Indoor Climbing and Scaling: Safe Challenges

A toddler who’s just starting to climb will climb on everything: the couch, the stairs, the dining table. Telling them not to rarely works. Offering them a place where it’s okay to climb almost always works.

Why Climbing Is Important

Climbing combines strength, balance, and spatial awareness. Your child learns to gauge what they can handle, and that ability to assess their limits develops only through practice.

Provide one designated climbing spot

A climbing arch, a triangle, or a low climbing tower sends a clear message: this is allowed here. That’s more effective than taking them off the couch ten times a day, because you’re offering an alternative instead of just a prohibition.

Make sure you land softly

Kids fall when they’re climbing—it’s just part of growing up. Placing a mat or thick rug underneath turns a fall from a scary moment into a learning experience. Also, make sure there are no sharp corners on furniture within falling range.

Climb along instead of holding on

If you always hold on, your child will learn to rely on you instead of on themselves. Stay close, but let them choose the path and decide for themselves how high to go.

Practice letting it come down, too

Going up is easy; going down is the hard part. Practice descending backward with your feet first; that’s the skill that prevents the most accidents, including on stairs.

See also: Stimulating Motor Skills Without a Pile of Toys and Playing Safely in the Yard.