5 Climbing Drills You and Your Kids Can Do Together to Improve Body Positioning Skills

Climbing together with your kids can be an awesome way to stay fit and have fun! So much of climbing progression comes from body positioning skills and technique. Taking the opportunity to grow your climbing technique as a family with these drills gives everyone a common goal to work towards and introduces an element of play. Movement is the perfect place to climb AND train with your kids in a fun and welcoming environment.

1. 3 Finger Drag or Sloth Grip

The 3 Finger Drag, or Sloth Grip as it's often called, is one of the essential types of grips you'll use on everything from small crimps to larger flat edges. To use it, focus on only using your middle three fingers in an open, extended position when grabbing holds. The index, middle, and ring fingers should be as extended as they can be while gripping a hold while your thumb and pinky stay off the hold.

To do this drill, find an easy, vertical or slightly overhung climb with lots of comfortable, larger jugs. Using only these 3 fingers, do the climb slowly and intentionally, like a sloth. Try to keep your arms as straight as you can as well.

Doing this drill is fun with kids and will train you to grab holds more efficiently and pull more confidently through your hands.

2. One Arm Wall Traverse

Find an easy climb on a slabby or vertical wall. Pick one hand to use for the climb and keep the other by your side. Focus on your balance and body position so that as your hand leaves the wall to grab the next hold, you’re able to hold a stable position for a second or two.

As an easier modification for your kids, have them use two hands to move in between holds. Take one hand off and hang it down by their side to rest once they’re on a hold in a stable position.

This drill helps train the precision of your climbing hand and also teaches one to rest their other arm. Resting is a skill all climbers need! Image (1)-1

3. One Leg Climbs

Pick an easy route on a vertical or slightly overhung wall and do the climb while keeping one leg hanging off the wall. You can use your other leg to balance, or flag, but sticking it off the wall in the opposite direction as you climb.

To make this drill easier for your kids, let them use both feet when moving between holds, but hang one foot off while pausing on a hold.

This drill builds core stability and balance while also teaching you and your kids how to control your momentum and weight distribution without thinking about it!
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4. No Hands Slab Climb

To practice this drill, look for slab walls with large holds and lower difficulty climbs. Traverse climbs that move along the wall sideways at a low height work best, but you can try it on any climb with positive holds that you can stand on! Step onto the starting footholds and then focus on shifting weight through your hips as you step to each hold.

Feel your core and focus on your balance in each position. Consciously pulling your chest and hips into the wall while pulling your shoulder blades together helps maintain your balance.

This drill will help you on challenging slab and feel more confident in trusting small and sloping footholds. Image (3)-2

5. Toe Taps or Feet First

For this drill, pick an easy route with large hand holds that are relatively close together. Start like normal but before you grab the next hold with your hand you have to tap the hold with your foot by getting your leg up and high stretching up.

This drill is excellent for improving core strength, hip mobility, and foot precision. Image (4)-2

Get Strong with Your Kids

Movement's climbing, yoga, and fitness facilities across the country offer an exciting way for families to climb, move, and spend time together. Whether it's coming in to the gym with your kids on your own or signing up for our Adult Team Peak Performance or our After School Program's, we have something for everyone.

Find a movement gym near you and learn to improve body positioning skills as a family.