Maybe it is because we are descended from apes, but certainly it is noticeable that, from a very early age, children love to climb. Climbing up on top of things, holding on from railings, swinging and sliding all come very naturally to children, much to the consternation of the worried parents looking on of course.

Some parents have taken the decision to satisfy this primeval demand from their children and have purchased climbing frames for their children to explore and play on in the garden. If you are lucky enough to have a garden, particularly one with grass to improve safety should they fall, then the range of climbing frames available is quite astonishing, and there is certainly something to suit not only every taste, but also every pocket.

From the fairly affordable plastic climbing frames, through to the full scale wooden forts and castles, children will be extremely fond of any such equipment, and it is almost certain to feature as the main focus for most of the outdoor games they play. If the climbing frame has a range of features, this will be of great benefit. In particularly, look out for those which provide opportunities to climb, and get up higher than ground level, and also those that allow some kind of personal space to be explored or conquered. Often there is a small hideaway hold underneath the frame, which the child can use as a den or home that parents and adults will be excluded from!

Other features to look for include ropes for climbing or swinging, slides and hanging poles. The hanging poles or bars are a bit like a ladder positioned horizontally across the top of the frame and allow the child to monkey swing across a gap. This has always proved very popular with children for some reason, and is a safe way for them to explore and have fun.

Of course, as well as being fun, climbing frames are a tremendous way of helping children develop physically, with muscle building, balance and coordination skills all coming into play. Children are often very competitive, and will use the climbing frame to devise their own obstacle courses or challenges, and this will be another helpful aspect of such a toy.

Some of these climbing frames come either pre assembled, or are delivered and assembled by the company you are buying it from. However, there are also some self assembly climbing frames, and it is very important that you read all of the instructions very carefully before building it, and if necessary ask someone to help with its construction. Once built, it is then important to continually monitor and check the frame, especially to begin with, to see that bolts, nuts and screws are not coming loose. To begin with, with all the rattling jumping and stress caused by the children, joints will work loose, and clearly this could prove to be dangerous if they are not monitored regularly and carefully.