My 1 year old son never stops moving and loves to climb. What are some ideas of things he can do? ?

Question

My son is 14 months old, has been walking for over 3 months and does not seem to stop moving. I want to say I don't have a problem with him being so active as I want him to wear himself out and I have the house baby proofed so he can go anywhere that is not blocked off. I can just see that he wants to climb so bad and he takes it out on my furniture. We have a climber outside, but it does not seem to be "difficult" enough for him because he gets bored very easily. I don't know if he is old enough for a little rock wall, or if they make something for indoors when it is raining (these days are especially difficult when I am trying to finish my college work). I spend lots of time with him already and we read every day. We just need something fun that does not involve the prospect of falling off the back of a couch. Thanks in advance for your help.

Answer 1

those little fisher price slides are great for him.  They also have some other playsets that are bright colored, small, and very physical oriented until he's big enough for a regular play set.

I also turned on it's side our padded arm chair, that's great to climb on if Mommy is watching and can play catch the baby.. :)

Answer 2

maybe you can find a class that deals with gross motor activities to fulfill his need for these activities. It may not be the climbing that he is really seeking. My son is a gross motor seeker and he loves to do things like "surf" on my washer while it is in the spin cycle...it gives him a rush! ( I do stand right there to spot him). he also likes to fall backwards on my water bed. what about laying him on a blanket and picking it up by the 4 corners and swinging it (think of the stork carrying a baby). these are all sensory tricks to give him that rush he is looking for.

Or can you set up a little obstacle course for him in a safe location and pad the floor really well in case he does fall?

You might want to get your hands on a copy of "the out of sync child" and "the out of sync child has fun" and flip through them. I read the first one and realized that my youngest son is a gross motor seeker AND has tactile defensiveness

Answer 3

well maybe you could install a padded area in a room or in your yard and get a small, not too big of a drop, jungle gym.

Answer 4

We take our cushions and pillows off the couch and built forts and "mountains" for him to climb.  He LOVES it!!  

Answer 5

Wow! Your son sounds like mine! He is also 14 months and quite the little monkey! We have a fisher price castle climber inside for him in his play room. He likes that, but if your son is bored on a large one outside, it may not hold much interest. Have you tried RIDE ON TOYS yet? My little guys is just starting to get into those as well as his rocking horse. I also try to ROTATE TOYS so that he doesn't see the same thing every day. Finally, we try to GET OUT OF THE HOUSE at least once a day. He loves our mall play-place (with soft climbing fun), the toddler area in Chuck E. Cheese, and several other kiddie places we have taken him. Good luck!