Crouches to pick up an object and stands up
Typical Timing & Development Window
Visual Timeline & Milestone Benchmarks
What these numbers mean
The average age babies first begin showing early signs of this skill. Before this, it's simply too early — there's nothing to worry about.
The midpoint age: half of babies have reached this milestone by here, half a little later. It's a typical target, not a deadline.
How spread out the timing is. About two-thirds of babies achieve it within one standard deviation of the median (the shaded band, wk 56–64). Wide bands mean a normal range of variation.
A gentle check-in point. If your baby hasn't shown this by around here, it can be worth mentioning to your pediatrician — most often it's still perfectly fine, just later.
About this milestone
The toddler lowers their center of gravity by bending at the knees and hips to retrieve an object from the floor, and returns to a full stand without holding onto furniture. This requires advanced eccentric quadriceps control and dynamic ankle stability.
- 1. Place interesting toys directly at the toddler's feet while they are standing in open space.
- 2. Scatter lightweight balls or blocks on the floor and play a game of placing them into a basket together.
- 3. Model proper squatting form by bending your knees alongside them to pick up items.
- 1. Avoid rushing to hand the toddler items they have dropped; give them space to bend down and retrieve them.
- 2. Do not dress the toddler in overly restrictive or stiff clothing that limits natural hip and knee flexion.