Active Arts: Spotlight on… Rock climbing!

Kids driving you up the walls in the holidays? Leave it to us – we’ll get it out of their systems for you! Find out how in this series that puts the spotlight on our visits to the Sydney Indoor Climbing Gym.

Rock climbing has always been one of our workshop favourites here at Active Arts. Whether your child is a fearless spider-monkey, or afraid of heights, all of our students walk away with a massive sense of accomplishment… and a little exhausted!

Unlike other vacation care programs that place students in large groups of climbers with only one belayer, here at Active Arts we like kids to be moving, not waiting. Our workshoppers form teams of 2-3 students with their very own belayer, and they get to spend their 2-hour session roaming the Sydney Indoor Climbing Gym and selecting the next wall to conquer.

The smaller teams give students a chance to climb more, but it also allows us to cater to the individual needs of each student. While one student may feel like dangling 12ft in the air off a stalactite, another may feel like a more gentle climb on the butterfly wall. The small team system means kids can work at their own pace in a supportive environment that promotes encouraging others and teamwork.

Towards the end of our session, all of our teams meet together in the front room where we take off our harnesses (yay!) and have a chance to wind our bodies down. But now, it wouldn’t be Active Arts if there wasn’t a little twist!
Students are free to break into two groups and either try to balance on the tightwire or for the more adventurous, go caving in the dark and mysterious cave system built into the climbing gym’s walls!

There are three caves to choose from, and students work together to make their way through the tunnels and obstacles and emerge triumphantly. Our fearless students get a chance to build leadership skills as they guide the group towards the end of the cave, and students who may have been nervous to go at it alone get to conquer their fears with the help of a supportive group of peers. And of course, for those who can’t stop flipping and tumbling, there are super soft crash mats to practice walkovers too!

Active Arts Workshop_walkovers

We just love visiting the Sydney Indoor Climbing Gym and seeing our workshoppers climb higher than they did last time. And secretly, we love the arm workout that we get while belaying too! 😉

If you have kids that are driving you up the walls in the holidays, this is a sure fire way to get it out of their system! 😉

You can find out more and secure a spot in our next workshop here!