New Kids on the Climb

by Heather Long | More from this Blogger

23 Nov 2006 11:45 AM

My husband enjoys rock climbing. He and friends have periodically made visits to an indoor climbing gym about five or six miles from here where they can go and spend a few hours taking the lazy way up the wall or the hard and arduous way. Rock climbing is a great way to get an overall body workout and for the many people who enjoy the sport - it's a great deal of fun.

Kids on the Move

So imagine my surprise when I took my daughter to a birthday party last weekend on and one of the features at this place of fun included a massive rock climbing wall with safety harnesses and more. I watched kids scrabble up it like little professionals and others who were struggling to make it halfway up, but their determination kept them on the move. The really fun part, once they achieved the top and rang the bell, they let go and floated back to earth one the safety harness.

Climbing is growing in popularity and it's actually coming down from just an extreme sport that it was a mere five years ago to a more modern family sport. It's hardly surprising that kids are into rock and wall climbing - they climb everything else practically from the moment that they learn to walk from fences to chairs to jungle gyms and more.

Why This is a Good Thing

Indoor climbing is a great activity for kids because it helps kids to develop balance, endurance, coordination and body strength. Climbing also help kids develop their problem solving skills because they need to determine which handholds to reach for and where to put their feet in order to keep going upwards.

There are some kids that are real naturals and others that take time to learn how to climb. Climbing can also help your kids to face the other fears and unknowns in their life as they develop the skills of success. This is another area where practice can help them achieve the goals they may be seeking and parents can be there, cheering them on and supporting them all the way. My daughter enjoyed it enough on Saturday, even though she only made it halfway up - that she wants to go and climb again.

Does your child enjoy climbing?

Related Articles:

10 Tips to Make Fitness a Family Activity

Exercise Tips for Kids - What Can Parents Do

Toughen Up P.E. Requirements

Climbing - Indoors and Out

Indoor Climbing Gym - How To Get Started

Learn more about Heather Long

Heather Long is 35 years old and currently lives in Wylie, Texas. She has been a freelance writer for six years. Her husband and she met while working together at America Online over ten years ago.

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