How to create a DIY toddler climbing wall

Parents are really very good at meeting their children’s needs on little more than pure instinct. We just know that toddlers need to be read or told stories, share in song with us, and run in circles around any stationary object. All these help the brain develop and grow. Learning is done with play. Yet, there is one activity that tots adore, but that most parents won’t tolerate—climbing.

When a little kid who just recently learned to walk starts climbing out of the crib, a play yard, a high chair, or over a fence, we panic. Parents are at once psychically transported to a mythical emergency room. We see our baby bent, dented, and broken because we allowed her to climb. What kind of parents are we, anyway?

We can’t parent from fear. We must instead be child-raisers with knowledge, skill, and more than a little courage. Our final duty, after all, is not only to protect but to prepare our child to live successfully in the world. So, if toddlers are driven to climb, there is probably a good reason. Their bodies know what their bodies know. Who are we to argue? There’s only one solution, we must make climbing safe for the little ones.

With the introduction of indoor climbing walls, the sport has gained millions of adult and teen fans. Now, if the weather is inclement, or there’s no time to head for the nearest rock face, we can step into a facility with all the latest equipment. We can spend an hour or so perfecting skills and getting into better shape. Well, your toddler would love the same convenience to have some great fun. For ultimate control and ease, why not build your tot a wall of his own right in your own home?