For when the kids have bounds of seemingly endless energy, or you’re looking for a unique rainy-day activity, Surrey is ripe with kid-friendly activities. From arts and crafts to indoor gyms, there’s an activity suited for whatever interests your young ones may have. But who says kids get to have all the fun? The perfect family activity for when the kids are (literally) climbing the walls is, well, climbing!
Surrey houses three indoor climbing gyms that can accommodate any range of experience.
But why exactly should climbing become your new go-to workout? Climbing is an effective cardio and strength workout, making it perfect for busy bees and those looking to maximize their time spent exercising. Work your core, balance, upper body strength, and legs while scaling different courses on the wall. Climbing also has benefits beyond gaining physical strength. Climbing teaches problem-solving and route planning in a fun and hands-on fashion, and has even been known to have stress-reducing qualities. So essentially, we’re talking about a total body workout.
For youngsters, climbing is a helpful activity for developing communication and listening skills and helps boost self-confidence and self-esteem all tied in with the physical benefits.
Located in Surrey’s Newton neighbourhood, Coastal Climbing Centre has been serving the community since 1993. A true climber’s paradise, Coastal Climbing Centre welcomes veteran climbers and those looking to pick the sport up. Coastal Climbing Centre boasts youth programs for kids ages 5 and up. Their Little Lions program helps climbers aged 5 to 9 years old build strength and confidence in order to tackle the climbing wall. Their kids’ programs are designed to nourish climbers of all abilities and experience levels. Don’t worry, they haven’t forgotten about adults. Courses and individual lessons are available for new and seasoned climbers alike. With birthday party options and special events, there’s always something happening at Coastal Climbing Centre.
Project Climbing in Cloverdale is an 8,000 square feet bouldering facility equipped with an auto-belay wall making it your go-to destination for first-timers and kids. Project Climbing offers youth programs for kids ages 9 and up. High school programs are also available for all skill levels to help develop fine motor skills, teamwork, and strength!
Popular climbing gym, The Hive, is the newest climbing facility in Surrey. Like Project Climbing, The Hive is a bouldering gym, which means that it’s a perfect location for learning the ropes … and yes we know there are no ropes in bouldering! Everyone is encouraged to take their ‘Introduction to Bouldering’ class which covers the basics, tips and tricks and naturally, how to fall! Problems (routes) are colour-coded to make it easy to figure out the difficulty of your climb and where to move next.