Active discussions

Help end medical misogyny. Sign our petition.

Help end medical misogyny.
Sign our petition.

Sign the petition

Please or to access all these features

Talk
Chat

Join the discussion and chat with other Mumsnetters about everyday life, relationships and parenting.

Original poster

Would you worry if your child couldn't do the monkey bars?

60 replies

LimitedBrightSpots · 27/04/2025 21:31

Would you worry about your 7yo's fitness levels if they couldn't do the monkey bars in a playground? How would you go about building up their fitness to be able to do them? Child wants to.

OP posts:
Elfie23 · 27/04/2025 22:09

LimitedBrightSpots · 27/04/2025 22:03

DC wants to be able to do them. And I was musing over whether being able to do the monkey bars is a sign of a good level of fitness in a child.

Show quote history

My DD can do the monkey bars and swim lengths and lengths of a swimming pool.
Ask her to do a lap of the running track at school and she’ll be one of the last to finish every time.

I don’t think one activity necessarily shows someone’s fitness.

JuvenileBigfoot · 27/04/2025 22:11

I could never do them as a child.

I can now. Because my feet touch the floor 😜

I also couldn’t climb the rope in PE.

I’m a fine, relatively fit, fully functioning adult now.

MereNoelle · 27/04/2025 22:16

Neither of mine are particularly strong or fit but both can do the monkey bars.

Interested in this thread?

Then you might like threads about these subjects:

7 year olds Exercise & fitness Fitness
PhilosophicalCheeseSandwich · 27/04/2025 22:17

LimitedBrightSpots · 27/04/2025 22:03

DC wants to be able to do them. And I was musing over whether being able to do the monkey bars is a sign of a good level of fitness in a child.

Show quote history

I could do monkey bars as a child, but I wasn't anything like sporty or athletic (but wouldn't have been described as unfit). I was very slim, I think that's the reason I could do it - there wasn't much of me to hold up.

ToKittyornottoKitty · 27/04/2025 22:17

They need to practice. If it’s a particular issue I’d try taking them climbing (bouldering ideally) as it’s great for building upper body strength

scotstars · 27/04/2025 22:18

I wouldn't worry about it but help him build upper body strength. My son does them easily but he has a tiny frame and is light plus he's climbed and swung from everything since he was a toddler

Whatsgoingonherethenagain · 27/04/2025 22:19

What do you mean by “do the monkey bars”?

Do you mean swing across so hanging then one then another hand?

that’s all about strength to weight ratio. It’s not even about fitness level, it’s about whether they are strong enough to support their own body weight. Pre puberty it should be relatively easy.

i would be a little concerned if my young child couldn’t do them, and would probably take them to play a bit more or sign them up to gymnastics or climbing.

but then I always found them super easy. I used to be able to pull right up, roll around them and all sorts.

liveforsummer · 27/04/2025 22:21

They take a lot of perseverance so lots of kids can’t do them - only those motivated and plenty kids don’t care enough!

Pineapplesunshine · 27/04/2025 22:28

I would love to be able to do them, but never have been able to despite being pretty lean when I was younger - I’ve never had upper body strength. And, obviously didnt care enough to train for them. Both my kids can do them and could from early years at primary - they’re at secondary now and can still do them. It was a big thing at their primary to be able to do them and a lot of kids could - regardless of how fit they otherwise were. As someone else said, it is a particular skill / strength and a matter of practise rather than general fitness. DH would help our two practise in the playground before school when he took them in - holding them as they hung on and gradually taking less of their weight until they could hold themselves and then for longer and longer and eventually they were able to do them themselves. It’s stood them in good stead as it’s helped them with other sporting things like gymnastics and climbing to have the upper body strength.

Conniebygaslight · 27/04/2025 22:31

Build some in your garden using wooden ladders and fence posts. We did this years ago for our DC, they loved them

Flytrap01 · 27/04/2025 22:32

LimitedBrightSpots · 27/04/2025 21:31

Would you worry about your 7yo's fitness levels if they couldn't do the monkey bars in a playground? How would you go about building up their fitness to be able to do them? Child wants to.

if he wants to, then try, try and try again, as each practice would build muscle strength and experience

DuchessDandelion · 27/04/2025 22:33

I could never manage the monkey bars. Turned out ok!

fashionqueen0123 · 27/04/2025 22:34

Just keep practising. My eldest could do them at 6. My youngest is now that age and can almost do them. They both do gymnastics which might help. I could do them as a kid and was also very slim.

ShiftySquirrel · 27/04/2025 22:42

I don't think it's indicative of fitness levels, but your DC could probably practice and build up to it.

Eldest DD1 was a slip of a thing and could do a whole row with ease from small. Her younger sister was always much stronger of the two. She practiced a little and mastered it. They can both still do it, both teens now. It must be a lot of technique, because I wouldn't say my two are particularly sporty.

Anon501178 · 27/04/2025 22:45

My DD only learnt this last summer when she was 7 too....I guided her gradually it was a step by step thing....to start with she could only do one or two then built up to the rest.It was nice to support her in the achievement as it was one of her most proudest moments and she was so pleased she had accomplished it.A year later she is a pro, as she has got taller and stronger now.

GarlicSmile · 27/04/2025 22:57

JackieDaytonaLuckyBrews · 27/04/2025 21:48

The monkey bars are a technique thing as well as strength. I could do them over and over as a child (had the blisters to show for it) and could do double and triple bar length swings. Tried to do them not long ago as a fit adult (gym and weightlifting) and was absolutely bloody useless 😑 😂 so no, I wouldn't be concerned.

I was a very average kid, neither slim nor fat, quite heavyset, slow and very unsporty. I was quite good at monkey bars, ropes and bar/trapeze gymnastics. I expect it's because my family was into climbing of various descriptions, so it would've seemed obvious to me as a child that this was a skillset I needed to master.

It's nice that DS wants to learn 🙂 Plenty of sensible advice here - it's easy enough to help him practice!

TaggieO · 27/04/2025 23:00

Loads of kids can’t do them! I never could, but my brother could. One of us has gone on to run 3 marathons, and it’s not him, so I don’t think it’s necessarily an indication of lifelong fitness!

QuickPeachPoet · 27/04/2025 23:24

I couldn't either as a child but could run and swim for miles.

GrandmasCat · 27/04/2025 23:27

I wouldn’t, I never could, even when I was great at climbing trees. It is not a life skill.

My son on the other hand, was always amazing at them, but I can assure you that the vast majority of children who tried to follow him at the park (he made it look dead easy), couldn’t manage at all.

Newnameforaday88 · 27/04/2025 23:32

Well I’m in my 50’s now and have never been able to do the monkey bars… it doesn’t seem to have held me back.

My ds went through a phase of really wanting to, they just need to practice a lot until the build upper body strength, there’s no real magic to it.

SociableAtWork · 27/04/2025 23:33

I was useless at pretty much all sport, but could do the monkey bars. Very small and skinny as a child, so not much weight to pull up/hold up. Would love to be able to do them now, and shimmy up the climbing rope like I used to.

PP’s suggestion of a pull up bar is great. Getting the practice in at home will help. Hope he achieves his goal, bless him.

savuni27 · 27/04/2025 23:35

I’ve never been able to do them. None of my kids have ever been able to do them - all very fit and sporty.

Answeringaquestiontonight · 27/04/2025 23:44

I am not sporty and could do them as a child. But only thanks to the caravan club who had them in their playgrounds which gave me a lot of chances to practice whilst we were on holiday. I think lots of practice is the key. But I am not sure it is an essential skill.

slamdunk66 · 27/04/2025 23:46

No. Most kids can’t. Can you? I’ve never in my life been able to do more than 2 and I’m just fine.