Apple Picking on the Wall Bars
The wall bars are an apple tree: children climb two or three rungs to pick a fabric apple hung low, then climb down and take it to the basket. It practices climbing with hands and feet and getting down safely.
How to play
- The teacher hangs fabric apples on the wall bars at the third or fourth rung and puts mats underneath (2 min).
- Demo: hand, foot, hand, foot up, grab the apple with one hand, then climb down facing the bars (2 min).
- In short turns of three or four children, they climb, pick an apple and come down with an adult right beside them (6 min).
- They walk the apple to the basket and go back to their tree's line (3 min).
- We count all the apples in the basket together (2 min).
Rules
- I go up and down facing the wall bars.
- One hand always holding on.
- If I'm scared, I stay on the rung I want and the teacher helps me.
Variations
Easier
For 3-year-olds, apples at the second rung, picked with feet on the first.
Standard
For 4-year-olds, up to the third rung.
Harder
For 5-year-olds, apples in two places: climb, move a little sideways and pick the second one.
Adaptations
- Limited mobility: low apples picked from the floor or chair by reaching.
- Autism: announce the turn by name and show a picture sequence of climb-pick-climb down.
- Fear of heights: climb just one rung with the adult holding their waist.
Learning goals
- Climb using alternating hands and feet.
- Safely let go with one hand to grab an object.
- Climb down facing the wall bars.
Equipment for a class of 25
- espaldera: 1
- colchonetas: 6
- manzanas de tela: 25
- cesta: 1
Teacher tip
Never higher than where the child's feet are at your knee height, and always with an adult next to whoever is climbing. The usual mistake is turning around to face the room to get down: correct it before they let go.
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