Climbing Elements in Play Spaces
Storybook SCCLD offers children an opportunity to play in a literacy-rich setting where they can engage in simple climbing activities.
All Storybook SCCLD play structures feature a pre-walker zone, where climbing serves as an avenue for babies to explore their environment, develop depth perception, stability, and an understanding of height. As they progress beyond basic obstacles, children can tackle climbing stairs, slides, and balance structures in our pre-school/school-age play space.
Why Climbing is Important
Engage the Physical and Mental
As children climb, they gain valuable insights into their own capabilities and limitations. Climbing engages a variety of physical abilities, including strength, endurance, balance, and coordination, alongside mental skills such as focus and decision-making.
Climbing is not merely about moving arms and legs; it also involves the mental challenge of determining where to position their bodies and limbs in space and assessing the safety of those decisions.
Learning to Manage Risk
Climbing and other "adventurous play" activities provide children with opportunities to engage in healthy, well-managed risk-taking. Climbing in a secure playground setting allows children to gradually expand their comfort with appropriate levels of risk.
Focus and Memory
While exploring and ascending a play structure, children determine how to climb it, rely on their working memory to navigate their way up, down, and around, and focus on the task at hand while resisting distractions. Practicing problem-solving, memory, and focus through physical play helps develop these cognitive skills for reading as well.
Why Climb at the Library?
Incorporating climbing into children's play experiences not only enhances their physical health but also plays a crucial role in developing their cognitive skills, which can further support literacy development.
Staff Picks
Enjoy these picture books about climbing, as well as some books for parents!
Picture books about climbing and overcoming obstacles, and books for adults about the benefits of play and climbing.
References:
Barnes, Z., & Cartwright, K.B. Executive Function and Early Literacy: Play-Based Strategies to Promote Reading-Related Skills. YC Young Children. 79, (2), 30-37.
Yogman, M., Garner, A., Hutchinson, J., Hirsh-Pasek, K., & Golinkoff, R. M. (2018). The power of play: A pediatric role in enhancing development in young children. Pediatrics, 142(3). https://doi.org/10.1542/peds.2018-2058, opens a new window
Zeng, Nan, Ayyub, Mohammad, Sun, Haichun, Wen, Xu, Xiang, Ping, Gao, Zan, Effects of Physical Activity on Motor Skills and Cognitive Development in Early Childhood: A Systematic Review, BioMed Research International, 2017, 2760716, 13 pages, 2017. https://doi.org/10.1155/2017/2760716, opens a new window
https://www.bu.edu/childrens-center/files/2020/07/Risky-Play.pdf , opens a new window
