Walltopia, a world leader in the climbing and adventure & leisure industries, is continuing its virtual exhibition, Walltopia Stories. This looks at real case studies on the impact of climbing, while also showing how an active entertainment product was born from the company’s extensive experience in the climbing industry.
One particular topic that Walltopia Stories highlights is the fact that fun climbing and active entertainment can have a positive impact on children.
Climbing is good for physical and mental health
Although today’s generation of children and young people are more digitally savvy than ever, they still need to play in the physical world rather than purely in the virtual one. The WHO says children need to practice sports at least twice daily for a minimum of 30 minutes in order to be healthy.
In addition to physical health, staying active is also important for children’s psychological and social development. And climbing is an ideal sport that connects all three areas of development.
“Children create games out of anything, and climbing comes naturally to them. It is a great sport for kids to hone their motor skills, flexibility, and logical thinking. From scaling new heights to charting paths across climbing walls, climbing allows kids to explore their limits safely!” says Vladimir Pavlov, climbing instructor for adults and kids, and a member of the Walltopia business development team.
As the Walltopia team builds climbing walls around the globe, they are often asked what the benefits of climbing are for children. Dimitar Zlatev, COO of the Climbing Division of Walltopia, says:
“We know the benefits of climbing better than anyone else. It is one of our missions to promote the climbing sport among young children. Personally, I climb with my son every Tuesday, Thursday, and Sunday. We have a great time together, and I can see him growing confident and stronger every day.”
Fun Walls introduce children to the world of climbing
Walltopia’s gamified, interactive Fun Walls are an entertaining way to introduce young children to the world of climbing, providing a new challenge for their physical and mental abilities while also developing their problem-solving skills.
“We had a deep understanding of climbing as a sport and a good view of the genuine interest of children in it,” says Zlatimira Bancheva, Head of Sales of Walltopia’ Active entertainment division.
“We wanted to make it much more accessible and fun by incorporating climbing in Family Entertainment Centers, Amusement parks, Malls, Resorts, and public spaces in general. Our mission to improve people’s lives by offering them experiences that combine the joy of physical activity with healthy doses of adrenaline came to life with the Fun Walls product.
“We delivered children and their parents this amazing time they could spend together – physically present in a challenging but safe environment with no screens around them.”
In fact, one parent from Chicago shared this story with the Walltopia team: “If you need evidence for how much my crew loved the Fun Walls, I offer this: Not even the promise of ice cream convinced the boys to abandon their climbing.”
Walltopia has built over 300 Fun Walls projects, in 56 countries on 6 continents. Climbing on a Fun Wall helps to strengthen every part of the body, as well as improving balance, coordination and flexibility. Plus, it also helps with cognitive development, improving learning, focus, attention and problem-solving.
Finally, Fun Walls also help children build their confidence, work on leadership and teamwork skills, overcome fears and have positive social interactions.
Walltopia has also recently designed and introduced a new Equipment Lease Financing Program with special payment terms to support operators in their continued growth in 2021.
