Wall Bar Traverse Clothespin Relay
Students traverse sideways along the wall bars at low height while teams hang and collect clothespins clipped across the rungs. It builds grip strength, coordination when climbing horizontally, and teamwork in relays.
How to play
- Use a long row of wall bars with mats along the base. Mark the top limit with tape: feet never above the third rung.
- Form 4 teams of 6. Each team has a starting zone at one end of the wall bars and a box with 15 clothespins.
- Round 1, clip (6 min): relay style, each student takes a clothespin, traverses sideways along the bars without touching the floor, and clips it on any rung in the team's zone. Walk back on the floor and high-five the next teammate.
- Round 2, collect (6 min): teams switch zones and collect the other team's clothespins, one per trip, traversing back to their box.
- If someone touches the floor during the traverse, they climb back on right there and keep going; the clothespin isn't lost.
- Round 3 (5 min): team challenge. How many clothespins can your team move in 4 minutes? Count them and try to beat the mark on a second attempt.
Rules
- Feet always below the third rung.
- Only two students per team on the bars at once, at least two sections apart.
- No passing around the outside of a classmate who is hanging.
- Clip the clothespin to your shirt to carry it, not in your mouth.
Variations
Easier
Traverse with one foot on the floor and hands on the bars.
Standard
Full traverse without touching the floor, one clothespin per trip.
Harder
Traverse using only high rungs for hands and low rungs for feet, skipping the middle rungs.
Adaptations
- Limited mobility: clip and collect clothespins on low rungs while moving along the bars in a wheelchair.
- Visual impairment: a partner calls out the next open rung by voice.
- Low strength or endurance: traverse only half the section and hand the clothespin to a teammate waiting on the bars.
Learning goals
- Move sideways along the wall bars with secure grips.
- Build grip strength and arm endurance.
- Work with the team in a relay while following the rules.
Equipment for a class of 25
- wall bar sections: 8
- mats: 8
- clothespins: 60
Teacher tip
Watch that nobody climbs higher to go faster, and give a shout-out to the team that follows the rules best, not just the fastest one.
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