Baby Steps

 Have you heard of the Pikler Triangle? I looked it up and found this...

The Pikler Triangle may look like a simple climbing frame, but it is so much more. It allows for natural gross motor development, freedom of movement, and learning one’s own boundaries. It was actually developed by Dr Emmi Pikler in Hungary in the first half of the 20th century.[and later also adopted by the Montessori schools]

Fundamentally: if a babe cannot climb, she just will not climb. We are born with a logic that is designed to protect us and when we test the boundaries of our abilities we learn from the experience. We try to walk and we fall, but we practice so we find stability, improve our control, our balance.

The Pikler Triangle allows children to learn their own boundaries in their own time and in a way that keeps parental safety concerns to a minimum. As the triangle is only a metre from the ground, and as babies and toddlers will only get that high when they are ready. The triangle doesn’t need to be adjusted as your child grows because it is the foundation on which they reach developmental milestones, at their own pace.

Babies as young as 6-8 months can pull to stand using the rungs and children as old as 4 and 5 can climb to the topmost point, continuing to learn new skills and develop in a creative way that also fosters a sense of imagination. What starts as a climbing frame can become a castle, a helicopter, a treehouse, a teepee. Parents witness how their mood determines how far they will push themselves each day, and each month they’ll try something new.

It all sounds very good, and Gaz and Steph thought George might appreciate one  - so many play facilities are currently shut up right now, and he is becoming increasingly mobile. So Bob has been building one, on his days off, he disappears into the garage and works very hard on the project. He's now at the stage of sanding and polishing and finishing off.

The slide lifts off, and the triangle folds flat, so it does not take up too much room when not in use. The memory bear I have been working on this week has been trying it out. We have yet to get the 'climbing rocks' [the slide can fit in two ways - one will be smooth, the other will have handholds] 
The frame and slide are made of oak, the climbing dowels are eucalyptus. It is not a cheap project - but they are very expensive to buy readymade. Find out more here if you want to build one [although the instructions need a bit of 'tweaking' Bob says] We only have one problem to solve now - how on earth do we get this Christmas Present for our grandson up to Manchester?