VALENTINE’S DAY ON THE TRAVERSE® WALL

Keeping your climbers engaged and challenged over time requires some planning. Having themed games, activities and decorations on the Traverse Wall® help to bring extra enthusiasm to the climbing experience. Here are some ideas that are perfect for Valentine’s Day.

ADD VALENTINE’S DAY SPIRIT TO THE CLIMBING EXPERIENCE

Decorate the area around the climbing wall and/or gym with hearts, red or pink streamers and other Valentine’s Day-themed decorations. Consider some climbing-related phrases:

Let’s Climb Valentine
You Rock
You’ve Got a Hold on Me
All Routes Lead to You
My Partner in Climb
Love Rocks

You can also create or locate a Valentine’s Day playlist and play it during climbing sessions.

VALENTINE’S DAY CLIMBING ACTIVITIES

Facilitating new climbing activities with the seasons or for holidays helps to bring variety to the climbing experience. Here are some great ways to celebrate Valentine’s Day and we think climbers will enjoy these activities that help to reinforce the value of friendship, teamwork, kindness and gratitude.

VALENTINE’S DAY SCAVENGER HUNT

Climbers are challenged to find items related to Valentine’s Day on the climbing wall!

Grade Level: K and up

Materials:

A variety of small toys/items related to Valentine’s Day (or photos of them): hearts, red objects, pink objects, printed out words (friendship, kindness, trust, heart, flowers, sweet, candy, happy valentine’s day, etc).
Hang a sign above the climbing wall “Climbers Rock!” or “XX Students Rock” (optional).
Hang several signs (see example) at the end of the climbing wall for climbers to write or draw one thing they found during their climb.
Pencils

Advance Prep: Place items on hand holds and/or tape photos on the climbing wall. There should be several per panel, high and low. Hang sign(s) and have pencils available.

Activity:

Before they climb, let climbers know that there are many Valentine’s Day items/words “hiding” on the climbing wall. Challenge them to find as many as possible. Have them look, but not touch or remove them. For older children, you can challenge them to find a specific number of things. For example, “Try to find the 5 hidden hearts.” Once the climb is completed, have climbers write or draw one thing that they found and climb again to find more items/words.

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, 2.2.4, 2.5.5, 2.8.7
Social Skills: 3.2.3, 3.2.4, 3.2.5, 3.2.7, 3.5.3, 3.5.4, 3.5.6, 3.8.2, 3.8.6, 3.8.7, 3.12.2, 3.12.6, 3.12.7

HIT THE HEART

A “fun-for-all-ages” climbing wall activity where climbers toss bean bags into heart-shaped targets. This activity is easily modified for a variety of ages and ability levels.

Grade Level: K and up

Materials:

Bean bags (preferably white, pink and/or red)

Heart-shaped targets (jump ropes or masking tape made into heard shapes)

Advance Set Up: Place bean bags on the climbing wall and heart-shaped targets on the floor, one per climbing panel. Vary the sizes of the hearts and the distances from the climbing wall to provide a variety of challenges.

Grouping: Whole group

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 bean bag per climbing panel and try to hit the heart (land the bean bag inside the target). When they reach the final panel, they climb down, step off mats and rejoin climbers and continue the activity trying to improve accuracy with each climb or trying harder targets.

*Note that bean bags will have to be periodically replaced to 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, 1.5.21
Movement & Fitness Concepts: 2.2.1, 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, 3.5.3, 3.5.4, 3.5.6, 3.8.2, 3.8.6, 3.8.7, 3.12.2, 3.12.6, 3.12.7

HOOP HARMONY

This is a great cooperative climbing challenge that requires climbers to work together and communicate in order to succeed.

Grade Level: 3 and up

Materials Needed: Hoops (preferably white, pink and/or red)

Advance Prep: None

Grouping: Partners (2) then Small Group (3-4)

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 Hula 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.

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, 2.5.5, 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, 3.5.6, 3.8.2, 3.8.3, 3.8.6, 3.8.7, 3.8.8, 3.12.2, 3.12.3, 3.12.6, 3.12.7

VALENTINE'S DAY CLIMBING REFLECTION

Have your climbers do some reflection and journalling after the climbing experience. These prompts can get them started.

After climbers complete a climbing game or activity, have them either write or discuss the experience using one of the following prompts which fit the theme of the day: