I am one of those people who sees a project and goes full force — a go big or go home type of person. A couple of years ago we turned a breezeway from the garage to the house into a playroom. Throughout the remodel I knew I wanted to make our playroom into one of those fun Pinterest playrooms. I had numerous projects and was on a mission to accomplish them! The DIY Rock Climbing Wall is one of my favorite features. But the best thing is, it’s one of those projects that looks complicated, but is actually SUPER easy to do!
The beauty of this wall is that you really only need 3 things (affiliate links): a board, a drill, and some rock climbing holds.
A key thing you need to do before you start putting together your rock climbing wall is to assess the area you will be installing it. The holes from the bolts to attach the board to the wall will be pretty big, so it is best to put it in an area that will be fairly permanent. If you are thinking you might want to take it down in the future, you can always put it on a wall that is a bit more hidden. I put mine in our playroom kind of behind a door. We also have a large castle in our playroom, so the two big pieces help to balance the room.
Make sure the wall you are choosing will be sturdy enough to hold the board. It needs to have sheeting, drywall, and studs. Do not put it on a hollow wall (like where a sliding door would be). I measured my area and then headed to our local Home Depot.
One thing you might not know is that the sweet workers in the wood department of Home Depot will happily cut you almost any size board you want. I found a board that was about $30 dollars and was already sanded down. Make sure you have a smooth surface. Plywood or inexpensive wood is not a good idea because you risk a kid getting a splinter. You want your board to be about a 3/4th to 1 inch thick.
I ordered my rock climbing holds from amazon. There are many different colors and shapes, but I wanted mine to look as realistic as possible. The holds generally come with the bolts to attach them to the wall. After I got my board home, I placed my rock holds onto the board.
When screwing in the holds, make sure they are in a pattern that is actually climbable.
Tip: If your kids are little, you want to place the holds close to each other to make sure they can easily reach them.
Also make sure the hand holds are facing the correct direction, so you can cup your hand on the grip while you climb. Once you have your holds in the right places simply screw them in using a power drill.
After I attached all the holds I was ready to attach the board to the wall. We got super heavy duty screws. Make sure the screws you buy are long enough to go through your board and deep enough into the wall for the board to hold. Again, we used our power drill to attach the board to the wall. Two people held it in place so it was even, and then my husband screwed it in.
The most important part of a DIY rock climbing wall is to have fun! We do have a rule in our house that the kids need to ask mom or dad before they climb.
Also, we normally have a beanbag or something squishy down below just in case it’s needed. I chose to make my wall relatively easy to climb because my kids are little, so we have never had any issues or falls! It is such a fun thing, and the kids that come over to visit love to climb it, too!
DIY Rock Climbing Wall For Your Kid’s Playroom DIY Pool Noodle Drink Carrier DIY Custom Beach Towel Frozen Coffee Popsicles Backyard Olympic Party Games Frozen Tropical Fruit Punch How To Host An Amazing Olympic Party Crispy Ramen Tossed Salad Giant Grocery Bag Stars Paper Straw Stars