Building A Climbing Wall - Day 3

Well, it took a while to get some more materials and some time to work on the tower, but today was the day. A quick run to the lumber yard and I had almost everything I needed to really get some work done.  With the help of my friend Kris, we were able to finish off the second platform, the third platform and the supports for what may or may not be the fourth platform.  We also placed the angled beams that will be the first wall.  This one is intended to be the "easy" wall with each subsequent wall being a little steeper.  I need a couple more 5/4 deck boards and then to actually order the climbing holds.

The general concensus is that the space under each wall will be as much fun as the wall itself.  My girls, Piper and Lily, and Kris' and Charity's daughter, Willow, had a blast climbing on it today even as we were building.

Stay tuned...

Building A Climbing Wall - Day 2

After making such strides yesterday, it almost seemed a little anti-climactic to only get a few more supports in place today.  But, I suppose that's to be expected when you only have so much building material on hand.

You can see here that two more cross beams have been installed.  I still have enough to finish level two and get half of level three done, but I need hardware.  Looks like a trip to my local hardware store is in my future.

The girls are excited and have made use of what exists to climb already.  When it is all done, there will be four levels - each two feet above the one below it.  That will leave about two feet of 4x4 sticking up at the top onto which I will attach a safety railing.  Then, one-by-one each side can be constructed and connected.  They will vary in length so their angles will be different, thus their difficulty to climb.  I'm shopping for hand holds and finding they can be quite pricey.  Their quality varies, as well.  My initial research shows an amazing number of people who dedicate a basement or garage wall (and sometimes ceiling!) to climbing.  Fun times ahead!

Building A Climbing Wall - Day 1

Over the recent holiday break, we decided to build a climbing wall for the girls. Brainstorming lead me to the idea of a free-standing 4'x4' tower with platforms inside (to act as a ladder). We could then build up to four "walls" at any angle we wished and just connect them to the tower. This posting serves to show the first steps taken. I decided to sink one post into the ground to stabilize the entire structure. So, what you see here is a 12' 4x4 sunk into the ground just over two feet and the hole filled in with concrete. Just about 10 feet is standing above ground.

About 90 minutes later, the remaining three 4x4s are standing and connected with one level of support beam. These three posts are just standing on top of the ground. Everything has been bolted into place but I'm keeping the kids away until I can get the next tier of supports in place. However, at this point, it feels pretty stable. In this photo, the horizinal pieces are just laying up off of the ground and will be the next support layer. I plan to space these 2 feet apart.

More to come...

Playtime

Just a quick note. Please, please, PLEASE read and share this fantastic article about "play" and how it's disappearing from our children's lives and the implications. Now, step away from the computer and go play with your kids.

First Entry

I've been meaning for several months to start this blog to chronicle our journey into the world of the Kimberton Waldorf School. As busy as things are, it just never seemed to get off of the ground. I decided that was because I kept trying to write an entry that would encompass everything that had happened up to that point. And as time passed, that kept getting more and more daunting. So, tonight I decided to just take the first step and write this initial entry. Details of how we arrived here can be posted later.

My first order of business is to finish reading Kim John Payne's Simplicity Parenting. I understand from other parents that is really can make a difference.




Stop by again, hopefully there will be more to come...