My Personal Experience of our Play System’s Climbing Frame from Baby to Toddler

Written by Sophie, co-founder of Play Systems and mum of two.

This post comes from our own experience using a climbing frame at home with our children.

Like most parents, I didn’t start out with a big plan for how something like a climbing frame would be used over time. What surprised me was how naturally it kept finding new roles as our children grew, often without us needing to introduce anything new.

This isn’t about doing things perfectly or creating elaborate setups. It’s simply how one familiar piece has been used, reused, and grown with our family from infancy into  toddler life.

When they are very little

Early on, play looks very different to what we might picture when we think of a climbing frame.

When my first baby was very little, under 6 months, we actually used the Pikler triangle more like a play gym. I hung soft fabrics, scarves, and lightweight items from it and let it become a place to lie underneath, reach, kick, and watch things move.

It wasn’t about climbing at all. It was about giving him something stable and interesting overhead, without lights or noise. He could bat at the fabric, track movement with his eyes, and spend time on the floor without needing constant input from me.

When movement begins with the ramp

As he got a bit older, the ramp became the first real point of engagement.

Because the ramp sits low and steady when attached, he started pulling himself up on it and slowly crawling up the lowest section. Not rushing. Not sliding. Just carefully working out how to move his body upward.

It surprised me how much time he spent there. Long before he was ready to climb the frame itself, the ramp was already supporting strength, coordination, and confidence in a very quiet way.

That stage wasn’t about getting to the top. It was about learning what his body could do, at his own pace.

When the climbing frame itself takes over

As he got a little older, his interest slowly shifted from the ramp to the climbing frame itself.

Around 1, he began working out how to step up onto the first rung. At first it was tentative and awkward. He’d try, get stuck, pause, then try again. For a while, it became his mission to understand how to climb up and, just as importantly, how to get back down.

There were many moments where he’d get halfway and stop, unsure of what to do next. I found myself constantly weighing up whether to step in or give him time to work it out. Often, I waited, watching him problem solve with his body, stepping in only when he genuinely needed help.

The day he finally worked out how to climb over the top was such a lovely moment. He sat there for a second with a quiet look of achievement, not celebrating, just taking it in. Then, almost immediately, he climbed over to enjoy the slide.

From his first birthday onwards, this became a big part of our daily rhythm. Learning how the climbing frame worked. Learning where his feet went. Learning how to come back down. Not in a rush, just returning to it again and again until the mechanics made sense.

When energy ramps up

As children grow, play naturally becomes bigger.

Some days the ramp was used as a slide. Other days it became part of a simple obstacle course using cushions, chairs, or stepping stones.

On days when energy was high, we’d move the climbing frame outside for the afternoon. A change of environment alone was often enough to spark fresh play without adding anything new. We always brought it back inside once play was done.

When play slows down again

Not every day is a big movement day.

On quieter days, the climbing frame became a place to retreat rather than climb. A blanket draped over the top, cushions underneath, sometimes fairy lights if it felt right.

Those setups often led to longer, calmer stretches of play. It became a space to sit, read, or simply be nearby without needing to move much at all.

When imagination takes over

As physical confidence grew, imaginative play began to take the lead.

The ramp stopped being just a slide and became a road for cars, a garage, or a surface for building with Duplo or magnetic tiles. Some days it wasn’t climbed at all. It was simply part of whatever game was unfolding.

Because the climbing frame was familiar, it didn’t fade into the background. It became something the children could reinterpret again and again.

Why we don’t rotate it out

We don’t pack the climbing frame away to keep it interesting.

Instead, we let familiarity do the work. Because the children know it well, they use it more creatively, not less. It’s one of the few pieces that stays out year round, quietly supporting different kinds of play as needs change.

That’s why it has held such a steady place in our home. Not because it does everything, but because it leaves space for children to decide how it’s used.