Climbing Trees

Each Summer, we spend time in local parks as a part of our Camp Program. The children enjoy going on an adventure, exploring new outdoor play spaces, and the unique features of each park. Some parks have water features, and others have hiking trails and nature centers for the children to explore. One of the children’s favorite activities when visiting parks is climbing trees.

One of the reasons the children enjoy climbing trees so much is the opportunity. The children are not allowed to climb trees at school. Work crews trim the trees at school so the lowest branches are above the children’s reach. Park trees are different. They have low-hanging branches that invite climbing and come in different shapes and sizes, so children of different ages and abilities to enjoy the climbing experience.

One summer day, we were visiting a regional nature park. Some children played sports on the field, while others enjoyed the tall slides on the playground. Another small group of children explored the small trees. At first, the children looked for bugs and other critters with magnifying glasses. A few moments later, one of the children started to climb the tree. A few children began looking around, wondering if climbing was okay too.

Noticing the children were unsure if tree climbing was okay, I wandered over to look. I planned to say nothing or ask a few questions. Not saying much would tell the children without words that tree climbing is okay. I looked up into the tree. The child who first climbed the tree was exploring and enjoying the world from several feet above the ground. Children enjoy climbing trees and exploring the world from a different perspective.

Realizing it was okay to climb trees in the park, other children started moving up to the same tree. Soon many children were exploring the world from above. The children talked about what they noticed about the tree and shared stories about bugs and other people they could see. The children enjoyed that no one on the playground noticed them high in the branches.

As the older children watched younger children climb the small trees, they wanted to climb larger trees. A small group formed and walked over to scale a large tree. The first branch of this tree was four feet off the ground. The children worked together, boosting one person up onto the first branch. That person then helped to pull up the other members of their group. Soon six older children were high above the grass, watching the world from their shady perch.

The height the older children achieved in their climbing attracted the younger children. The younger children asked if we would help them climb the more significant trees. The children need to climb trees and anything else when they are ready. How do we know when they are ready? When they can do it under their power. If a child can climb up safely, they can climb down as well.

The small groups of children spent most of their park visit climbing trees. A few breaks occurred for lunch and water play. The children enjoyed seeing the world from a different perspective. The children talked as they climbed and shared stories about other climbing adventures. Not all the children that wanted to climb trees were ready. Some children lacked the physical strength to pull themselves onto the first branch. Deciding when to help children climb is a challenging moment for educators. Learning to climb is like any other skill. It takes practice and time.

The children did not want to get out of the trees. They were having so much fun. A few minutes later, all the children climbed down, packed their things, and walked to the bus for the ride home. The children gathered in their seats, and the bus rolled down the street toward our home base. The children shared tall tales about their climbing adventures on the way home.