By: Viraj Shah

One of the great joys of childhood is the playground. Playgrounds are a staple of a healthy, positive childhood, where children can have fun and reap both physical and emotional benefits. As they exercise, improve their coordination skills, and burn off excess energy, they’ll also develop their social skills and creativity by interacting with other children.

Each playground is different, each boasting a selection of equipment ranging from staples like slides, swings, and merry-go-rounds to more unique offerings like sit-and-spins and interactable sculptures. While playground designs are unique, many of them feature monkey bars.

Why are Monkey Bars Important?

Monkey bars are structures that children hang onto and navigate using their arms, providing a unique experience compared to the on-foot movement children are used to. But monkey bars aren’t common just because they’re fun; they benefit children in many ways.

Monkey bars stretch children’s muscles, helping them manage growing pains and reducing their chance of injury during play. They also build upper body strength, train the core, and improve hand-eye coordination, all of which contribute to their overall physical development.

However, monkey bars can be daunting or frustrating at first. Helping your child get used to the monkey bars and learn how to use them effectively can help push them to master them and reap their benefits.

Training Using the First Bar

Successfully crossing the monkey bars requires stamina and upper-body strength. You can help your child build those up by helping them practice holding on to the first bar. Encourage them to hold on as long as they comfortably can, support them when they drop down, and praise them when they can progressively stay on longer.

You can also use this first step to help them figure out how to grip the bars and adjust to the sensation of being off the ground. Overcoming these first hurdles is crucial to becoming adept at the monkey bars.

Practice Leg Swinging

When they can stay on the first bar, have them practice moving their legs. While the monkey bars primarily utilize a child’s arms, children can use their legs to create extra momentum to help them move from bar to bar more easily.

Get them to sway their legs so their whole body swings back and forth. Have them start slow and small to practice maintaining their grip in motion, then progressively have them swing faster and broader. Emphasize being smart with their movements so they aren’t wasting energy.

Finding a Rhythm, Putting it Together

Once gripping and swinging have been mastered, help them tie down a rhythm for swinging and grabbing onto the next rung. Support their body at first so they won’t be as scared, and progressively loosen your grip as they get more confident.

Have them start with their dominant hand first, and teach them to alternate instead of putting both hands on the next bar. This will also prevent wasting energy and help them feel more confident in their movement.

Mastery Won’t Be Long

After you’ve got the basics down and your child understands the fundamentals of using the monkey bars, all that’s left is to support them while they practice. Like any skill, they’ll improve as they continue to practice. Before you know it, your child will be swinging across them like a pro!

Finally, remember that each child learns at their own pace. Some children can pick it up quickly, while others need more time. Just continue to help and cheerlead them; they’ll achieve mastery in time.

Published by: Holy Minoza