Climbing Fitness for Preschoolers

by Kelly Pfeiffer
Climbing is one of the most important fitness activities for preschoolers. However, many preschoolers don't climb enough for proper healthy development. How can adults promote climbing fitness for preschoolers? Provide preschoolers with climbing opportunities daily if possible to promote healthy brain development, muscular strength, coordination, balance skills and more. Increase a preschooler’s climbing fitness level with these essential tips and recommendations about preschool climbing.

Climbing Fitness – More Than Physical Fitness

Obviously climbing builds healthy muscles, but climbing also develops the growing preschooler brain like no other activity can. Many parts of the brain must work together for a preschooler to climb. Learning to climb and doing lots of it helps the brain build important learning pathways for balance, coordination, nervous system development and even pre-reading skills.

Outdoor Climbing For Preschoolers

1. Preschool-Sized Playgrounds: Many community playgrounds now have separate play structures for preschoolers. These smaller play structures provide preschoolers with low climbing opportunities.

2. Trees: Nature provides some wonderful places to climb. Small trees can be great structures for preschoolers to climb. Supervise tree climbing closely at first. Stand at the base of the tree.

3. Preschool Climbing Structures: Several manufacturers make outdoor climbing structures “preschool sized” for your backyard.

Indoor Climbing For Preschoolers

1. Indoor Slides: Portable lightweight slides provide a simple solution for indoor climbing.

2. Plastic Step Bench: For younger preschoolers just beginning to climb, set out a plastic step bench (adult exercise equipment) and let preschoolers climb and jump on and off the step bench. Often you can find plastic step benches at garage sales.

3. Indoor Climbing Gyms: Some indoor climbing gyms have low climbing areas for children. These low climbing areas are appropriate for preschoolers if children are able to explore at their own level, children are not encouraged to climb higher than their comfort level, and children are not belayed (clipped onto a rope). The best climbing for a preschooler’s brain is free exploration within safe limits.

Climbing Safety for Preschoolers

1. Make surfaces underneath climbing safe. The best surfaces under climbing spaces and playground equipment are mulch, wood chips, rubber chips, rubber flooring or sand. Never let your child climb in an area that has concrete, asphalt or any paved or hard surface underneath.

2. Choose the best location for climbing structures. Place climbing structures at least 15 feet away from other structures such as your home, swing set, sand box and cars.

3. Prevent injuries from falls. More injuries occur when a child falls from a height that is twice their physical height. This is one of the reasons you’ll find two climbing structures at many community playgrounds. The smaller structure is designed for preschool sized children.

4. Let preschoolers climb for themselves. Let your child do the climbing. Do not “help” your preschooler onto a structure or tree limb. If a preschooler can’t get up to a place by themselves, they probably won’t be able to get down by themselves. When supervising tree climbing, discourage preschoolers from climbing higher than twice their height. If the tree is in your yard, consider tying a small red ribbon to the tree trunk to give a visual sign to your preschooler about when to stop climbing.

2. Put away adult ladders as soon as you are finished using them. Leaving them out is too great a temptation for preschoolers to ignore.

3. Redirect preschoolers to safe climbing areas. When preschoolers climb in unsafe or inappropriate areas, show them a safe area where they CAN climb. Preschoolers learn guidelines better when you show and tell them what they CAN do.

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