Back-to-School Means Back-to-Climbing: Traverse Wall® Activities for the New School Year

The start of the school year is full of excitement and the perfect time to get children back on the climbing wall! Here are a few activities to get you started. Be sure to check out more Traverse Wall® activities and games through our on-demand webinars.

A Back-to-School Climbing Activity for New Climbers: Welcome to the Wall

Beginner climbers are introduced to the Traverse Wall® through a simulated climb.

Grade Level: Pre-K and up

Materials:

• Poly Spots or marks made of tape, enough to place 3-4 in front of each climbing wall panel.

Advance Set Up: 

Place Poly Spots or marks on safety mats, about 8 inches away from the climbing wall.

Activity:

This activity is designed to introduce children to the Traverse Wall® in a nonthreatening manner. By using this activity as a starting point, you will reduce the anxiety that some children may feel about climbing. This is a simulated climb and no climbing is part of the activity.

Position one child in front of, and facing, the first panel of the Traverse Wall®. The rest of the children should line up at the start of the wall to create a line of children that can move along in front of the climbing wall. All at one time, all children should walk slowly in front of the wall, moving in the same direction, using only their hands on the hand holds and their feet on the spots on the floor. They should maintain at least an arm’s length of space between each other. They should feel the holds and pick ones they would use if they were actually climbing. They should pretend the spots on the floor are the holds for their feet and step on them. Have children travel across the front of the Traverse Wall® two or three times.

After several simulated traverses, discuss this experience. What did they notice about the climbing wall, holds, etc.  What holds and spots did they use? Why? Invite children to share some words to describe what they think it will be like to climb on the Traverse Wall®. They are now ready to learn the rules of the climbing wall and to begin climbing. Refer to this past blog post for information about climbing wall rules and more introductory activities.

A Back-to-School Climbing Activity for All Ages: Traverse Wall® Target Practice

A fun-for-all-ages climbing wall activity where climbers toss objects into or onto targets. This activity is easily modified for a variety of ages and ability levels.

Grade Level: K and up

Materials:

• Objects that can be tossed (bean bags, balls, Magna® Flags, discs, rings, etc.)
• Objects that can be targets (hoops, jump ropes made into shapes, tape made into shapes, buckets, stripes on gym floor, etc.)

Advance Set Up: 

Place objects on the climbing wall and targets on the floor.

Activity:

Have participants begin climbing, with one person on each panel. Remaining participants form a line and begin climbing when the first person has reached the second panel. As participants climb, they remove one object per climbing panel and toss into targets. When they reach the final panel, they climb down, step off mats and rejoin climbers and continue the activity. There should be a continuous flow of climbers on and off the Traverse Wall®. Note that someone (climbing wall facilitator or mature climbers) will periodically need to put objects back on the climbing wall once the number gets low. 

Variations:

• Assign a point value to different targets and have participants keep track of their scores. This variation integrates math with climbing.
• Vary the objects and targets and their location from each other to increase or decrease the level of challenge.

Teaching Tip:  

Any targets placed on safety mats should be soft and not create a fall hazard. Hoops and tape make good targets on the mats. Buckets do not and should be placed off the mats.

A No-prep Back-to-School Climbing Activity: Elimination

Here’s a climbing wall activity that requires no equipment (other than the climbing wall) and no advance preparation – perfect for those busy first weeks back to school. Climbers must eliminate one color of hand hold and still make their way across the climbing wall.

Grade Level: 2 and up

Materials: None

Advance Set Up: None

Activity:

Have climbers start by climbing across the Traverse Wall® using any color of hand hold (green, yellow and red). Next, have them climb again, but this time they much choose one color hold to eliminate. For example, they should climb without using any of the red holds.  This activity requires climbers to problem solve to successfully make it across the wall.

Variations:

• For a less challenging variation of this activity, have climbers eliminate one color for their hands only and use any hold color for their feet.
• For a more challenging variation, have climbers eliminate two colors of hand holds. For example, they should try to climb without using red and yellow holds. In other words, climb only using green holds.

Teaching Tip:

Be sure to share with climbers that green holds are generally the largest and easiest to grasp. Yellow holds are generally a bit smaller and are the “intermediate” level color. Red and blue holds are the most challenging. (Note that not all Traverse Walls® include blue holds).

It may be helpful to reference our past blog post that explains the color-coded hand holds.