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Toddlers have an abundance of energy, so much so that parents have a hard time keeping up. You need to have a strategy for your child to safely burn off that energy, especially on rainy days when they’re stuck indoors. That’s why it’s wise to have a designated play area in your home, and getting a soft climber is one of the easiest ways to create a safe, active play space.
Soft climbers are made up of large cushions that resemble colorful, oversized building blocks. Most models have hook-and-loop fasteners on the bottom so you can configure the individual pieces into an imaginative terrain of soft stairs, ramps, and tunnels for your child to explore.
Soft climbers aren’t complicated, but there are a few things to know as you shop, including the number of pieces included, how to set them up to keep your child safe, and any included extras you might want.
Editors’ Favorite
Number of Pieces: 5 | Materials: PU leather and foam | Shapes: 1 platform, 1 wedge, 1 half-moon, 1 rectangle and 1 cylinder| Greenguard Gold Certified: Yes
The ECR4Kids SoftZone Climb and Crawl Playset can provide hours of fun crawling and climbing adventures for your little ones, while also helping them develop hand-eye coordination, agility and other motor skills. It contains five large foam blocks covered in soft vegan faux leather, so it is entirely latex-free and even Greenguard Gold Certified for low emissions of Volatile Organic Compounds (VOCs) and other toxic chemicals.
The set’s pieces are easy to connect with secure fasteners, and they all feature nonslip bases, ensuring that they won’t move around while infants and toddlers play on them. The foam construction also means that they don’t make loud noises that might upset children. The blocks are lightweight, too, so you can easily move them around or store them out of the way when not in use.
In addition to providing a safe surface for children to crawl and climb, this playset can also serve as a track for toy cars and trucks. It’s large enough for multiple kids to play on at once, too, making it a perfect choice for playdates.
Great Value
Number of Pieces: 4 | Materials: Foam and PU leather | Shapes:1 stairs, 1 slide, 1 half moon and 1 square | Greenguard Gold Certified: No
The TODIBY 4-Piece Soft PU Leather Toddlers Climbing Toys may be affordable, but the set still provides all the features parents could want. The sturdy, durable blocks are made of premium foam and soft PU leather, so they are completely nontoxic and safe for toddlers to climb on.
You don’t have to worry about juice spills or cookie crumbs that your children leave in their wake, either — the blocks’ surface wipes clean easily with a damp cloth after play. Because they’re made of lightweight foam, they’re also easy to stack for storage.
The set includes a set of stairs, a slide, a half moon and a square, all in fun, bright colors that will instantly capture little ones’ attention. The pieces can be arranged in various configurations that provide ample opportunities for climbing and crawling play, helping children develop motor skills and coordination.
Best keyword
Number of Pieces: 4 | Materials: Foam and PU leather | Shapes: 1 stairs, 1 wedge, 1 cube and 1 platform | Greenguard Gold Certified: Yes
With the SoftScape Toddler Playtime Corner Climber, infants and toddlers can safely climb, crawl and slide, while building motor skills, hand-eye coordination and social skills. It’s made of high-quality foam and PU faux leather, which are both certified for low emissions indoors. The faux leather also wipes clean with mild soap and water, making it easy to tidy up any sticky messes or crumbs left by your children.
The set is designed for children aged 10 months to 2 years and includes a set of stairs, a wedge, a cube and a platform that can be arranged in various ways. The pieces feature hook-and-loop fasteners that ensure they stay in place without shifting as children climb on them. Their nonslip bottoms also help maintain stability.
It’s an ideal option even for smaller homes because the blocks are meant to be set up in a corner. Not only does it keep the set out of the way in any room, but it also helps little ones stay safe because they can steady themselves against the wall.
For adults, the CDC recommends finding the time for a minimum of 150 minutes of moderate physical activity each week. For preschool-age kids, the CDC recommends they stay active throughout the day (unless napping). Kids don’t just seem to be more active than adults, they are more active than adults, and it’s hard for parents to keep up.
To help your children stay healthy, you want to find ways to keep them moving that don’t exhaust you, and a soft climber is an ideal solution. You can sit down and supervise while your child crawls and climbs. The play experience offered by a soft climber can improve your child’s overall health along with providing emotional and educational benefits as well.
Area: The first thing to think about when considering a soft climber is your available space. While some models are relatively compact, only taking up a space measuring 4 feet by 16 inches, others require as much space as two side-by-side pool tables.
Safety: Besides the size of the climber, you need to allow for a buffer zone around it. Remove all hard or sharp objects from the play area surrounding your toddler’s soft climber. There should be no furniture close enough to the climber that toddlers could hit it should they fall. Additionally, if you don't have carpeting or other soft flooring, you might consider covering the floor with foam tile to help reduce the chance of injuries if your child stumbles.
Quantity: While it’s possible to purchase a soft climber that’s just one piece, the vast majority have two or more pieces that fit together like building blocks. The more pieces your set includes, the more variety you’ll have and the more space you’ll need for the climber.
Variety: The most common pieces found in these climbers are steps and a ramp. When placed together, they resemble a slide, though the ramp isn't steep enough for sliding. There are many other types of pieces in soft climbers, including squares, triangles, half-cylinders, tunnels, and ripples. A flat climbing surface is the most practical, but you can get nearly any shape your child might like.
Fasteners: Be careful with soft climbers that use hook-and-loop fasteners because they can be abrasive on a toddler’s tender skin. The best models have the fasteners on the bottom of the pieces so your child is far less likely to get hurt.
Colors: Since a child's eyes aren’t fully developed until after their fifth birthday, they tend to prefer bright colors and dark and light contrasting colors. Because of this, it’s best to look for a soft climber that pleases your child’s sense of aesthetics rather than yours. Also, some models come in creative shapes, such as a ladybug or turtle. If your child gets excited by the picture, chances are they’ll be thrilled by the real thing.
Playpen: It’s also possible to purchase a soft climber that resembles a playpen, giving your child a well-defined play area. However, it’s important that you never leave a toddler alone in this type of soft climber because it won’t contain them. A child can easily climb out.
Extras: Some soft climbers have educational aspects in their design, such as letters, numbers, or animals. Also, it's possible to find models that have activities to occupy babies who aren’t yet old enough to climb.
For under $100, you can purchase a soft climber for your toddler that includes one or two pieces, such as stairs and a ramp. There isn’t a great deal of variety with these climbers, but that’s not necessarily a bad thing if space is limited in your home.
For use in the average home, you can expect to spend between $100 and $350. In this range, there’s a wide variety of climbers between small two-piece models and large climbers that are suitable for a daycare center.
If you need a soft climber for a daycare center or have a lot of space in your home, high-end models start at around $400 and can cost as much as $1,000 or more. These larger sets include a wide variety of shapes that can be configured in a number of ways to offer toddlers new challenges.
A soft climber isn't just fun for your toddler; it's beneficial in a number of ways.
A. To “toddle” means to take short, unsteady steps while learning to walk. A child can be considered a toddler from the moment they take their first steps until they have (somewhat) mastered the ability to walk. This period of growth and development typically occurs from 12 to 36 months.
A. Once children can walk, they want to explore their independence. This time also coincides with huge emotional changes as well as an increase in learning and thinking. The “terrible twos” is simply a child’s struggle to grow as they’re caught between wanting to feel safe and having the urge to strike out on their own. This can lead to frustration that the child doesn’t know how to express, so they turn to inappropriate behavior and tantrums. Having a soft climber can help a child safely explore their independence.
A. Whenever your child learns a significant new skill, it’s called a developmental milestone. These skills can involve anything from crawling to standing to taking that first step.
A. A soft climber provides your child with a challenging yet safe environment where they can be physically active. Depending on the type of climber you purchase, it can help your toddler learn a variety of important skills while they strengthen the muscles needed to reach those important milestones.
There are many soft climbers designed to help toddlers develop motor skills, hand-eye coordination and other important skills while playing, so sorting through the options isn’t easy. To identify the best soft climbers for toddlers, we analyzed customer reviews from multiple online retailers to determine which models best met user expectations and needs. In particular, we considered the quality of the materials used, the number and types of pieces included, the fasteners and other safety features, the color scheme and the overall size of the set. Ultimately, we evaluated over a dozen soft climbers for toddlers and chose our top picks based on the sets’ safety, durability, versatility and design appeal.
