On Friday, December 18, 2020 the toddler group walked to the “little forest” at the back of the Denison Secondary School property. One inside, one of the children announced that they “want to climb the trees like last time.” A small group of four children set out to find the climbing trees.
Once they arrived, they set out trying to climb up onto the lowest limb. By stepping one foot up, the children were able to reach upwards to grasp the branch ahead and pull themselves up. It was discovered that one of the branches could move up and down while they stood on it by bouncing up and down. “It’s so fun!”
The children were testing their ability to climb and learning to trust that the branches would hold their weight as they climbed. Some found it more natural to stand upright once established on a limb while other children felt more secure instinctively keeping their bodies curled into a ball.
The children were thoroughly engaged in the climbing experience, exploring their world using their mind, body and senses. One child felt more comfortable demonstrating how to climb and spent some time showing the others “that is how you climb.” The child lifted their leg until their knee balanced on the limb, reached up to grasp a higher limb and pulled themselves up a little bit. Engaging their upper body allowed the remaining leg to lift off of the ground and join the other on the branch. Once standing on the tree branch, the child said “see? Do it just like me!” and began the climb down.
We will continue to explore climbing opportunities and adventures in risk play as they present themselves to the children and educators.
