Go Climb A Tree

I had this article all mapped out. I was going to give all of the arguments for why you should let your kids climb trees. You know, like try to convince you how safe it really is, and how good it is for their developing bodies, yada yada yada. But, you already know all that. Right? If you don’t, there are tons of articles you can read that will convince you. I’m smart enough to know there’s no sense in me reinventing the wheel. So, instead of a long apologetic treatise on the benefits of tree climbing, I have decided that I’m going to simply encourage you to do what you already know. It’s OK for your kids to climb trees.

Climbing Trees Is Fun

This kind of fun can be had right in your own backyard!

Have you ever seen a child climbing a tree with a scowl on their face? Yeah, me neither. They are always happiest when they are challenging themselves. They feel that shot of adrenaline with a side of dopamine when they go as high as they dare. It’s exhilarating and the effects last for hours. If your child is in a bad mood, tell ’em to go climb a tree.

Tree Climbing Is Exercise

Has your kid been sitting for too long on the couch staring at an electric device? They need to get some exercise. Climbing uses darn near every muscle in the body and burns plenty of calories. Tell ’em to go climb a tree.

Tree Climbing Builds Confidence

Kids feel good about themselves when they set a goal, push themselves, and achieve it. How high can I go? How long can I hang from that branch? When they accomplish a challenge, they feel really good about themselves. Tell ’em to go climb a tree.

Your Kids Learn To Judge Personal Safety Limits When They Climb Trees

They learn how high is high enough. They make decisions on whether or not that branch will hold them and they decide not to try to swing on that vine to the other tree like George of the Jungle.

Small Trees

Barely big enough to climb, but it really is beautiful.

Big Trees

Tree Climbing Can Be A Family Activity

This huge oak located in Kleb Woods has a branch that can hold my entire family!

Our family loves to camp at Brazos Bend State Park because there are hundreds of huge oak trees to climb. We also like to take an afternoon to go tree climbing and hiking at Kleb Woods Nature Center, near our house.

Tree climbing, hiking and being out in nature has proven to be some of the best medicine for the health of our kids, and it’s not so bad for mom and dad’s mental health either.

I hope I have inspired you to encourage your kids to go climb a tree. It’s so much better for them than spending all day staring at a screen.

I would love it if you would send me pics of your kids climbing in trees. I will even post them to my blog (but only if you want). Here’s how to do it:

Just sign up for my newsletter and you will get my weekly emails, by clicking the icon below. Once you receive your first issue of Timeout, which comes out every Friday, you can reply, and attach your pics. It’s that easy!