Monkey Bar Training Challenge

A playground with monkey bars your child can reach (with a boost if needed)

Find monkey bars at a height where your child can reach them with a small step up or boost. The ground underneath should be soft — woodchips, rubber, or sand.

Start with dead hangs. Your child grabs one bar with both hands and just hangs. Time it: can they hold for 5 seconds? 10? 15? This builds the grip strength everything else depends on.

Add swinging. While hanging, gently rock the body forward and back like a pendulum. This builds the momentum they'll use to reach the next bar.

Time for the first reach. Hang from bar one with both hands. Swing forward and reach one hand to bar two. Grab it. Now they're hanging with one hand on each bar.

Bring the second hand to bar two. Both hands on bar two. That's one rung. They did it.

Rest and try the next rung. One bar at a time, two-hand grab between each. This is the beginner method and it absolutely works.

As strength builds, try the continuous swing: grab bar two with the right hand, then immediately grab bar three with the left, no stopping. This is the full monkey bar swing.

Time the full crossing. Write it down. Come back next week and beat the time.

Grip strength is the limiting factor. If your child can't hang for 10 seconds, they're not ready for crossing. Build hang time first.

Blisters are part of the process. Start with short sessions and build up. Chalk or gymnast grips help once they're doing multiple crossings.

Spot your child by standing beside them with hands near their waist — don't hold them, just be ready to catch. Let their muscles do the work.

Skipping bars (every other bar) is the advanced move. It requires bigger swings and more strength. It'll come naturally once regular crossing is easy.

The confidence boost from completing monkey bars for the first time is enormous. Many kids remember the day they first crossed the full set.