A New Skill for Nora

Nora has been able to scale this climbing apparatus for quite a while now. She would start at the bottom, climb to the top, and step off onto the platform of the play structure to which it's attached. Fun, and satisfying. However, she's been able to do that for a while. It seems she was looking for the Next Big Challenge: climbing down from the middle of the apparatus.

The first time she did it, she got stuck part-way, and suffered a momentary surge of panic. We talked her through it, step by step, and a few minutes later, she decided (without informing me, totally on her own) to try it on her own.

First, you sit on one of the bars, and bring your hands to the rung in front of you.

Then, you carefully bend forward and, gripping the bar with both hands, lower your torso to the bar and carrrrrefully slide your bottom off the rung.

And then, the really tricky part, you let your body slide down between the rungs, being REALLY CAREFUL not to whack your chin as you descend.

Ta-dah!!! Four descents, not one chin-whack. Pretty good for the first time!