Izp11-
With everything going on I havent had a chance to upload all the current photos of our garage climbing wall, but thought you might like to see some of the pictures from our old one and the first week (a year ago!) of the new garage one!
When Alex was born we lived in an apartment and could not do anything permanent to the walls…but as you can see, it is still possible to have a whole room in an apartment, completely free-standing but wedged in tightly. We had four 180 lb grown men climbing in there one day with nary a groan of the wood. She had foam steps, a ball pit, a cargo ladder, a swing , slide, etc. Ha, ha, this was also our guest room lol You should have seen my parents faces when they came to visit and discovered where they were to sleep! (we did make a temporary concession and added a bed…)
The first picture was taken when hubby first began to build the garage playground. Alex’s slab was the first to go up. She loves to climb, and recently completed her first outdoor top-rope on limestone!
Honestly, I understand your pain. When we last lived in the UK we settled for putting up a pull-up bar in a doorway (you can see one in the first picture) From this you can add all sorts of inexpensive homemade gymnastics and climbing apparati that are removeable when not in use. Some of the things we did: a low-hanging trapeze style bar made from PVC pipe, a wooden dowel and rope. Gripping, pulling up their weight, swinging (either hanging or seated), more gymnastics-style moves, and hanging upside down trying to bat at a toy we hung. You can buy very inexpensive gymnastic-rings that can be hung for the same purposes. Rockrings and a hangboard have graced our doorways, one so large that Hubby had to duck to enter room!
We made a set of brachiation bars that latched to the pull-up bar at the top, and the bottom could be moved so that the slope could change to anything from 'monkey bar style, to vertical ladder with little adjustment. The most elaborate thing we did was to build a door-width climbing slab that could be attached to the bar as well, again changing the slope from vertical to slab easily.
As soon as I can I will post the pictures of our ridiculous version now, with lots of homemade ideas…we even use the PVC-plumbing caps, drill a hole through the end so that a bolt will go through, and then screw it into the climbing-wall T-nut as if it is a hold! We do several of these, then use pool noodles to insert in the caps, creating a 3D obstacle course on the climbing wall… We have had to get very creative to maximize space as the van still needs to fit when it is not in use
Okay! so hope this helps a bit until I can get up some more images!
I showed my kids, now they all want to come and play with Alex! ( so do I!)
I have no chance of convincing hubby this is a good idea but I have convinced him a beam is a good birthday present idea for our oldest ( maybe because the other option I ran past him was an ipad lol ) So now I need to find a way to get a bar put in for the next child’s birthday and then maybe I can get a fort with a climbing wall attached to the new back deck I am asking for, for Christmas. Yep a deck is a rather extravagant Christmas present. :wub:
Although…we do have a LARGE concrete water tank in the backyard…is it possible to attach holds to that without drilling holes? Now that would make a great climbing wall!
I really need an excavater…
Manda-
I have seen homemade walls, called ‘woodies’ made just about everywhere! There is one in Dallas, Tx made from an old Grain Silo, and there are lots, including one in Darlington, UK, made by bolting holds to the concrete inside of an old elevator shaft!
No, you cannot bolt the holds safely to concrete without drilling, BUT! You can build a wooden support structure on the side and bolt directly to that. I will put together a list of our favorite sites for homemade walls. One of the most common indoor woodies is to do the inside of the stairwell, because it is usually taller and has a built in slope…
If the kids loved the old apartment wall, they are going to LOVE the new garage setup! Hubby has promised that he will take new pictures and upload them this weekend!
If you are considering making a balance beam, I am posting a picture below of our homemade one. She started out on a rougher 2 by 4 plank, but when she got better, it just wasnt stable enough to do things like kicks, tip-toe, heel, and now trying cartwheels and such. We made ours by gluing, then screwing together three 2 by 4 planks, then using 2 smaller peices as supports. We then purchased an inexpensive carpet remnant with pad (total cost was about $20- we bought a ten-foot by 18 in strip!) and covered the beam and supports, first with the pad, then carpet. Now it is much sturdier and she has progressed tremendously, very quickly!
I love the beam and the rock walls! I would also love to see any links for how to build your own, I’ve been thinking of putting in a climbing wall in my sons room, but not really sure where to start.
Here are some of our favorite sites for ideas and step-by-step instructions!
But basically, a small wall in a child’s bedroom could be done in a day! You would basically just build a two by four frame, just as though you are framing a regular wall. For a child’s room I would go no higher than about 1/2 way to 3/4 up the wall, the length of the wall. Then use 3/4 in plywood that will be the facing, or wall. If you want VERY basic, you can then use screw on holds directly, although it is better to do a bit of extra work by drilling a pattern of holes (exact instructions on following sites or you can PM me for detailed instructions!) there are then metal T-nuts that are pounded into the drilled holes, basically creating a threaded hole for a climbing hold to be bolted on. This way they can easily be moved around for new, exciting, and more challenging ‘boulder problems’…you will be then able to traverse the climbing wall.
A fun activity we do with some of the students and Alex that would be easy to replicate: I have cut 3 in long dowels, 1/2 in in diameter, and glued a small magnet to one end. The other end has bright colorful flags attached. These can be moved from bolt hole to bolt hole, and the kids are challenged to retrieve them, in complex patterns sometimes! Even math problems, as in find all the flags with number combinations that add up to ten, or spell the word x, in order…So many possibilities!
LDS Mom-
You buy the T-nuts separately. This is because the holds, depending on the size and depth, require different length bolts. When you purchase the holds, they will either come with the correct bolts or will give you the option as a drop down to choose with or without bolts. Eventually you will want to get a few extra bolts, and make sure you have extra T-nuts, as they do strip sometimes!
Oh! And just a note if you aren’t familiar with the holds and bolts. Make sure that you order the proper sized T-wrench to bolt your holds on! Or you will have one unhappy little boy with a wall and no holds on it! The bolts are hex-bolts…
BTW-
If you have a decent sized REI near you they usually carry a limited number of holds and T-nuts, as well as other climbing supplies. Also, depending on how many holds you decide to go with, they can get quite pricey. You can routinely find them on places like EBay, to either start out with or to supplement - although I would highly, highly recommend new bolts and T-nuts, even for a child’s bouldering wall…
Wow Keri - that room is amazing, so the new one much be incredible!! Thanks for all the inspiration.
Unfortunately, I don’t think we’ll have able to have any kind of climbing wall any time soon, although I will keep working on my husband! But no, we don’t really have the space.
I was very excited this weekend to visit a local woodland park which has just developed some woodland activities for all ages, including climbing nets and a “climbing tree”. They made this by strapping lots of climbing holds around the trunk of a tall pine tree that has not many branches but lots of bumps to safely secure the straps. It involves climbing upwards and no bouldering - it is too high - so need to belay from above, but it was a great idea I thought. My DD climbed up well out of reach for me to help her and then abseiled down - I thought a great effort for her first attempt (and first ever sight of any climbing equipment). So at least that is somewhere we can visit locally. But I also thought if any of you have a big tree in your garden and no other options then it is a possibility. But you would need a harness and to be familiar with safety for setting up a belay etc, so probably only one for the very keen climbers!
Izp11-
Just another thought for those rainy days…proper climbing centers sometimes have rules about how old a child must be, but in my experience if you can demonstrate proficiency for belaying and safety, they will often waive that- the gym itself just doesn’t do it!
another thing- many gymnastics studios are putting up paneled bouldering walls because climbing is so beneficial for strength, balance, and coordination. These places typically have programs designed for tiny tots so age would be less of a problem…we took Alex to one near York and one in Scotland during their ‘free-play’ times…
You can always come play here
Okay!
So, here are some pictures of the new garage wall…hubby starts teaching Fall semester on Monday so I finally gave up and took some with my phone! Not great, but, you can get the idea…
And I am SOOO Excited! The city has approved our plans to build a new “garage” for the van, which means serious room for expansion on our climbing wall/playground! I will keep you updated!
This is incredible Keri and so inspirational. I have no garage, but I wonder if I can convince hubby to help me build something like this in our basement.
Oh I want to come over and play!
Alex looks so grown up! She is so tall now. Oh but I have to ask, why the giant yellow duck? It’s the kind of thing you find in a teachers garage! lol
My kids would love this playground. All I would need to add would be a fixed bar for their Gym training and I doubt they would ever leave…or get to school on time again!
Mandab!
You made me laugh lol
I hadn’t realized her enormous yellow duck was in the picture! Yep, an enormous, 4 foot by 4 foot free standing yellow duck…
The theme for Alexs 2nd birthday was all things yellow duck, she was mental for them. We had ducks everywhere. I even took a cake decorating class and baked a 3d massive duck cake… Not that we were able to eat it as she woulnt have allowed it to be cut, even if she would have eaten cake in the first place lol
Anyway, not to be outdone, Daddy made that massive duck for her as a decoration/bday surprise! Now there is no getting rid of the thing, so we cut holes in it to turn it into a bean bag toss! Now, some of her favorite ‘math play’ is done with it as I found a fun set of beanbags numbered 1-20…the math games the kid invents with them never fails to amaze me…
Still, hoping she will be willing to part with it sometime before her Uni days! Although, there has been recent discussion about redoing it as a hen! Yikes…
Don’t tell the kids, but Daddy has already started on a fixed gymnasts bar and a free-standing set of ‘monkey’ bars that can be height adjusted
Lol how lucky is that little princess! How will you top that for her 18th? lol The duck sounds fun!
I have started the beam, ( Natalya’s birthday present) I am making it a really close match to the one she uses in class it’s padded with wadding and covered with vinyl, but will only be a foot ( or so) off the floor. I might add height later when we have a safer location for it.
The fixed bar I have sorted now too! I finally figured out how to do it,so that they can all use it. It has to be strong but height adjustable BY THEM! I have a plan…just need my hubby on board with the welder We actually pass a great braciation ladder on the way home from school, at child’s height in a park. But finding a fixed bar is much harder near my house! Go figure!
Wow - amazing. And your plans for development sound great. We would love to come and play too :laugh:
In the meantime, i’m trying to be creative. We are visiting lots of outdoor areas whilst the weather is good (this may not be for very long in the UK lol ). This weekend we visited a park with a huge number of logs and roughly made wooden furniture to play on - great for climbing, balance and role play games. It also has a long road to ride the scooter or balance bike (and lots of other children on bikes to provide motivation and confidence to get onto her real bike soon). We did a lot of shuttle runs between the trees and I was quite surprised how fast my 3-year old could run. The baby crawled around happily in the grass and stood up on lots of benches.
Our problem is there is a fine line between fun and over-tiredness, which leads to exhaustion and meltdowns later in the day. She tends to burn very brightly and then burn out if we are not careful.
Sounds like fun Izp11!
How about a simple knotted climbing rope?
We have one in the above picture, the one with a green round swing seat…the rope is knotted every foot to give hands and feet purchase…in fact, when she was smaller we used tennis balls over the knots for smaller hands and feet. You cut larger holes on the bottom of the ball, smaller on top, then ‘string’ them, one at a time from the bottom up, then tying the next knot. This can be put up just about anywhere, inside or out, and taken down easily.
The swing seat at the bottom isn’t a necessity, although we have discovered it works really well for balance. Although we purchased ours, it would be quite simple to make one!
Another couple of things for rainy days:
Drawing hopscotch with chalk, dancing with colored scarves, and a hula hoop is actually quite a challenging thing at three!
My mum has a frame for a swing in the back garden (it was my swing when I was a child!). The old swing seat was rotten so we discarded it. At the top of the frame there are two metal chains hanging down and I use two screwgate karabiners to attach a roped swing seat to it.
I have realised that I could hang a knotted rope and all sorts of other items to this frame! Any ideas what I could do? A trapeeze perhaps?!?! lol
Izp11-
Perfect! There are SO many things you can put up on a swing set frame. In fact, much of what we have up in the climbing wall area spends time in the garden on our swing set frame…
Much of what we use came from this place:
swingsetmall
Much of the things there could quite easily be homemade as well, but the site gave me lots of ideas. Although we have this trapeze bar
we have also a homemade version. We used a piece of PVC pipe, with a wooden dowel just of a very slightly smaller diameter inserted inside for stability and to prevent spinning one the holes were drilled.
These trapeze rings are a lot of fun, we have them across the wall
and I have seen small climbing frames built on the ends of swing set frames. Our cargo net also makes it out there on occasion as well, and a variety of different types of swings, many homemade…
And of course the knotted climbing rope!
It is also fun to sit and balance on a ball, holding on to a suspended bar or rope! It actually takes practice and lots of balance work. Here is where I took the idea from: ( we don’t actually attach the ball, it takes more skill not to!)
