The Pikler triangle is making great strides in childrenโs development for decades, and here, we shall see the top 10 benefits of a Pikler triangle.
Toys have always been an integral part of a childโs growth and development. What children play with hugely influences the way their thoughts are shaped and what kind of individuals they grow up to be.
With this in mind, the notion of breaking gender stereotypes revolving around toys came into being, and a more inclusive playtime needed to be guaranteed to the growing generation.
What is a Pikler Triangle?
You might recognize the Pikler triangle as the implement that keeps kids busy at the Montessori, but what is it? How is it beneficial to your child?
Simply put, a Pikler triangle is a climbing frame developed by Dr. Emmi Pikler, a Hungarian pediatrician. She is well known for her theories on educating infants, which she practiced in her orphanage.
A Pikler triangle is designed to keep children engaged with their imagination, which is far more critical than you may realize. It is a source of physical and mental activity for children, bringing out their creative side while providing the physical exertion that you do not get from other toys. It brings outdoor activities to a fun, safe indoor space so that as parents, you do not have to worry about your childโs safety.
The Pikler triangle is suitable for children aging from 6 months to 6 years and comes in various sizes to cater to the needs of a growing child. Recent times have seen it come with additions such as a climbing wall or a slide. It encourages children to learn at their own pace and develop their confidence and gross motor skills independently.
It is an excellent way for toddlers to learn to walk or hold on to things and get up. As children grow, their curiosity grows, which leads them to do impulsive things such as climbing tables and countertops. The Pikler triangle diverts this energy onto itself, making an excellent playroom addition for your kids.
Benefits of Pikler Triangle
Why should you invest in a Pikler triangle? A Pikler triangle has numerous benefits that aid your childโs physical and mental growth. Here, we shall see the advantages of using a Pikler triangle and how it provides better development for your toddler.
1. Improves Gross Motor Development
By the time a child is two years old, they are usually well-equipped to stand up on their own, walk, and run. Motor development is an integral part of a childโs growth and is vastly influenced by their physical activity. A sedentary lifestyle only delays this natural course of events, whereas a Pikler triangle can be of great help here.
Pikler triangle helps develop gross motor skills, which involves exercising and engaging the larger muscles, such as those in your legs, torso, and arms. From when the child learns to hold on to objects and walk to when they start climbing, the Pikler triangle is the perfect choice for developing and improving their motor development, which they can now do independently.
Being left alone also gives children a sense of importance, assuring them that their parents trust them enough. This motivates the child to attempt to learn better and be more active, both physically and mentally.
In short, any activity that encourages free play, such as walking, running, crawling, and climbing, all develop gross motor skills. Pikler triangle is useful in developing these skills if you do not have a lot of outdoor space available, enabling you to give your child a similar experience in a more hygienic environment.
2. Strengthens Limbs
As mentioned, physical activity is of utmost necessity for a childโs growth, including strengthening their limbs. You can always reinforce your toddlerโs limbs by administering them movements and exercises. However, the fun way to do this is to let them explore the Pikler triangle uninhibited.
Climbing the triangle makes them shift weight to their arms. The movement of legs as they progress higher is similar to a pedaling motion, thus strengthening their limbs.
3. Develops Imaginative Play
With the rise in boredom and more youth ending up in jobs they do not prefer or are not passionate about, imagination has an ever-more important role. Instead of confining toys to gender stereotypes, the Pikler triangle aims at providing an experience that develops your childโs thoughts with no gender-based restrictions.
With the Pikler triangle, your little one can see themselves conquering Mount Everest or going on an adventurous quest, and this sort of imagination is necessary in a world where their teenage years could be overpowered by technology.
How does this affect their future career prospects, you may ask. A highly imaginative kid dares to dream, and these dreams turn into goals in the long term run. When your child is role-playing as a police officer or a pilot, it is an insight into their ambition that needs to be developed.
Thus, the ideas you have as children shape your future significantly, so imaginative play is essential for any child.
4. Raises Spatial Awareness
Spatial awareness is the knowledge or understanding of the surroundings and location of oneself and other objects. So, how exactly does a Pikler triangle raise spatial awareness? As said previously, the Pikler triangle is suitable for children aged six months and above. At the age of 6 months, a child might simply crawl under the climbing frame, but eventually, they develop gross motor skills and hoist themselves up by holding on to the structureโs racks.
This is possible due to their awareness of the object, slowly learning to use an item to their advantage. Similarly, when they learn to climb the triangle, their body responds to the various implements on the triangle and uses it to entertain themselves. This sort of awareness is lowered when toddlers spent more time on the screen with digital entertainment.
5. Better Vestibular Stimulation
Vestibular stimulation is necessary to enable children to calm themselves and help them focus their attention. There are different activities to stimulate your vestibular system, including most playground activities such as swinging, sliding, using a merry-go-round, or jumping on a trampoline.
Since it is difficult to provide children outdoors time every day, they must get similar stimulation even at home, instead of opting for a sedentary lifestyle. Using a Pikler triangle provides the necessary vestibular stimulation required for healthy functioning.
6. Encourages Proprioceptive Learning
Proprioception is another critical factor in growth and development. It is the response to stimuli by a person or an organism. The awareness that your feet are touching grass, mud, or thorns even when your eyes are closed is a result of proprioception. A proprioception deficit is indicated by lack of balance, uncoordinated movement, falls, or clumsiness.
The climbing frame provided by a Pikler triangle works similar to climbing a ladder. You cannot always look down when you climb down a ladder. You go one foot at a time, feeling for the next step. This persuades your body to be receptive to stimuli and pacing themselves for safe movement instead of moving too fast.
It aids the child to coordinate their movement to climb up and down and down the structure successfully and improve their balance, to develop gross motor skills.
7. Non-Toxic Play Equipment
The more engaging toys kids love to see use batteries to power themselves to movement. While this is engaging and the action keeps children stimulated for a short while, they eventually get bored.
What effect do these toys have on the environment? As we all know, batteries contain lead, which is a toxic metal. This has adverse effects upon disposal, as well as the risks of battery leaks affecting young ones.
A Pikler triangle is a wooden climbing frame that does not produce any toxic waste or related risks. It keeps children busy and encourages playtime. With the broader room for imagination, your little ones will not be bored anytime soon, thus developing their imaginative and story-telling skills.
With this climbing frame, you also do not have to worry about your active toddler trying to scale dangerous structures for their age, like a tree. This lets them start at their own small pace while you do not have to worry about them wandering off. Pikler triangles also come with other rock walls to stimulate a sense of climbing walls in children so that they donโt look for it elsewhere.
8. Promotes Independence
The Pikler triangle was developed to improve motor development in children, but it promotes far more than your childโs physical fitness. Independence is a quality that will do wonders for your child as they grow up. Raising your child to be an independent individual capable of taking care of their needs will significantly prepare them for their adult lives.
Remember, each step is a preparation for their future. As a responsible parent, your success lies in raising your child to be a self-aware, independent individual.
Utilizing the Pikler triangle during playtime generates a sense in the children that lets them know that they need not depend on toys for entertainment and motivates them to use their creativity to develop scenarios. A Pikler triangle is excellent for strengthening the limbs and gaining balance for toddlers, thus aiding them to walk, climb, and learn independently. This sense of independence that you instill in children from a young age will be immensely useful to them in their life ahead.
9. Available in Different Sizes
Pikler triangles come in different sizes depending on your childโs age, as it is suitable for use by children aged six months to 6 years. Each size is built for safety and effective utilization by the child of that age group. Everyone has an innate sense to stay away from anything dangerous, which is why children tend to avoid a Pikler triangle that is too big for them and might result in them falling.
Investing in a Pikler triangle for your 2-year-old might not be such a bad idea as it can be equally entertaining for your 5-year-old or any younger ones.
10. Easy storage and More Quality Time
In todayโs fast-paced world, quality time with your children is of utmost importance. While the Pikler triangle works on developing your childโs creativity and imagination, it is an opportunity for you to play with them and engage in creative story-telling play. Childhood is a fleeting phase that you never get enough of, and these moments that you have with your child will always be cherished.
Pikler triangles are also available in a foldable variety, wherein you can fold and stow them after use. This saves a lot of space, especially if you do not have much storage space but are looking for something that will contribute to your childโs emotional and physical growth.
The Pikler triangle is scientifically the best possible way of providing the outdoor experience within the comfort of your home. While taking kids to a playground and having them socialize and exposed to nature is essential, we do not get to do that daily.
Also, the Pikler triangle comes in different sizes depending on the age of your child. This benefit is seldom available in a park, and you always find yourself running to catch your active toddler while they slide down the height. It saves the parent from tension while giving kids the same physical exertion as outdoors, even when the parks are closed.
It helps children grow at their own pace, as they will scale heights only when they know they are ready to do so. This gives them the opportunity to develop their motor and sensory skills on their own while also improving proprioception.
The creativity and imagination these climbing walls bring for your child are unmatched to what any toy could provide, which it is best to invest in one right now!
If you like being handy and building stuff, you could always build a DIY foldable Pikler triangle that saves space and stimulates your toddler.
Be sure to check out more articles like this
Last Updated on by Himani Rawat
Top Comments