Climbing toys for toddlers, besides being fun and keeping your toddler busy, are essential for their gross motor skills development.
Do you find your baby and toddler climbing up anything they can see in the house? It’s a natural instinct for infants to be curious and investigate.
It’s intrinsic in all kids, but especially in toddlers the desire to conquer and master new highs, quite literally.
That’s why it’s important to provide them with safe and age appropriate climbing toys that help them fulfill their natural need for climbing.
Developing physical and gross motor abilities is a fundamental part of children’s development. Particularly, climbing is an important skill for babies, toddlers and children as they grow.
Often our first thought can be of the dangers and falls associated with children climbing. However, building an environment and providing children with the right equipment to try new things, explore capabilities of their amazing body, practice and master gross motor skills are essential for all human beings.
How To Choose The Best Climbing Toys For Toddlers
Choosing the most suitable climbing toy can be difficult as there are many considerations to make. Of course, the features you choose will depend a lot on your preferences, but here are some important things you should take into account:
- Make sure it is suitable to your child’s age. There are a lot of climbing toys for 1 year olds that older toddlers can use too. If you are looking for climbing toys for 2 year olds and up you have even more options to choose from that will also be more challenging than climbing toys designed for the youngest.
- Consider space you have indoors and outdoors so as the climate zone you live in. If you have really short summer you’d be much better off selecting one of the indoor climbing toys for toddlers that doesn’t take up a lot of space and that can also be used outside.
- Don’t spend your money on a toy that children will play with for less than a year and then never use again. Try to look for toys that grow with your child and can be used across various age groups. This is especially important for siblings.
- Of course, above all, safely of the toys has the highest priority.
Ensuring Safety
When purchasing a climbing toy, the safety of your child should be the utmost priority. These are a few tips to keep in mind:
- As children gain confidence and balance on the equipment, they should be supervised at all times.
- Ensure the equipment is age-appropriate. Also, be sure to check how much weight the toy can hold. Extra weight on the equipment might affect the stability of the product.
- Confirm that the materials used to build the product are durable and sturdy.
Climbing Toys For 1 Year Olds & Up
At this age, children love climbing on anything and everything they can find. Even if they might not be walking yet, you will notice them trying to grasp things for support as they try to gain balance. That’s why in the list below you’ll find climbing toys that are suitable even for babies under 12 months old who are very active and working hard on their crawling and climbing skills.
SoftZone Climb and Crawl Activity Play Set
This is a wonderful climbing set that is both safe and fun for your little one. These lightweight foam shapes offer endless possibilities because they can be arranged in so many different ways.
The non-slip bottom ensures the foam shapes remain stable, so children will love climbing and exploring the properties of the shapes without falling over. There is no particular way to set it up, so children can discover and investigate however they like! It’s also straightforward to clean; simply wipe down with a damp cloth.
A rewarding experience for children, first they climb the easy steps and then slide down! The basketball net is also a nice addition as the slide becomes more multipurpose, and children can practice ball skills such as aim and throwing and hand-eye coordination. The extended track on the slide ensures children have a soft landing.
FDP SoftScape Playtime Grow-n-Learn Tunnel Climber
This all-in-one climbing structure is an excellent option for your baby or toddler to explore as they climb and crawl. The multisets stimulate imaginative play as well as foster children’s gross motor skills.
It can be configured in many ways to create different adventures for children. The tunnel is wider than many of the other alternatives on the market, so even a toddler can safely fit through. The high-quality material is excellent as it won’t hurt the infant as they fall and is also sturdy enough to support the weight of adults.
CASSARO Mini Climbing Triangle
The mini climbing triangle is robust and sturdy for infants to climb, enjoy and explore. This triangle will easily fit in the lounge room or bedroom and can easily be placed in a corner when not in use. The premium wood structure is aesthetically pleasing and safe for your child. Using the triangle will strengthen the children’s growing bodies and promote skills such as balance and hand-eye coordination.
A nice and easy to assemble climbing toy to consider, the climbing cube is a simple way for children to build their overall gross motor skills.
There are 4 steps children must master to get to the top. The circle shapes at the bottom are wonderful for infants to call through. The unit is sturdy, so it will help children maintain their balance as they stand. You can also add a range of different additional equipment to this unit for an extra price.
CHECK ALSO: 16 Best Outdoor Toys For 1 Year Olds
Indoor Climbing Toys For Toddlers
For days when you can’t get to the playground, indoor climbing toys can be a huge help! Especially during the winter snow, rainy days or a pandemic lockdown, these are toys that can keep your baby or toddler amused and busy for hours.
Pikler Triangle and Slide Board
The Pikler Triangle is a versatile climbing toy that is appropriate for a range of age groups. The Montessori philosophy behind the triangle is that it should empower children to independently and freely explore what their body is capable of. Even babies as young as 8 months can use the triangle as support as they start to stand up.
Pikler Triangle with Ramp and Arch
You can further challenge your child by adding more equipment to the pikler triangle, such as the climber arch and ladder, to develop skills such as balance, coordination and physical strength. Children will build their confidence as they master the skills to climb the equipment. You’ll witness how persistent children are to try different things every day and push themselves to achieve goals at their own pace.
Simplay3 Young Explorers Adventure Climber
With a five-star rating on Amazon and a winner of the parent’s choice award 2019, this is a great choice of climbing equipment for your young ones. It includes stairs, a slide, upper deck, lower deck and vehicle style doors, windows and steering wheel so children can pretend they are driving. The slide is extra wide, and the construction of the whole model is weather and UV resistant, so you can easily shift it to your backyard if needed.
Milliard DIY Rock Climbing Holds Set
If you have limited space, this can be quick and easy to install on your closest wall. The climbing set can be a great way to promote active play and fitness as well as build confidence.
It comes with 2 plastic handles, screws, hooks and a rope that all work together to create support and stability for your child whilst they are climbing. The best part about this climbing set is you can make it age-appropriate depending on your child’s abilities.
ECR4Kids GUS Climb Caterpillar Tunnel
Children will have an enjoyable experience trying to discover the different features of this cool caterpillar. It includes several sections for climbing and crawling.
If you have limited room in your household or want to challenge your child continuously, you can add and remove units from the caterpillar at your convenience. Once your child is confident, they will love climbing to the top to pretend to ride the caterpillar. The brightly colored plastic is both weather and UV protected, so you can easily shift this for outdoor use too.
CHECK ALSO: The Best Open-Ended Toys {From Babies To Preschoolers}
Outdoor Climbing Toys
As children’s play becomes more complex, outdoor climbing toys are great to foster children’s independence.
Providing opportunities for children to climb with the right equipment enables their holistic growth. Alongside promoting children’s physical development, children also develop their mental, social and sensory capabilities boosting their overall health.
Eezy Peezy Monkey Bars Climbing Tower
This is a fun outdoor structure that will help burn children’s energy.
The climber is extremely sturdy and challenge enough even for bigger kids.
Although assembling the tower might be difficult, be sure to follow the instructions step by step and having more than one person help can definitely speed up the process. This tower is highly durable and built to last with extra UV protection so that the plastic won’t get tarnished in the sun.
Lifetime Geometric Dome Climber
Similar to the Eezy Peezy climbing tower, another alternative is this dome climber, which is an Amazon bestseller. It is more expensive but much more hassle-free when it comes to assembling and dissembling. Suitable for children between 3-10, it is durable and built to last.
TP Toys Explorer 2 Climbing Set
Designed for children aged 3-12, this is a unique climbing structure that will encourage your children to use their imagination. It consists of a climbing frame with a canopy type structure above so your children can enjoy views from the top. The explorer two has windows, so you might see the kids pretending it’s a fort. This is a great structure that will not only foster children’s gross motor skills but also promote role play, social skills and vocabulary.
A versatile outdoor climbing structure designed for children aged between 4-8, this is perfect for backyard play. The Skyward summit targets children’s gross motor skills and critical thinking, social skills, turn-taking, creativity, imaginative play and much more. The structure consists of a cargo net to climb, a climber platform to enjoy the views, junior hand grips to continue your climb and lastly, an open-air peak when you reach the top.
Tree Climbing Rope and Kids Swing
If you’re looking for something simpler and more affordable, you could try this rope and swing. The ribbed foot platforms have been exquisitely designed so children can safely put their foot, making it easier to climb. The recommended age for this product is 3+, and it is a wonderful climbing toy to build children’s strength and endurance whilst they climb.
Climbing Toys For Older Toddlers That Are Perfect For Bigger Kids Too
Indoor Playground Toddler Climber Slide
For children aged 2 years and above, this indoor playground is a great all-rounder resource that can be used for many years. Although it will take up a lot of space indoors, the climber will build your child’s physical skills as well as develop muscle, body and core strength. It consists of steps, monkey bars, climbing net, slide and gymnastics rings. The bright coloured playset will also stimulate brain development and imaginative play. There is so much variety that your child won’t get bored easily!
An innovative type of toy that challenges children’s gross motor skills and supports their cognitive and creative abilities. The aim is for children to create their own structures to climb, and the pieces are easy to assemble and takedown, which means clean-up will be a breeze. The Funphix is also an excellent product for STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Maths) learning as it challenges children’s capabilities in a fun way, without them even knowing.
Lil’ Monkey Everest Jungle Gym
If you’re looking for hassle-free climbing equipment that can be packed away, this jungle gym might be the perfect solution.
If the children aren’t playing with it, you can fold it away within a minute, which will make it much easier to store. Suitable for children aged between 1.5-5, this is a fun way to get some exercise and improve children’s climbing strength. The slide is a bonus to add to the entertainment.
ECR4Kids Activity Jungle Gym Climber for Kids and Toddlers
This is a vibrantly colored playhouse that children are bound to enjoy. The jungle gym is suitable for children aged between 3-6. No extra tools are needed to build the unit; everything is included, and it is quite a hassle-free process to put together. The shapes around the equipment make it easy for children to grasp and hold to gain further support. A stand out feature of this climber is the slide can easily be turned over and converted into stairs to challenge children. You can shift this unit outdoors as it has a lightweight design as is weather and UV resistant.
As you seem outdoor and indoor climbing toys from young toddlers all the way to bigger kids are essential and a well worthy investment. It is a fun way for children to get daily exercise as well as enjoy fun adventures where they challenge their capabilities.This is especially true in the time where electronic gadgets dominate our daily life.
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