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Baby Climbing Out of the Crib? Try This!

stop baby climbing out of crib*post contains affiliate links

My son was born ready to climb out of his crib. Given that my husband and I are both tall people, it wasn’t a huge shock to learn that my son is tall for his age.

On top of that, he is very gross motor dominant, making him the ideal toddler candidate for climbing out of a crib. We prepared for this to become an issue early on.

The other day I was washing dishes, and my son had wandered off into my bedroom. When I went to get him, not 5 minutes later…

He was ON TOP of my nightstand. Yes, my 15 month old climbed on top of my not-so-short nightstand all by himself.

So all of this made me wonder, if he could climb atop a nightstand, what on Earth stopped him from climbing out of the crib??

Best way to stop climbing out of the crib.

Use a sleep sack. One day I went to get my son after he awoke from his nap, and I noticed him attempting to get his foot up. He couldn’t with the sleep sack on.


It’s no secret that I love the HALO Sleep Sack series of swaddles and wearable blankets. I hadn’t ever considered that a wearable blanket would deter my son from climbing out of the crib, but it’s completely GENIUS!

According to the sizing chart, an XXL will fit a child 26-36 lbs and 35-40 inches. So the HALO SleepSack Wearable Blanket won’t prevent it forever, it can certainly bide you a nice amount of time.

stop climbing out of crib 4

It is recommend starting as young as possible with the wearable blanket, so that your child is always used to it. The sleep sack is completely safe to use. Your child can move around, stand, and even walk in the crib with the blanket on.

The blanket will prevent your child from lifting his leg up high enough to get it over the rail. It will also prevent his feet from getting enough traction along the rails to climb out of the crib.

Other things to try…

stop baby climbing out of crib 3

Keep the mattress on the lowest setting. We did this at around age 6 months. So we were well ahead of the curve when it came to keeping the mattress as close to the ground as possible. Can you tell we were anticipating him climbing out of the crib? If you are reading this post, I can only assume you already tried this.

Consider moving to a toddler or twin bed. This is usually the least ideal option depending on the age of your child. My son is 15 months and we are no where near being ready for a regular bed. He would never stay in it. Most recommend transitioning somewhere around the age of two, plus or minus a few months. 18 months is definitely considered early, but I’ve heard from other moms this can be done.

If you want to transition your child to a bed, it’s really important to make the room and house as safe as possible.

More reasons the Halo Sleep Sack is awesome.

If you are on the fence about the sheer awesomeness of the Halo Sleep Sack, here are a few more reasons I completely love it. It prevents an older baby from taking their clothes off, which also prevents him or her from removing a diaper. I’ve heard too many horror stories of older babies and young toddlers having a hay day removing their diapers and making a huge mess in the crib.

The sleep sack is also awesome in the event that your child has a rare diaper blowout. It will contain the mess, preventing it from smearing everywhere.

If you are interested in taking a look at the sleep sack, you can check out either the HALO SleepSack Swaddle or HALO SleepSack Wearable Blanket on Amazon.

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How did you handle a child climbing out of the crib?

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About Lauren Tamm

I'm Lauren, a military spouse and Language of Listening® master parent coach. I write about my crazy parenting adventures, discovering happiness in motherhood and navigating the ups and downs of military life. I spend my days re-heating coffee while chasing my kids around the house. Hang around for a bit and join the fun!

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