Book Now

Spotlight on Mini Summiteers: What to Expect from Our Youngest Climbing Class

At Summit Up, we’re passionate about introducing children to the joys of climbing in a safe, supportive, and engaging environment. Our Mini Summiteers is for children aged 3 to 7 years. This blog gives parents a detailed look at what their little climbers will be doing during sessions, how we support their development, and how you can get involved.

Introducing the Mini Summiteers

The Mini Summiteers sessions are designed to offer a fun and foundational introduction to climbing. Using the NICAS Wild Climbers scheme as our framework, we help children build essential movement skills and confidence in a playful and structured environment. Parents may choose to purchase the official Wild Climbers logbooks, where each child’s progress is tracked with stickers awarded weekly. These stickers may represent specific skills or general participation, depending on the child's development and engagement each session.

Building Core Climbing Skills

Our sessions revolve around six key skill areas that help children become well-rounded and confident climbers:

Agility, Focus, Balance, Communication, Coordination and Teamwork

Each week, we typically focus on one of these skills through games and challenges that take place both on and off the climbing walls. While it might seem surprising to see children doing activities away from the walls, these off-wall games are vital in helping them develop the physical and social abilities required for climbing. These exercises are thoughtfully designed and highly beneficial in the long term.

Types of Climbing Activities

We use a variety of climbing areas during sessions, including the Bouldering Wall, Roped Climbing Wall, and Clip ‘n Climb. The specific area used may vary each week.

Bouldering

When bouldering, children usually stay low to the ground and often work on traversing (climbing sideways). We also use the bouldering mat for skill-building games. For safety reasons, kids aren’t allowed to climb to the top of the bouldering wall until they’ve shown they can confidently down climb on their own.

Roped Climbing

Here, children work in groups of three: a climber, a belay anchor, and a tailer. As the climber ascends, the other two team members help manage the rope to ensure safety. Kids are encouraged to climb as high as they feel comfortable, and we celebrate progress at every level — whether that’s reaching the top or halfway up. While the pace can feel slower in these sessions, children still develop important skills such as teamwork, communication, and coordination, even when they’re not the one climbing.

Clip ‘n Climb

These sessions are focused on fun, movement-based challenges. Instructors may guide children toward specific climbing elements that support the weekly skill focus. Children are encouraged to think about their movement and approach to each challenge.

Parent Involvement and Support

We understand that parents of young children want to stay close, and we welcome your presence. It’s helpful if you're available in case your child needs the toilet or a little reassurance. We just ask that you inform the instructor if you need to take your child away during a session.

You can support the smooth running of sessions by:

1. Arriving on time.
2. Remembering your child’s shoe size and helping them put on their climbing shoes.
3. Offering gentle encouragement and praise.

During Bouldering:
1. Spotting (helping your child land safely if they fall).
2. Pointing out holds.
3. Gently supporting them on the wall.
4. Moving out of the way if requested for safety reasons.

During Roped Climbing:
1. Helping fit harnesses (the instructor will show you how and check them).
2. Acting as a tailer if groups are short-handed (never let go of the rope and follow instructions carefully).
3. Ensuring your child takes turns belaying and climbing.

During Clip ‘n Climb:
1. Helping with harnesses and clipping in/out.
2. Supporting your child with the instructor’s assigned games or challenges.

Moving Up: Transitioning to the Junior Club

Once your child turns 7, they may be ready to transition into the Junior section of the club. If you're unsure about when this move should happen, feel free to speak with an instructor. They’ll be happy to offer advice based on your child’s progress, confidence, and overall readiness.

Every child develops at their own pace, and what might seem like a small step can actually be a big leap in confidence or skill. We encourage parents to celebrate all progress — big or small — and remember that learning to climb is about much more than just reaching the top. It’s about growth, resilience, and fun along the way.

If you have any questions or want to get more involved, please don’t hesitate to chat with one of our instructors before or after a session. We’re here to help your Mini Summiteer thrive!

Book Here 

Other Posts

Thinking of Booking a Real Rock Day? Here's What to Expect!

If you're unsure about whether to take your climbing from the indoor wall to real rock, this guide will help you understand what our Real Rock climbing day involves.

View

Autumn Dates for Summiteers

The first half of the autumn term begins the week commencing 8th September and runs for 7 weeks, with the final sessions taking place during the week of 20th October. These sessions are now available to book online.

View

Meet Elliot: A Young Climber with CHARGE Syndrome Defying Limits

Elliot has started climbing sessions with Sarah, at Summit Up, which has been fantastic! Climbing has such a positive impact on him. It is so good for his physical fitness and each time he climbs, we see him really having to work hard and use his problem-solving skills. Most important of all, he clearly really enjoys it!

View