With so many ways to play, climbers and slides keep kids entertained—and outside—for hours on end! Plus, they are a fun way to exercise their muscles and their minds. Read on to learn more about the cognitive benefits of climbers in our curated list!

1. Motor Skill Development

Climbing involves the whole body and engages both gross and fine motor skills. When your little one climbs a pretend rock wall, pulls themselves up onto a top platform, or crawls through a tunnel, they’re using the large muscles in their legs, arms, back, and core. While playing with climber toys, they’ll also learn to balance and control their body as they go down the slide.

When grasping the pretend rocks and propelling themselves up the wall, children are exercising their hand and wrist muscles—which is a fun and exciting way to work on their fine motor skills development! These skills are also in use when littles ones grip handles, platforms, and ladders.

Play Tip: The imµçľşapp Skyward Summit™ has both rock-wall-style sides and a ladder for multiple ways to climb.

2. Physical Activity

Climbers are designed as back-and-forth activity centers, meaning once a child goes down the slide or jumps off the platform, they need to run back to start the action all over again. This kind of play gets kids active and exercising without even knowing it! And, the excitement of being outside and running around a playset does a kid’s body good.

Play Tip: Toddler climber toys, such as the imµçľşapp Safari Truck Climber™, provide little ones with several physical activities to help them gain coordination and develop their muscles.

3. Critical Thinking

Climbing involves the same cognitive functions as solving a puzzle. When climbing, children must concentrate on what move to make next. They also use spatial thinking to relate their bodies with their surroundings.

To make it to the top of the climber toy, kids work out where their hands and feet need to be placed to help push themselves up. This is especially challenging with a rock-wall-style climber, where there are many options for where to grip!

Through repetition, kids will learn how to solve the problem and make it to the top all on their own—with parental supervision, of course! These actions help improve memory, critical thinking, and creativity.

Play Tip: Rock-climbing designs present several routes for kids to work through as they climb. If you’re looking for toys for cognitive development, check out the imµçľşapp Naturally Playful™ Woodland Climber™.

4. Social Skills

Climber toys are also a great way for children to build social skills! The open design makes them great for multiple kids to play together. Little ones practice taking turns and patience as they wait their turn to go down the slide.

As children climb, their friends may communicate helpful tips on where to place their hands and feet. As they reach the top, they celebrate together, building morale as well as a sense of teamwork.

Play Tip: Climbing is a great social activity that encourages listening, communication, patience, and teaching.

5. Imaginative Play

Getting outside to play breaks up kids’ normal routines, letting them expand their imaginations and learn to improvise based on what a friend says or does. When kids play together, they build off of each other as they create stories, assign roles, develop rules, and act out their scenarios.

Play Tip: Jump start their creativity with cognitive toys for toddlers, such as the imµçľşapp Play Ball Fun Climber™ or imµçľşapp Scout & Slide Climber™.

Climbing Toys for Cognitive Development

Climbing is a workout for the whole body—including the mind! Kids’ climbing toys are a great way to develop fine and gross motor skills, build social skills, and engage in physical activity. They also encourage determination, planning, goal setting, and critical thinking.

With all these great benefits, it’s time to get your little thrill seekers on a climber playset of their own! For the best climbing toys for toddlers, check out imµçľşapp.com! These climbers are a great way to get your children playing outdoors, exercising, and boosting their cognitive skills.

Are you ready to celebrate the sun shining and the temperatures rising? So are we! What better way to spend some fun in the sun than by spending a full week dedicated to playing backyard games. is the third week of May and encourages families get out and play! In honor of this fun-tastic week, we have chosen seven backyard games your family will love:

Hopscotch: Do you remember playing hopscotch as a kid? Why not pass the tradition down and teach your kids this classic outdoor game? Toddlers and preschoolers can grab the chalk and design their own hopscotch board in the backyard. Hopscotch helps children develop their gross motor skills, writing skills and social skills as kids take turns hopping along the board.

Beanbag toss: Another classic outdoor game is tossing bean bags. Get the family together, form a circle and start tossing beanbags to one another. You and your little ones can also a beanbag to play !

Water balloons: As the heat waves begin, get outside and cool off with a water balloon fight. Your family will have a blast getting soaked and running around the yard.

Baseball: This good ol’ American pastime will have everyone in your family singing “Take Me Out to the Ballgame.” Before you begin pitching a lightweight ball to your little sports lovers, let them practice with their own Your toddlers and preschoolers will be hitting home runs before you know it!

Basketball: Shoot some in the backyard and teach your children the rules of basketball. They can practice running, jumping and shooting. It will be a real workout for the whole family to enjoy!

Buggy Race: On your marks, get set, GO! Kids can race each other in the driveway with their . You and your kids can create a start line with chalk and wave a flag as your little racers cross the finish line.

Scavenger Hunt: Send your kids on a backyard exploration with a challenging scavenger hunt. There are plenty of fun ideas on on how to create the perfect list to get little minds and bodies active.

Now that you have a few games to choose from, you’ll have plenty of reasons to spend quality time outside during Backyard Game Week. Will you be trying any of these ideas?