Rise & Shine

Baby gates at the foot of the stairs are essential as soon as children start to crawl. Look away for one second and they’ll undoubtedly begin a hair-raising ascent to the top. Why? Because kids love climbing!

There’s no doubt about it. There’s more to climbing than just fun though. Sure, that’s the main attraction for children. But there’s also a range of benefits to their physical, mental and social development too. See how climbing helps children grow and progress in more ways than one.

How climbing helps children develop

Getting physical

Hardly a day goes by without being reminded how lazy we’ve become. We just don’t move enough, and it all starts from habits developed as a child. Games consoles and TV are just a few of the culprits, leading to a normalised sedentary lifestyle and potential health problems later in life.

So, what better way to get kids moving than climbing? It’s fun, dynamic and completely addictive – they can be jumping, stretching and manoeuvring their bodies for hours. As well as developing their balance and agility, it can easily provide the recommended 60 minutes of physical activity per day.

Fuelling the brain

It’s not just muscles that feel the burn from climbing. Children’s brains are put to the test too. Put a climbing frame in front of a child and immediately it presents a challenge which makes the cogs start turning. How do I approach this? Can I reach the top? What’s the best route to take? This kind of problem solving is invaluable to their cognitive development, improving their motor skills and co-ordination

Researchers in Florida found that this kind of activity improves children’s memory too. After two hours of climbing and balancing activities, they saw an increase of 50 percent in memory capacity. In the long term, this can translate to better performance in school. Yes, really! A study found improved academic achievements among students who had taken part in regular strenuous physical activity. Perhaps we should all be climbing…

Socialite climbers

What about social skills? Climbing’s far from a solo activity. Children love climbing with over trim trails with their friends at school – in pairs and groups. It gets kids working together, helping each other to the top, or even competing. Needless to say, this improves their social skills, encouraging them to co-operate, work together and communicate effectively.

Can we help?

At Playcubed, we provide schools and local authorities with high quality, custom designed active play areas that help children develop across the whole spectrum. From school trim trails and clamber climbers to activity frames and climbing walls – we work with you to achieve your specific requirements. We put our customers’ needs at the heart of what we do and provide tailor made solutions – as we’ve been doing for more than 30 years. Get in touch to see how we can help you.