Back-to-School Traverse Wall® Activities

Here are three of our favorite Traverse Wall® activities that are great for the start of the school year with climbers that have been taught the safety rules and have previous climbing experience.

CLIMBING WALL CONE CHALLENGE

Participants climb while moving objects from the climbing wall to cones and/or from cones to the climbing wall.

Grade Level: 1 and up

Grouping: Whole group

Materials:

• Cones (made of soft, flexible plastic in the event someone falls on them), one per panel
• Bean bags

Advance Set Up: 

Place cones on mats 12-24 inches from the climbing wall. Place bean bags on holds and/or cones. Note that bean bags on cones will eventually be placed onto the wall and bean bags on the wall will eventually be placed onto cones. To begin, the bean bags can all be on the wall, all be on cones, or they can be placed in both locations, for example alternating on the wall, then cone, then wall, then cone, etc.

Activity:

Climbers climb and stop at each cone and either place bean bag from the wall on the cone (if the cone is empty) or remove the bean bag from the cone and place on the climbing wall. The next climber does the opposite action. The activity continues in this way with participants removing and replacing bean bag as they climb. For example, if the activity begins with a bean bag on each cone, the first climber will remove each beanbag and place on the wall. The second climber will remove beanbags from the wall and place back on cones. The third climber will remove beanbags from cones and place back on wall.

Variation: Use small objects, for example, plush or plastic animals, instead of bean bags.

Teaching Tip: To increase the challenge, place bean bags higher and/or lower on the climbing wall. You can also vary the heights of the cones. 

National Standard(s): 1,2,3,4 & 5

Grade-Level Outcomes: 

• Nonlocomotor (S1.E7, S1.E8, S1.E10)
• Movement concepts (S2.E1, S2.E2)
• Engages in physical activity (S3.E2, S3.M3, S3.M4, S3.M5)
• Personal responsibility (S4.E1, S4.E2, S4.M1, S4.M2)
• Rules & etiquette (S4.E5, S4.M5, S4.M6)
• Safety (S4.E6, S4.M7)
• Challenge (S5.E2, S5.M3)

SARAH SAYS

Climbers try to complete climbing commands while following the rules of the classic children’s game of a similar name.

Grade Level: 2 and up

Grouping: Partners

Materials:

• Sarah Says Command Cards, one per partnership
• Cones to mark panel sections, optional

Advance Set Up: Create your own or download and print the sample command card and have them available for partners. Mark each panel section with cones, if desired.

Activity:

This is a climbing wall version of the traditional children’s game of a similar name in which commands are given and movements are allowed only if the command is preceded by “Sarah says…” One person will climb (staying on one 4'x8' panel section), while the other is “Sarah” and gives commands. If the climber moves when “Sarah” has not said “Sarah says..,” then the partners switch roles. Otherwise, the partners switch roles when the climber successfully completes 10 commands.

Variation: Add letters, numbers or words next to hand holds and create commands that bring in other learning. For example, “Sarah says touch two numbers that add up to 5” or “Sarah says touch a verb.”

Teaching Tip: It’s fun for partners to try other climbing wall panels because each panel is different and poses unique challenges. Have partners switch after they complete 10 commands, or after a set period of time.

National Standard(s): 1,2,3,4 & 5

Grade-Level Outcomes: 

• Nonlocomotor (S1.E7, S1.E8, S1.E10)
• Movement concepts (S2.E1, S2.E2)
• Engages in physical activity (S3.E2, S3.M3, S3.M4, S3.M5)
• Personal responsibility (S4.E1, S4.E2, S4.M1, S4.M2)
• Working with others (S4.E4, S4.M4, S4.M5)
• Rules & etiquette (S4.E5, S4.M5, S4.M6)
• Safety (S4.E6, S4.M7)
• Challenge (S5.E2, S5.M3)

UP & DOWN RELAY RACE

This is a fast-paced and fun way to use the climbing wall for a competitive challenge. Teams race up and back down the climbing wall.

Grade Level: 3 and up

Grouping: Teams of 2 or 3 people, ideally one team per 4-foot-wide climbing wall panel section

Materials: Tape (preferably Gaffers’ Tape)

Advance Prep: Place a tape mark at the exact same height on each climbing wall panel. Be sure to select a high location that participants will be able to reach while still keeping their feet in the climbing zone.

Activity: To begin, teams line up at the edge of the mats across from their designated panel section. At the same time, one person from each team runs to the climbing wall, gets on their climbing wall panel, climbs to and touches the tape mark and then climbs back down to the mat, runs to and taps their teammate who will then run and climb to and touch the tape mark. Repeat for all team members. Each person should climb the panel three times. The first team to complete these climbs wins the race. 

Variations:

• Increase or decrease the number of people on each team.
• Repeat the activity with teams rotating through other climbing wall panels. Since the location of hand holds vary, each panel is different and poses novel challenges.

National Standards: 1,2,3,4 & 5

Grade-Level Outcomes:

• Nonlocomotor (S1.E7, S1.E8, S1.E10)
• Movement concepts (S2.E1, S2.E2)
• Engages in physical activity (S3.E2, S3.M3, S3.M4, S3.M5)
• Personal responsibility (S4.E1, S4.E2, S4.M1, S4.M2)
• Working with others (S4.E4, S4.M4, S4.M5)
• Rules & etiquette (S4.E5, S4.M5, S4.M6)
• Safety (S4.E6, S4.M7)
• Challenge (S5.E2, S5.M3)

Do you have a lot of new climbers?

If you have many new climbers in your program, be sure they understand the climbing wall safety rules and then check out our past blog post for Three Activities to Try with New Rock Climbers.

Looking for more climbing wall activities?

Check out our on-demand webinar, 30 in 30: 30 Traverse Wall® Activities in 30 Minutes. This fast-paced webinar features our 30 favorite climbing wall activities. Individual, cooperative, competitive and cross- curricular activities are included. Get a lot of great ideas for your climbing program in not a lot of time.