Parenting Pros Love These Climbers for Physical and Developmental Growth
Parenting Pros Love These Climbers for Physical and Developmental Growth
Once you get a baby moving, it's hard to slow them down! Creating an engaging play environment that can grow with your child can be challenging. You can invest in the best educational toys and provide open-ended toys to foster pretend play — and that's where a Pikler triangle comes in. These climbing centers offer a minimalist yet versatile approach to play, and toddlers benefit from activities that give their brains and bodies a boost. Piklers are a tremendous piece of play furniture that offer physical and cognitive developmental growth for your evolving child.
What exactly is a Pikler Triangle?
A Pikler triangle is a Montessori-inspired play triangle. Montessori-inspired toys are designed to inspire kids to develop natural interests and activities by doing hands-on and collaborative play, based on the experiential learning fostered by Dr. Maria Montessori. A Pikler triangle is a climbing frame (also known as a climbing triangle) designed to expand in functionality as the child grows and develops. In its simplest construct, it is a triangle with rungs that can be climbed, but some new variants offer more equipment for extended and differentiated play.
Are Pikler triangles safe?
As with all children's products, parental supervision is always paramount. You know your child's capabilities best, and you can monitor the environment for any safety considerations. You can foster a sense of independence and exploration while keeping a close eye on kids to ensure they are executing their movements safely. It's also important to adhere to any age and weight specifications provided by the manufacturer, as each Pikler is designed slightly differently.
What age is best for a Pikler triangle?
Children as young as six months may be able to start experimenting, and children upwards of five years old may still enjoy these apparatuses. When children are really young, they can play underneath it. As they become physically and cognitively more advanced they can use it to pull themselves up, and as they age and develop they can eventually learn to climb up the structure. For more guidance on what your kids might be ready for, check out the Good Housekeeping Institute's age-by-age guide to toys.
What are the benefits of a Pikler triangle?
- Pikler triangles offer a wonderful play environment to help children develop gross motor skills.
- The versatile, open-ended design lets kids grow imaginative play skills and enhance self confidence — they can scale a mountain or hide under their tent while unknowingly nurturing development.
- Piklers can help improve spatial awareness, balance and coordination.
How we chose Pikler triangles
To find the best Pikler triangles for toddlers, the Good Housekeeping Little Lab road tested top-sellers in this category. Our Lab experts looked at ease of assembly, construction quality and whether it was easy to clean the unit. We also took account of any additional features, like if the triangle could be folded or if it had other attachments you could add to extend play options.
These are the best Pikler triangles for toddlers in 2021, based on testing led by our Little Lab:
Pikler triangles, or climbing triangles, offer a versatile approach to getting your kid moving. Here, our lab-reviewed favorites from top brands like Little Partners.
