A Montessori climbing triangle, also known as a Pikler Triangle, is designed to help children develop their balance, eye-hand coordination and an overall sense of spatial awareness by encouraging them to climb in order to reach the top of the triangle and then descend it safely in order to play again. While the uses of this unique toy are many, choosing the right one may be difficult if you don’t know what features matter and which ones don’t. To help you find the best Montessori Pikler Triangle, keep reading below!
What is a Montessori Pikler Triangle?
A Pikler triangle, also known as a Montessori climbing triangle or climbing ladder, is a child-sized ladder that helps infants and toddlers develop motor skills through play. The triangular shape of Pikler triangles allows them to be stable enough for children to climb on while remaining light enough for easy transport. This can make Piklers suitable for use at home, in daycares and preschools, and even outdoors at parks. This versatility makes them very popular with families and educators alike. If you’re looking for a quality triangle but don’t know where to start, it’s important to understand what separates high-quality triangles from lower-quality ones—and how you can narrow down your options once you’ve done so.
What are the benefits of a Montessori Pikler Triangle.
There are numerous benefits for your child’s development, both physically and mentally. This is a particularly important tool for children between 6 months and 3 years of age. For toddlers, there’s nothing better than a Montessori Pikler Triangle to teach children balance. By encouraging movement through sensory exploration, kids also learn about themselves and are able to better express feelings through creative play. If you want your kid using his or her developing body rather than staring at TV or computer screens, then consider getting a Pikler climbing triangle for him or her today!
- Development of Gross motor skills
- Encourages Self Confidence
- Balance Control
- Muscle development
To read more check out this great article as well!
Is a Montessori Climbing triangle safe?
Is a Montessori climbing triangle safe? Let’s take a look at both sides of that question. Is a Pikler ladder unsafe when used under adult supervision and provided you buy a quality product? No, it is not. However, these products need to be used under adult supervision. What happens if you purchase an imitation or low-quality one instead? It could topple over with your child on it or break and cause injury. To avoid any problems, make sure you buy from a reputable company like Clines Crafted Woodworking. Not only do they sell top-quality ladders, but they also offer excellent customer service should anything go wrong. Their staff are very knowledgeable about their products and will happily provide advice on choosing an appropriate model for your child's age and stage of development.
How to Pick the Best Montessori Pikler Triangle
In order to be sure that the Montessori triangle your interested in purchasing is safe, it's essential to make sure it satisfies three basic criteria to keep your child safe.Stability:
To create a more stable toy, use a Montessori climbing triangle that is wider (by the length of the steps) than it is tall.Quality:
How are the steps fastened to the sides? There are different ways that this can be done. Some construct the steps to meet the side and place a bolt into the step's end, while others will have a hole the diameter of the step into the side a small amount allowing the step to go into the side with a bolt as well. The latter will be more durable because the durability of the stair is not reliant solely on a bolt.
Design:
If the Climbing triangle is able to be folded ensure that the design is not reliant only on the bolt holding it in the open position.
Ask yourself this. With out the bolt would the design allow the triangle to over extend the open position? Our Climbing triangle is designed to not rely only on the bolt but also on contact between the sides should the bolt fail or be forgotten.
Fun creative ways to use a Montessori Triangle
While there is and endless list of ways your child may learn to play with there triangle here's a couple our boys have found to be fun.Climbing and balance: Most little ones will begin using the toy for balance which will quickly turn into climbing, especially if there is a sibling already doing so. Our youngest began climbing ours before he could walk.
As a tent. Our oldest (4) boy makes forts almost daily with his and sleeps in his hideout nearly every Friday night.
What age is a Montessori Climbing Triangle best for?
According to Montessori guidelines, a child should be placed on a Pikler triangle between 6 months and 5 years old. The best way to tell if your child is ready to use one is by paying attention to their natural development in three key areas: body awareness, gross motor skills, and cognitive development. Children are naturally drawn to upright positions at around 6 months of age. The benefits will be great for most children up to as old as 5 years of age.
Accessories to get the most out of your Montessori Climbing triangle.
A double sided ramp:
One side will be smooth and the other will have cleats attached to help with climbing. Its important to get one that secures well to your pikler triangle. These are included with the Montessori triangles we make here at Clines Crafted Woodworking.
Climbing arch:
These are another great accessory with tons of benefits for your child. We hope to add these to our collection soon!.
