The Benefits of Monkey Bars for Childhood Development

Author: Dylan Grow

Monkey bars may seem a little daunting at first, but like anything, trying something new can help to build a child’s confidence while they master a new skill. Not only do monkey bars benefit a child’s self-esteem, but they are also great for building strength, improving balance and improving overall wellbeing.

Monkey bars are often one of the more challenging pieces of outdoor play equipment. However, they offer hours of fun while building body strength, hand-eye coordination and agility. With an increasing amount of time spent in front of screens affecting posture and strength, free standing monkey bars Perth is a great way for kids to maintain and increase fitness at home which will provide a variety of physical and mental benefits.

Physical Benefits

Monkey bars can provide many physical benefits for children. Exercising the arms builds up strength and improves overall fitness. Another benefit is the development of fine motor skills, for example gripping a pen, as monkey bars help to increase hand strength. Also, monkey bars are great for strengthening core muscles when swinging the body and tucking the legs up. This is essential for protecting the spine and maintaining good posture.

Free standing monkey bars Perth help to build muscles. The motions used on monkey bars are not easy. Hanging and swinging significantly increases upper body strength as it requires the use of every muscle, from the tip of the fingers to the lower body muscles. Moving forward on the monkey bars activates the abdominal muscles which is great for core strength. Grip strength is also enhanced as a child moves from one bar to the next, providing a full workout as they reach for the next bar.

Mental Benefits

Monkey bars offer a unique challenge for children. With a higher level of difficulty compared to other play equipment, monkey bars create a fun and challenging milestone for all ages. Learning to swing from rung to rung can be frustrating and difficult to achieve, it teaches a child perseverance and creates a high sense of accomplishment when they finally make it from one end to the other. This is also beneficial for a child’s confidence and emotional development. As they watch other children accomplish milestones through hard work and perseverance, they become motivated to achieve the same, or better.

Free standing monkey bars are beneficial because:

  • Swinging and hanging upside down enhances balance and develops a sense of the body’s position in space.

  • Gripping the monkey bars is the same type of grip used to hold a pencil and will benefit writing by improving hand strength.

  • Monkey bars help kids learn how to problem solve.

  • Monkey bars boost confidence and improve stamina.

  • Monkey bars are the perfect way to encourage unstructured play.

Monkey bars provide many benefits from physical fitness, to increased confidence and improving fine motor skills. Monkey bars encourage learning through play which is critical to every child’s development. Children who regularly play on monkey bars are often happier and healthier as they increase their confidence and fitness while having fun.