PHYSICAL MOVEMENT

• As a universal behavior of childhood, children naturally start climbing as infants by taking risks, dealing with consequences, and pushing their bodies to try new things.

• Children learn how their bodies move through space. Balancing and moving around others builds muscles, connections in the brain, and confidence in what the body can achieve.

• Children love to climb into small spaces and feel separate from the rest of the world. Small, private spaces promote a sense of safety and empowerment.

• Turn-taking and negotiating with peers is not always easy but it is a necessary life-skill.

• The world looks one-way when looking up at it, and completely different, but recognizable, when looking down from above. Change in perspective is exciting to a child.

ASSESSING RISK

• Climbing involves taking risks – not just physical risk but also emotional risks such as conquering fears and venturing out of a parent’s sight to honor that growing sense of independence. While taking risks, children challenge themselves, test boundaries, and build self-confidence. As a result children become less fearful and more resilient.

SUPPORT CHILDREN BY…

… encouraging them to take healthy risks. As a parent, you can model appropriate ways to assess and manage risk, and how to use failure as an educational tool. If children learn when young to assess risk while the stakes are small, then they will be better able to handle risk as an adult when the stakes are much higher.