7 Elements of Play & How They Impact Learning in the Classroom
Element #5: Climbing

by Deborah Stevens-Smith View Bio & Jami Murdock View Bio

Deborah Stevens-Smith

Dr Deborah Smith has taught at Clemson University for 28 years in the College of Education. She teaches elementary physical education methods to preservice teachers with a focus on enhancing play in the classroom. Dr. Smith is a professor in the College of Education at Clemson University, Clemson, SC. She can be reached at stevens@clemson.edu.

Jami Murdock

Jami Murdock has been an early childhood educator for over 25 years with a focus on using play to prepare children for upcoming educational experiences. She operated an “in home” daycare center for 13 years and has been teaching preschool for the past 12 years. She has experience working with children on the autism spectrum and sensory processing dysfunction. Jami presents on “How Important are Playground Activities to a Child’s Success in the Classroom.” Her passion is her family and her work with children. She can be reached at jamimurdock@yahoo.com. Visit www.abcreative.net for more information on the author's work

Recent brain research reinforces the strong link that exists between movement, play, and learning. To achieve efficient brain development, integration of movement and sensory experiences during the early developing years is necessary.

In our fifth series article, we focus on the developmental abilities related to the act of climbing. As children climb, they need to make decisions, solve problems, and even visualize the solution: What will it take for me to get to the top? Do I have to put my hand or foot in a specific place to move upward? Climbing requires focus, concentration, and perseverance. Climbing helps children gain confidence and learn to cope with fear and stress and develop self-reliance in this play element. All the stretching, reaching, swinging, pulling, and pushing with their limbs enhances awareness of their bodies and improves spatial awareness and reasoning. Climbing does not have to be technical or complicated; children just need to go out and give it a go.

It is paradoxical that many educators and parents still differentiate between a time for learning and a time for play without seeing the vital connection between them. – Leo F. Buscaglia

CLIMBING:

The definition of climbing is to move upward, primarily by using the hands and feet.

BENEFITS ON THE PLAYGROUND:

1. Climbing increases muscle tone and strength in both fine and gross motor movements.
2. The act of climbing sharpens visual perception and motor skills as they decide where to place a foot or hand to move up or down.
3. Climbing develops the vestibular system, which takes in information and sends it to the brain, which in turn sends out a signal to help with balance.
4. Climbing develops motor fitness like agility, speed, coordination, and balance.
5. Problem-solving and decision-making skills are also enhanced through climbing.

BENEFITS IN THE CLASSROOM:

1. Motor skill development helps kids in the classroom, particularly children who may not be able to perform appropriate writing skills or may not even be able to hold a pencil. This is important because all skills done in the classroom are reflective of motor skills!!
2. Learning to climb teaches the child the importance of following directions.
3. Spatial awareness learned through climbing helps kids place objects on a page, such as labeling body parts in a picture (nose goes below eyes, mouth goes below the nose, etc.).
4. Climbing assists in developing visual perception. Children who have problems with visual perception cannot sort, color, identify shapes, build with blocks, or use memory and matching games.
5. Climbing develops coordinated eye and head movement so that kids can perform tasks such as copying from the blackboard and reading across a page.
6. Finally, it helps determine a child’s hand dominance.

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