What does it mean to climb with your kids? What does it mean to your kids to be able to climb with you?

My son loves to climb trees. As an arborist, climbing is part of my job, I love that he enjoys this activity. I think he is proud of me for what I do. He is also proud of himself for knowing how to properly use his climbing gear and for being able to climb to the heights he does.

Do you use climbing to teach life lessons? How?

Through tree climbing, my son has learned a little about caring for trees. But more importantly, he is learning to conquer his fears, which is a very important part of growing up.

What tips would you share with other parents to get kids into the canopy?

If you know what you are doing, or can get the help of someone who does, recreational tree climbing is a great activity.

Thanks for the submission, Kerby!

"Climbing trees is nature therapy for my husband and this year, my three boys are getting in on the action. They love learning about the basics of climbing safely, trying new equipment and hanging out with dad."

Here is their three year old getting his tree climb on!

Meet 6-year-old Linkyn and his father John from Maine!

"Climbing with Link is fun and we always enjoy the views, but it also challenges us to be brave and encourages us to stay fit!

Link climbs in a Petzl Simba harness, his snowboarding helmet, and some work gloves in his size. He loves using the Simba to climb, but also to swing from limbs in the yard... like a tire swing without the tire. I've got tons of gear I love, and a lot of it is made by Notch. Right now I'm using the Sentinel Harness and it is perfectly comfortable and simple. It does everything I want it to... I can't wait to buy one in black someday!"

We asked John what tips he would share with other parents to get kids into the canopy, "At Linkyn's age, I do my best to make climbs short, simple and fun. I encourage him to eat the elephant one bite at a time and focus on making each move in the tree safely and deliberately. When possible, I climb a route parallel to him in the tree and make suggestions if he gets stuck.

So far, we've used climbing to remind Link that he CAN tackle difficult tasks because he's strong and brave. As our climbing journey continues I will do my best to teach life lessons... for now, at his age, it's just fun!

We climb trees in the yard, or in the woods on our property, or in the public parks in the city we live close to. We haven't been told we can't climb city trees yet, although Link gets tons of cheers and attention from people who see him. We take care not to damage the trees, leave a mess, or take unnecessary risks."

How often do Link and his dad climb? "This time of year is too cold for him, but normally we go out every couple weeks or so."

"Every time I climb I realize that I know nothing and I have so much to learn. My goal is to continue to improve my skills and learn safer, more efficient ways of working in trees. For Link, I think our plan is to slowly increase the size of trees we climb and difficulty of climbs, then to transfer all responsibility to him. By this I mean knot tying, setting lines and all other tasks associated with climbing safely."

Well done, Linkyn and dad John! You're off to a great start and make sure to continue sharing your progress and journey with us.

*Linkyn is 5 in these pictures.

📸 @vikingtreeme

"To be able to climb with my daughter has combined a few of my favourite things on this planet. Teaching her to be tough, and persevere, and push her personal comfort zone and limits is such a wonderful way for her to gain confidence and get the outside time we crave. For Harper, I think she loves to join dad in the trees to just 'hang out' and spend time together without the little distractions. We both need to be present and in the moment to be safe and we make sure to take it seriously, but at the same time, the smiles say we are having fun too. I want to empower her to be a confident person in anything she does and the challenge and rewards of tree climbing make anything a little less intimidating. She also loves the closeness to nature and the smells of the trees.

Harper climbs on a ZigZag with a Camp Turbo foot ascender. Her harness is by New Tribe and seems to be a comfortable and safe option for her. I happen to be a DMM junkie and might have a gear problem... I am a fan of ART, Teufelberger, DMM, I do really like the chicane and zig zag plus. Harper climbs on "hyperclimb cool" and my favorite line currently is likely Drenaline.

We have a lovely semi-mature D. Fir in the back yard - lucky us - that is amazing. We (I) also chase the competition climbing circuit and there is always a new tree to climb in the amazing City parks we visit as long as we do it safely and make sure to not harm the trees in any way!

My daughter seems to get the bug about every 2 - 3 weeks to get back out there. Sometimes it rains here for 3 months straight and we look for a break in the weather just to practice throw line."

We asked Aidon for some tips to share with other parents to get KIDS into the canopy, "Take it slow, get some good gear, show them how passionate you are about it."

How do you use climbing to teach life lessons? "Nothing in life that is worth wanting comes easy. It is hard work to get to the top but it is worth it every time. We talk about perseverance, and never giving up but also that we do need to be honest with ourselves when we need a break or are getting frustrated as we can learn from that as well. Practice makes us better and it makes sense that we are not great at something the first or even the tenth time we try it and that's ok. Be proud of your accomplishments and celebrate the small success, like setting a line for the first time on your own."

"The climbing community has been so great to support and foster events such as the TCC's and kids climbing corners. I think these events are where she realized how many people love this sport and share a love of trees and nature. The women she watched climb and rip it up in the canopy really showed her this is possible and that she wanted to join Dad in the trees. Thanks, everyone."

Thanks @pyner we can't wait to see Harper continue to be a skilled climber!

Summer's dad Jason owns a business in Tree services, "it gives me great pride to see my daughter learning the ropes so to speak. Summer finds it really fun bonding time and also loves learning new things about trees."

Summer uses the Tree motion EVO harness, Kask HP helmet, Gecko spikes, and Petzl Zigzag. Her favorite piece of gear are the spikes because of the ease of climbing and being able to reach and climb higher.

Climbing allows Jason to teach life lessons: "Never take silly chances. Always make sure your equipment is ready and inspected, cleaned and looked after. These qualities will roll over into all my child's general decisions and housekeeping. I will make statements like, keep your room clean like your climbing gear. Look after things like your climbing gear. Don't make silly decisions, think about your actions like when you climb."

"We have a large property with trees over 30m, all gum trees. This is our training arena. We are climbing every weekend when the weather permits."

Summer wants to join the world of arboriculture and work for her family's company at some point.

We asked Jason what other tips he'd share with parents to get kids into the canopy, "Take them to see occupational climbers if the situation is safe. To watch a climber is one thing, but for a child to see an occupational climber remove heavy limbs is not only interesting but shows how the equipment can be used to its fullest and highlights the dangers of climbing."

"It's very refreshing to see how quickly she picks up knots and tree varieties."