step in a long sequence that starts with head control during tummy time. Most babies move through these stages, although the order and timing vary.

1. Pulling up to stand

Babies grab a couch, a crib rail or your legs and haul themselves up. At first many don’t know how to get back down and may call for help, a phase the AAP describes as common and temporary. Show them how to bend their knees and sit back down.

2. Cruising

Next comes side-stepping along furniture while holding on. The AAP notes that once babies feel secure standing, they try tentative steps with support and cruise alongside furniture, so make sure anything they lean on is stable and can’t tip.

3. Standing alone

For a few seconds, your baby lets go and balances. This often happens by accident, when their hands are busy with a toy. The HealthyChildren.org 12-month milestone list includes standing momentarily without support and possibly two or three steps alone.

4. First independent steps

First steps tend to be wide-legged, with arms held up for balance and plenty of sitting down hard. The AAP says most children go from these first steps to confident walking within days, although some take longer. Many keep crawling for a while too, because it is still faster. If your baby skipped crawling, that alone is not a concern; our guide to when babies crawl explains why.

Signs your baby is getting ready to walk

  • Pulling up to stand on furniture many times a day
  • Cruising confidently, and reaching across small gaps between furniture
  • Standing for a few seconds without holding on
  • Squatting to pick up a toy and standing back up
  • Walking while holding one of your hands instead of two
  • Pushing a sturdy push toy across the room

How to help your baby learn to walk

You can’t speed up the timing much, and you don’t need to. What helps is plenty of safe floor time and chances to practice. These ideas are simple and cost little or nothing.

  • Give lots of floor time. Babies build strength by rolling, crawling, pulling up and cruising. Long stretches in seats, swings and carriers mean less practice.
  • Create a cruising route. Line up a sturdy couch, an ottoman and a low table with small gaps between them. Our guide to setting up a safe toddler playroom covers furniture that won’t tip.
  • Put toys just out of reach on the couch or a low shelf, so standing and stepping has a reward.
  • Hold their hands low. Support at about waist to chest height, not over their head, so they carry their own weight instead of hanging from your arms.
  • Play “walk between us.” Sit a short distance from another adult and let your baby take a step or two from one to the other. Celebrate the attempt, not just the success.
  • Offer a stable push toy. A weighted push wagon or a laundry basket on carpet gives support while your baby leads. Stay close, since light push toys can roll away fast.
  • Try different surfaces. Carpet, grass and a firm floor all challenge balance differently. For more ideas once they’re on their feet, see our gross motor activities and activities for 1-year-olds.

Skip the baby walker

The AAP is clear that baby walkers offer no benefit. They do not teach children to walk and can actually delay walking. They are also dangerous: babies in walkers can roll down stairs, which is how most walker injuries happen, and they can reach hot drinks, stoves, pools and poisons that would otherwise be out of reach. The AAP’s advice is to get rid of any walker in the home. Stationary activity centers and sturdy push toys used on the floor with supervision are safer alternatives.

Do babies need shoes to learn to walk?

No. Indoors, bare feet are best. The AAP’s HealthyChildren.org says babies’ feet develop best when they are not confined in shoes, and socks are enough to keep them warm. Australia’s healthdirect also recommends letting babies crawl and walk barefoot. A Canadian Paediatric Society statement notes that walking barefoot builds toe grip and foot strength, and that the purpose of early shoes is protection, not correction.

Once your child walks outdoors, they need shoes for protection. Look for:

Feature Why it matters
Flexible, lightweight sole Lets the foot bend and move naturally
Nonskid sole Helps keep new walkers steady on slippery floors
Room at the toes About a finger’s width (roughly 1 to 1.25 cm) past the longest toe
Secure heel and fastening Keeps the shoe on without the child gripping with their toes
Regular fit checks The AAP suggests checking about once a month, since feet grow fast

You don’t need expensive shoes. The AAP notes that a first pair often lasts only two or three months, and that no shoes at all is better than shoes that are too tight.

What new walkers look like (and what’s normal)

Early walking is not pretty, and that’s fine. Common, usually normal patterns include:

  • a wide stance with arms held up or out for balance;
  • frequent falls, usually landing on their bottom;
  • toes pointing in or out, or some walking on tiptoe at first, which healthdirect describes as common and something most children grow out of;
  • going back to crawling when they are tired or in a hurry.

Keep new walkers safe

Walking means new reach and new speed. Install safety gates at the top and bottom of stairs, anchor dressers and bookcases to the wall, pad or block sharp table corners, keep cords and small objects off the floor, and never leave a toddler alone near water, including a bathtub or bucket.

When to talk to your pediatrician

Every child develops at their own pace, but some signs are worth raising with your doctor rather than waiting. Talk to your pediatrician if your child:

  • is not walking without holding on by 18 months (corrected age for preemies);
  • is not pulling up to stand or cruising along furniture by about 12 months;
  • seems to use one leg or one side of the body much more than the other;
  • has legs that seem very stiff or very floppy;
  • walks only on tiptoe all the time, or limps;
  • loses a skill they once had, such as standing or cruising.

The CDC’s advice is simple: you know your child best, so don’t wait. If your child is not meeting milestones or you have concerns, talk with the doctor and ask about developmental screening. In the US, the CDC also suggests calling your state or territory’s early intervention program to find out whether your child can get services.

Frequently asked questions

What is the average age babies start walking?

Many babies take their first steps around their first birthday, but there is no single “right” age. The WHO study found a healthy range of about 8 to 17.6 months for walking alone. The CDC lists a few steps alone by 15 months and walking without holding on by 18 months as things most children do.

Is it a problem if my baby walks early?

No. Walking at the early end of the range is within normal variation in the WHO data. Early walkers simply need childproofing sooner, because they can reach stairs, cords and cabinets before you expect it.

My 14-month-old isn’t walking yet. Should I worry?

Not necessarily. At 14 months, many healthy toddlers are still cruising. Look at the bigger picture: is your child pulling up, cruising and standing, and using both sides of the body equally? If yes, give it time. If you’re unsure, bring it up at the next checkup, or sooner if anything else worries you.

Do baby walkers help babies walk sooner?

No. The AAP says walkers do not help children learn to walk, can delay walking and cause thousands of injuries each year. Floor time and sturdy push toys are better choices.

Should my baby wear shoes while learning to walk?

Indoors, bare feet are best for balance and foot strength. Shoes are for protection outside. Choose light, flexible, nonskid shoes with room at the toes, and check the fit about once a month.

Does crawling late mean walking late?

Not always. Crawling ages and styles vary a lot, and some babies skip crawling and go straight to pulling up and walking. What matters is steady progress in how your baby moves.

This article is for general information and does not replace advice from your child’s healthcare provider.

Sources

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