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If you are a new parent, you may have heard from other parents how climbing furniture can be great for your baby's development. Today, let's learn about the pikler triangle that a Hungarian pediatrician, Dr. Emmi Pikler, developed over 100 years ago.
Her methods of learning for children in their earlier years proved to be very effective.
The climbing triangle remains one of her famous inventions that do so much for babies' cognitive and physical development. She believed that parents and Montessori/schools should encourage babies to learn and gain stability at their own pace.
The pikler triangle is a climbing frame that promotes kids' yoga and offers them various health many benefits. It is a climbing tool widely used by the Montessori community and in Waldorf parenting. Online, there are plenty of groups that praise the invention.
Let's dive in deeper to see what the hype is all about!
What is the Pckler Triangle?
The pikler triangle is a wooden frame that children up to 5 years of age can use as a climbing structure. It gives children the opportunity to climb it and try to maintain balance. The stable structure helps them learn at their own pace while they take their time.
The pikler triangle not only encourages physical development but also stimulates mental activity at the same time. It can be used as an outdoor toy as well as an indoor activity, as it can fold up for easy storage. Your toddlers can use it to learn to walk and stand up, which they do so by holding onto things.
As little kids grow older, they get curious and do impulsive things like climbing kitchen countertops and table bedsides. This pikler triangle will make an excellent addition for your curious toddler in their playroom. It will also reduce the risk of your baby falling and hurting themselves while trying to climb all the tables in your home.
Another benefit of investing in this creative climbing toy is the age range that parents can use it for: from a 6-months-old to a 5-year-old. As an infant, your baby can play sitting or lying under it, getting familiar with the pikler.
Once they grow big enough to learn how to stand, the ladder rungs can act as a support for those first steps. And, after that, your baby can learn to start climbing the pikler. Pre-school and kindergarten children also love the triangle for imaginative pretend-play.
Pikler triangle accessories
The triangular wooden piece that you see is what is called the pikler triangle. However, it often comes with ramps, a bridge, and a climbing arch which are simply just additional accessories.
They make a great toy for babies and toddlers, which spark curiosity and encourage motor skills. A triangle, along with a ramp, arch, and bridge in vibrant rainbow colors, will appeal to younger children as well.
How safe is a Pikler Triangle?
Pikler triangle is a safe furniture toy for kids of any age. You can definitely let your kids climb a pikler on their own without worrying too much about their safety. Once they reach a certain age, you can leave out supervision.
Try to observe from a distance as they climb it so you can avoid any accidents. Otherwise, you can end up interfering with the development of your baby's gross motor skills.
Letting your child independently play with and climb a pikler triangle will assure them that you trust them enough. This will give them a sense of importance and motivate them to attempt new and better methods to play with their triangle.
Games to play with it
Pikler Triangle shopping guide: How tall it should be and other things to consider before buying
The pikler triangle is worth spending some cash on if you value free play and independence. You will not regret this purchase if you wish to help your child build some critical body and mind skills.
The pikler triangle comes in options, so there are a few things that you may want to consider before buying one.
You should definitely look for all the different models of a pikler triangle and understand the difference between them. It is also important to consider the add-on accessories that many parents like to purchase with the climbers.
The first thing that comes to mind is the size of the pikler triangle. For active babies, you'll want to pick a shorter climbing triangle. That is unless you can't afford to buy a taller one when they grow a little bigger later. Piklers are not cheap, so ideally, buy a picker with a height that's no less than 32".
If you want to make the triangle fun, you can purchase climbing ramps, ladders, slides, and rock wall attachments. To save money, it is better that you buy the pikler in a set with the add ons.
You can decide between rainbow-colored piklers and pastel and wood accents for your baby.
Benefits of Pikler Triangle
Pikler triangles are expensive, especially if you are buying from a company that manufactures them in the US.
So, you may wonder if a pikler is worth the investment. I say it is. It has numerous benefits that encourage a child's mental and physical growth. A climbing triangle will aid better development for your baby.
Develops gross motor skills
A pikler triangle is the ideal gross motor development tool. Motor development is a fundamental part of the growth in children, which is greatly influenced by their physical activity. Although children can start to stand up, walk and run on their own, inactivity can cause delays in achieving gross motor skill-related milestones.
Pikler triangles can be of great use here. It engages the legs, arms, and torso muscle groups through exercise, which encourages full-body movement. Keeping active this way can promote muscle strength and growth and while also enhancing balance and refined agility.
Similarly, the pikler triangles develop gross motor skills because of the way they encourage free-play.
Promotes independence and encourages self-confidence
Although the primary reason for the development of this toy was to develop motor skills in young ones, the pikler triangle does far more than that.
As a parent, a major goal should be to raise your child as an independent person who is capable of taking care of themselves and their needs. It plays an essential role in preparing your toddler for their adult life.
If your child develops self-awareness and an independent attitude early on, it will help them lead a life in which they're not afraid to fail.
The pikler triangle encourages children to be creative by imagining scenarios. This builds a sense of not depending on toys for entertainment, as they learn to pretend-play.
Not only this, but the climbing triangle also helps build up self-confidence and independent problem-solving. Your child will experience some trial and error phases while learning to climb until they finally master it.
Once they reach the milestone, they are sure to be filled with self-confidence, which can teach them to believe in themselves.
Encourages imaginative play
While it greatly helps with the physical growth of a child, the pickle triangle will also build your child's thoughts and imagination. Moreover, unlike most toys, it is not confined to gender stereotypes. Your toddler can imagine a world of their own with no restrictions.
For instance, your child could imagine themself climbing a mountain or slaying a dragon in a tower once they successfully climb the pikler. Such imaginative experiences can also help them in their future with their career prospects.
Any kid that can imagine also dares to dream. These dreams can help them realize their goals in the long run. Your child will be less likely to end up doing a job they don't enjoy or are not passionate about.
Strengthens limbs
As mentioned before, physical activities like this promote muscle growth, which can strengthen the limbs. The exercise and movement that your child experiences while exploring a pikler climber can reinforce their limbs.
When a child climbs, it shifts their weight to their arms. Similarly, as they move higher, the movement of their legs mimics pedaling motion, strengthening the leg muscles.
Encourages proprioceptive learning
Proprioception is a big factor that affects learning and growth. It is the awareness of how our muscles move, often also called our hidden sixth sense. Proprioceptors are the cells that sense proprioception.
These cells are located in joints and muscles, which process sensory information during the movement of the body.
The change in position of our muscles and the stretch is what gives proprioception feedback. This gives us the awareness of where our body is in space.
You can take the example of cracking an egg. Tapping on it too lightly cannot open it, while if we use a lot of force, it can end up in a mess.
Similarly, the climbing frame of a pikler triangle works like a ladder. It is not always possible to watch the steps of the ladder as you climb up. You can only feel for the next step as you go one step at a time.
The pikler triangle will build proprioception in your child when they learn to climb the triangle without looking at the rungs. Your child will learn to coordinate their movement and maintain balance, thus enhancing motor skills.
Stimulates vestibular sense
The vestibular sense works in coordination with other systems like the proprioception system. It enables children to calm themselves down and maintain their focus.
Stimulation of the vestibular system helps them to learn to move, play, and rest. Most playground activities like sliding and jumping on a trampoline can stimulate the vestibular sensory system.
It is not easy for most parents to provide outdoor time to their children on a daily basis. This makes a pikler triangle an important alternative to the same kind of vestibular stimulation, which is important for healthy body functions.
Raises spatial awareness
Spatial awareness is what helps your child interact with their surroundings. It refers to the ability to know and be aware of the objects in space and how our bodies relate to them.
The Pikler triangle raises awareness when a toddler crawls under it and then learns to climb it as they grow older. All this is only possible because they gain awareness of the object and figure out how they can make use of it for entertainment to their advantage.
This awareness is necessary in contrast to the digital entertainment that they receive through screens.
Non-toxic play furniture
While there are lots of engaging toys available, most of them make use of batteries. But even so, the appeal can fade after a certain amount of time.
Not to mention, battery-powered toys are toxic to the environment because they contain lead. There is also always a risk of battery leaks, which can be harmful to kids. In contrast to that, pikler triangles are non-toxic on disposal and have no such risks.
It also encourages playtime and building a broader imagination spectrum, which means your children will not be bored of it anytime soon. Most children have been playing with a climbing triangle since their infancy up to their kindergarten.
Lesser-known benefits of a pikler triangle
Kids can climb a pikler triangle instead of climbing things that they are not supposed to climb. A triangle is much safer than countertops and home furniture.
It is healthy for children to expend energy. This can even put them to a peaceful nap later. After climbing it for some time, your kids will be ready to rest.
Playground equipment that is made for climbing purposes is often only for bigger children, making them unsafe for infants and toddlers. A pikler triangle does the job in accordance with your child's age.
It can help your child learn practical life skills once they start to bring it out and set it up. Some older kids may also try to drape a bed sheet over it to turn it into a camper.
Pikler triangles on Amazon
This pikler triangle does not come alone. Instead, it is a set that that includes the triangle and an additional climbing slide. The rounded rungs of this triangle are perfectly smoothed to provide your toddler with a nice grip. Moreover, the add-on slide is reversible, and you can adjust its incline according to your child's ability.
It is easily foldable, and the slide is detachable. So, if you have space issues, you must go for this one. It is 30.7" in height which makes it perfect for your infant or even when they grow into a toddler up to being a five-year-old. It is a neutral-toned triangle.
However, you can also get it with rainbow-colored or white rungs.
This climber triangle comes in a set as well. This one consists of 3 parts: a ramp, arch, and a pikler triangle. Kids spend hours playing with this one as it brings with itself a lot of options that they can choose from.
The ramp that connects the arch and the triangle is what kids love as it gives them the sense of moving from one place to another. Not to mention, all the parts can be separated as well, so you can set them up as different toys.
This model is a very sturdy one and one of the tallest out there. This makes it suitable for children up to 6 years old. Your children can get very creative with this pikler triangle as it also comes with a sliding/climbing ramp.
The ramp can be tilted and attached in a number of ways. They can enjoy both sliding and climbing. You can easily fold it and move it to your home garden or the living room to help your child experience growth in different kinds of environments.
More pikler triangles from Amazon 👇🏼
Conclusion
The pikler triangle has been parents' favorite for decades, and it is not going away any time soon. This climbing toy helps build up a child's physical as well as cognitive skills. It breaks gender stereotypes during playtime while developing motor skills and promoting imaginative free-play.
Pikler triangles are gaining popularity among today’s parents as they have a lot of benefits for kids’ physical and mental health. They strengthen limbs and raise spatial awareness among toddlers.
Not to mention, they also encourage independence and self-confidence, which won’t leave your child’s side even in their adult life. When they learn to set it up and experiment with add-on accessories, they are also likely to learn some practical life skills.
The pikler climber comes in a variety of models, with a number of add-on accessories and colors to choose from. It is the ideal play equipment that is safe as well as interesting.
This means you need not worry about any major risks or your kid getting bored. Don’t forget to refer to my best picks from Amazon for your little one! They are some of the best options available at the best prices.
