Most of us know the basic mechanics of Minecraft; running, crouching, jumping. However, did you know that there is a way to also crawl in the game?
It is a little harder to do because you cannot crawl at just the push of a button and to actually enter crawling involves a few tricks using certain blocks.
Crawling is basically when the player is lowered down under 1.5 blocks of height. Usually when you’re crawling your character will appear to be laying down on the ground or swimming.
Learning how to crawl in Minecraft can be pretty useful. It can allow you to build secret passages and cozier bases. It can even help you get into tight Cave spots without wasting your tools.
Crawling Basics
Like we said, crawling is when a player is essentially stuck in a laying down position, lowered down below 1.5 blocks of height.
The reason I say the player gets stuck is because once you are down you cannot stand back up until you have the space to do so. The crawling animation can only be done in narrow places that don’t go above the 1.5 blocks.
Only when you get to an area with enough space will you be able to stand back up.
While crawling your movement speed is reduced to the same speed as if you were sneaking. Because of this it’s best to crawl in small areas or passages, because it’ll take a while to get from one place to another.
Crawling in Java Edition
To ‘enter’ crawling mode you have to rely on certain kinds of blocks. Because you cannot simply press a button to make your character crawl, you have to be pushed down into that animation.
There’s several different ways to do this with different Items. It’s a matter of picking what is easiest for you to use and makes most sense.
Trees and swimming in Water are ways you have probably entered crawl mode before without even noticing. While swimming the player immediately goes into a horizontal position as they move. In this position you can easily pass through gaps that are only one block tall.
Additionally if you ever stood too close to a tree like a Spruce Tree or Oak Tree, you may have been pushed down when it suddenly grew to size. The Leaves push the player down to the blocks under them.
Similarly you can do this by riding a Pig under a tree.
There’s of course more alternatives:
- Trap Doors
- Fence Gates
- Elytras
- Pistons
- Shulker Boxes
- Boats
- Throwing Ender Pearls
All of these work with the premise of pushing the player down a block.
With Trap Doors and Fence Gates they have to be simply closed on the player to make them crawl. Fence Gates have to be exactly in level with the player’s head to work.
Shulker Boxes and Pistons work similarly to one other. Both can open up and push blocks, Mobs, and players when they do. If you put them above yourself they can push you down.
Ender Pearls and Elytras are a bit harder to use for crawling. Not only are they harder to get a hold of and keep stock of, but they also rely a lot on precision. With Ender Pearls it is a matter of throwing them into a narrow area so that when you teleport to it you will be forced crawl.
With Elytras you have to specifically fly into an area like that. This becomes tricky if you miss because you will take damage on impact with any solid block.
Minecraft Trap Door Recipe
- 6 Wooden Planks (any)
Trap Doors are the easiest way to crawl in Java Edition.
Simply placing them at head level and using them will put you in the animation and they’re also very easy to build. They can be built from any Wooden planks found in the game, but also from Iron.
Remember that Iron Trap Doors require redstone to work.
Crawling in Bedrock Edition
To crawl in Bedrock edition you mostly have to rely on swimming, rather than the various other blocks.
All that is needed is to swim into a one block tall area. The movement will look similarly to when you’re flying in Creative Mode, excluding the usual bobbing animation. You also won’t be slowed down to sneaking speed like you do in Java Edition.
Cozy Builds for Crawling
Crawling works for as long as you are in a narrow space, as we have said. Usually I enjoy using this trick to make my entrances to bases a bit harder to find.
Hiding my base entrance underwater or on the side of terrain with a hidden Trap Door that I use to lower myself into crawling-mode is a great way to hide. Especially if you play on multiplayer servers where disabling PVP isn’t an option.
Though, a cozy 1 block tall build out in the open can also be nice. Think of a small tent or something like a hut.
These builds are simple and can fit everything you need inside them. The only downside may be storage in the long run.
I dig one block into the Dirt in the length and width of how big I want this small base to be. I make space for my Crafting Table, a few Barrels or Chests, Furnace, and any other utility block I may need.
Then, using either Stairs or Slabs you can build an A shape for your roof. Slabs are best for this because they only take up half a block. So you’d want it to be around 7 blocks wide at most.
Now to make sure you stay crawling while inside we will make sure that the ceiling on the inside doesn’t reach 2 blocks of height. That is pretty easy with Slabs. After that the last important element is how to get yourself to crawl.
Like I mentioned, Trap Doors and Fence Gates are easiest, but feel free to play around with the other blocks. You can even automate your Door to the small base.
The rest is all up to how you wish to decorate it.
