Benefits of Kids Climbing Wall at Home
Whether your child has fallen in love with rock climbing and can't stop begging you to build a home wall, or your kid climbs on every non-climbable surface, giving you a heart attack both for their safety and your expensive furniture, it may be time to invest in a kids' climbing wall at home. A home wall has many practical benefits, from keeping climbing fun to saving you time as a parent. Let's break each of them down.
7 Benefits of a Kids' Climbing Wall at Home
1. Makes Climbing Fun
Most commercial climbing facilities require kids to climb under supervision, whether that’s parental or through an instructor/coach-facilitated youth program. Both options can be fun, but limit a child’s freedom to explore climbing through a playful lens. A home climbing wall allows the child to climb when and how they want, fostering a sense of independence and freedom. This reassures parents that their child can have fun climbing in a safe environment, without needing constant supervision.
2. Helps Safely Channel Energy
Kids are energy bunnies, and if they don’t have an outlet to direct their energy, they can cause unintentional chaos. Building a kids' climbing wall at home provides them with a contained and safe space to expend their energy.
3. Develops Body Awareness
Rock climbing is akin to gymnastics in that it requires excellent proprioception. A climber must learn to position their center of gravity in an advantageous way to reach the next hold. Strong proprioception contributes to increased agility and athleticism in all other areas of life.
4. Builds Functional Strength
Access to a home climbing wall naturally increases your child's physical activity. Over time, they will develop full-body strength, with a particular emphasis on back, core, arm, and finger strength. A unique aspect of rock climbing is that it requires the ability to keep cross-body tension. A strong core is the foundation of maintaining tension, and it will help prevent injuries later in life.
5. Develops Fine Motor Skills and Hand-Eye Coordination
Rock climbing is unique because it requires strong fingers and forearm muscles to grab small climbing holds. Over time, kids can develop impressive dexterity and finger motor skills. There are also specific ways to grip climbing holds that require precise hand
placement or dynamic movements that require the climber to jump and catch the next hold. Both of these contribute to the development of good hand-eye coordination.
6. Fosters Creativity
Climbing is a mental challenge as much as it is a physical one. With a home climbing wall, your kid can explore different pathways to the top of the climbing wall. Sometimes, a path may lead to them falling, allowing them to try again but with a new plan.
7. Saves You (the Parent) Time
It’s nice to know that building a kid's climbing wall can benefit you, too. Depending on where you live, shuffling your kid to and from a climbing gym multiple times a week can add up. Having the option for your child to climb at home will save you hours in the car, relieving you of the hassle of frequent trips to a climbing gym and giving you more time to relax or attend to other responsibilities.
Rock climbing is a fantastic sport that offers numerous benefits to kids. The accessibility of a home climbing wall makes it easy to realize these benefits and watch your kid blossom into the strongest, most confident version of themselves. And, what parent doesn’t like a little free time back in their day? If you have any questions or benefits that we may have missed, please share them below.