Build Teams on the Climbing Wall with Cooperative Games

Climbing provides many opportunities to build valuable skills beyond the physical ones. A Traverse Wall® can help develop strong relationship skills through climbing games that ask youth to communicate and work together towards a common goal. Try these activities and let us know how it goes in the comments!

HOOP HAVEN

A cooperative challenge that requires climbers to be self-ware, communicate and work together.

Materials Needed: Hula Hoops

Advance Prep: None

Grade Level: 3 and up

Grouping: Partners/Small Group

Activity:

Climbers make their way across the climbing wall with arms linked by a hoop. This requires climbers to adjust their speed and communicate so that they remain linked by the hoop for their entire climb. If they become separated, they should stop and climb down from the wall and start over. After partners have had success with this activity, try it again with three climbers and two hoops. If that goes well, try with four climbers and three hoops.

Variations:

Challenge climbers to complete the activity without speaking.
Time the activity and work towards faster times, while still making safety a priority.

Teaching Tip: For safety reasons, do not have more than four climbers attempt this challenge.

Debrief/Reflect:

How did your group do?
If your team was successful, why was it? What helped you be successful? What did you do to contribute to your group’s success?
What would you do differently next time?
What advice would you give someone who was going to do this for the first time?
What about this activity is similar to experiences “in real life” (off the climbing wall)?

Standards: 1, 2 & 3

Grade-Span Learning Indicators:

Motor Skills: 1.2.1, 1.2.3, 1.2.4, 1.2.5, 1.5.1, 1.5.2, 1.5.8
Movement & Fitness Concepts: 2.2.1, 2.2.4, 2.5.5, 2.8.7
Social Skills: 3.2.3, 3.2.4, 3.2.5, 3.2.7, 3.5.2, 3.5.3, 3.5.4, 3.5.5, 3.8.1, 3.8.2, 3.8.3, 3.8.4, 3.8.6, 3.8.7, 3.8.8, 3.12.2, 3.12.3, 3.12.6, 3.12.7

ONE HAND CATCH-N-CLIMB

A simple game of catch gets more interesting when on a climbing wall! Can communication help lead to success?

Materials needed:

Balls (one per climbing panel)
Paper, marker and tape

Advance Prep: Give balls to non-climbers and post a sheet and marker near the climbing wall.

Grade Level: 3 and up

Grouping: Whole group (or partners, see variations)

Activity:

This activity is a fun way to add some tossing and catching challenges to the climbing experience. It involves climbers and non-climbers. The goal is to have the most possible successful catches.

The number of non-climbers depends on the size of the climbing wall. There will be one person standing at the end of the safety mats in front of each 4-wide climbing panel. For example, if you have a 20′-wide Traverse Wall®, you will have five non-climbers (aka “tossers”). The rest of the group will be climbers, with five of them starting on the climbing wall (one per panel) and the rest of the group will form a line and get on the climbing wall as soon as the first panel is vacant. There will be a steady stream of climber/catches on the climbing wall.

The tossers will be tossing the ball to climbers as the climbers climb by. When they get to a position where they are across from a tosser, the climber should stop climbing, turn and catch the ball and toss it back. The toss can be overhand or underhand. After all the climbers have had at least one turn, have some of them switch to being tossers and repeat.

Tossers and catchers should keep a mental count of how many successful catches they have and then write it on the sheet after their climb. It’s optional to have the tossers keep track of their successful catches.

Variations:

This can be a partner activity using just one panel section.
Try balls of different shapes and sizes.
Set a successful grand total catch goal at the start and work to beat it.

Teaching Tip: Since climbers are periodically stopping to catch and throw, be sure they know that they may need to adjust their climbing speed based on what’s happening with the climber ahead of them. Climbers should try to keep the spacing of one climber on each climbing panel.

Debrief/Reflect:

What was the total number of successful catches? Did you improve over time?
How does the climbing wall make this more challenging than a typical game of catch?
Which role was more challenging: Catching or tossing? Why?
What strategies helped you to be successful?
What will you do differently when we try this activity again?

Standards: 1, 2 & 3

Grade-Span Learning Indicators:

Motor Skills: 1.2.1, 1.2.3, 1.2.4, 1.2.5, 1.5.1, 1.5.2, 1.5.8, 1.5.21
Movement & Fitness Concepts: 2.2.1, 2.2.3, 2.2.4, 2.5.4, 2.5.5, 2.8.7
Social Skills: 3.2.3, 3.2.4, 3.2.5, 3.2.7, 3.5.2, 3.5.3, 3.5.4, 3.5.5, 3.8.1, 3.8.2, 3.8.3, 3.8.4, 3.8.6, 3.8.7, 3.8.8, 3.12.2, 3.12.3, 3.12.6, 3.12.7

CLIMBING IN THE NIGHT

Participants climb the Traverse Wall® while blindfolded in this advanced-level climbing activity requiring responsible decision making and relationship skills.

Materials Needed: Blindfolds, or large handkerchiefs, one per partnership

Advance Prep: None

Grade Level: 4 and up

Grouping: Partners

Activity:

Prior to beginning, review proper spotting technique with participants. Next, divide the group into two-person teams. One person is the blindfolded climber, and the other is the sighted guide. The sighted guide starts the activity by carefully leading the blindfolded climber to the start of the wall. Through a series of verbal instructions (see tips) given by the sighted guide, the blindfolded climber gradually makes his/her way across the Traverse Wall. The sighted guide is responsible for the physical safety of the climber; therefore, it is imperative that accurate information is clearly communicated, and that constant attention is given to the climber. At all times, the sighted partner should remain close to the climber, spotting and making sure that the climber never climbs above the three-foot height limit. When the climber reaches the end of the wall, the guide should help him/her climb down. Partners then switch roles.

Debrief/Reflect:

Name a feeling you experienced during this activity.
Which role was more challenging: climbing or giving instruction? Why?
What role did communication play in this challenge?
What was the greatest challenge that you experienced during this activity?

Standards: 1, 2 & 3

Grade-Span Learning Indicators:

Motor Skills: 1.2.1, 1.2.3, 1.2.4, 1.2.5, 1.5.1, 1.5.2, 1.5.8
Movement & Fitness Concepts: 2.2.1, 2.2.4, 2.5.5, 2.8.7
Social Skills: 3.2.3, 3.2.4, 3.2.5, 3.2.7, 3.5.2, 3.5.3, 3.5.4, 3.5.5, 3.8.1, 3.8.2, 3.8.3, 3.8.4, 3.8.6, 3.8.7, 3.8.8, 3.12.2, 3.12.3, 3.12.6, 3.12.7