As we jumped into our basement remodel in the middle of a Chicago winter, we knew adding a kids climbing wall playroom was a MUST. 6 kids ages 9 and under need to get their energy out, but it’s not always the easiest to get everyone outside during those chilly months- lots of layers, toddler meltdowns, baby nap schedules, frigid weather, etc.
And to make things even more nutty, our 6th baby was due in January, in the midst of all this remodel chaos. We actually had the kids climbing wall playroom built THE DAY AFTER I came home from the hospital, newborn in tow.
We had to wait until the basement had insulation, the walls were painted, and the carpet was installed, so as house projects usually go, things got delayed, hence, wacky timing.
But the wait was so worth it because the indoor kids gym turned out better than expected and the kids of course LOVED their brand new climbing wall playroom!
Keep reading for the details of our climbing wall design…
*Disclosure: This post may contain affiliate links. All opinions and recommendations are my own.
Why You’ll Love An Indoor Climbing Wall For Kids
First and foremost, if you’re here because you’re debating installing an indoor climbing wall for kids- DO IT! Consider the benefits for both kids and parents. Kids are naturally active and need to burn off energy, and a climbing wall kids room is the perfect place to have a designated “zone”.
It doesn’t even need to be a full room of it’s own, but a climbing wall in the bedroom could even do the trick if there’s a little extra space!
Not only does a climbing wall for kids help to burn off energy, but studies have shown that climbing is great for mental health as well! From boosting confidence and problem solving skills, to creating feelings of self-efficacy, the benefits of climbing are vast.
And of course, an indoor climbing gym for kids promotes physical activity and healthy habits- a win-win! What a great way to start the day- climb a bit before school, climb before bed, and have fun keeping active.
Lastly, it keeps the kids entertained! You don’t understand the term “stir-crazy” until a Chicago winter hits you in the face and you’re trapped inside with a gaggle of toddlers. And when kids are entertained on their own, parents are happy.
Our Climbing Wall Design
Paint Colors and lighting
Okay, now the fun part- the climbing wall design!
First, we had a light sand-colored, padded carpet installed. The safer the better! Plus, I really love how the light color just makes the room feel bigger. (And if you only knew how awful the original cold, hard, discolored, questionable flooring here was before!)
Okay now I had to dig up an old photo of the basement when we bought the house, just to show you how crazy fresh paint and nice carpet can really spruce up a basement remodel! Here’s a before (opposite side of the basement) and after:
Since we decided to add this indoor climbing wall playroom to the basement remodel, I wanted everything to blend and work together to create a cohesive space.
We spruced up the basement remodel with picture frame molding (do I love it? YES.), and painted the walls Benjamin Moore Greyhound (previously known as Benjamin Moore Piedmont Gray). The ceiling was painted Benjamin Moore Simply White (a lovely warm white paint color), while the ceiling beams were painted Benjamin Moore Cedar Key (a beautiful light neutral/taupe paint color).
I love how each of these paint colors really help lighten up the space. This basement currently gets VERY little natural light, almost nonexistent, so I wanted it to feel like a breath of fresh air. (Next project: to remove the wooden panel window well covers and replace them with ones that let in some natural light!).
BM Greyhound gave a bit of color to help the space feel playful, while BM Cedar Key and BM Simply White helped achieve the neutral and calming feel I envisioned for a kids space.
I’m really happy with how these paint colors turned out! And giving that bit of color to the climbing wall will help keep marks less noticeable from kid wear and tear over time.
(Note: we only let our kids climb while barefoot or wearing socks, so avoiding shoes will keep the climbing wall in great shape!)
These white metal dome pendant lights seal the deal! (Similar styles HERE, HERE, HERE, and HERE). They give some much needed light, while the metal covering is solid enough to take a hit by a ball or whatever else might get tossed up high in a kids basement.
For the installation, we used a local company that specializes in creating indoor “ninja gyms” for kids, and they were more than willing to go along with my design details.
(They did a great job with helping me plan out the design- especially when it came to spacing, and reassuring the safest points for installation!)
After they installed the plywood (the main backing for the kids climbing wall), they used a special durable paint, in my color of choice, BM Greyhound, to match the surrounding walls.
And I LOVE how well the climbing wall blends into the surrounding walls!
The company special orders their indoor climbing wall holds (the “rocks”), and I had them get the neutral color as close to BM Cedar Key as possible- they did a great job!
The monkey bars between the beams were also painted BM Cedar Key, and the sides of the ladder near the window were painted BM Greyhound as well- lookin’ good!
Kids Indoor Gym Design
- Climbing Wall
First, let me start off by saying that we do NOT have a large basement and the ceilings aren’t the highest. Since our oldest was 9 years old at the time of our basement remodel, we still wanted him and his buddies to be able to use the climbing wall just as much as our younger kids.
Although we didn’t have a ton of height to work with, we wanted to extend the climbing wall length-wise as much as we could, and incorporate other climbing structures that they could hold onto (monkey bars, ladders, nets, etc.).
And in all honesty, I am A-OKAY with a lower kids climbing wall given I’m a safety nut and have little ones who do not wear the safety-nut-hat like mom does. Seriously- was anyone else super cautious as a child and then ended up with fearless kids who laugh in the face of danger?! And wonder where on earth they get this from?! I blame dad. Former Army Ranger dad. Definitely dad.
Anyhow, the playroom climbing wall was a top priority, so we decided to have it in the most ideal spot of the basement and worked around it to incorporate everything else.
The kids climbing holds come in different shapes and are perfectly comfortable to climb barefoot! (I’ll link some similar ones below).
- Monkey Bars
The kids of course gave their 2 cents on what they wanted in their indoor climbing wall gym, and monkey bars were a fan favorite. The monkey bars were made from galvanized steel, spray painted with BM Cedar Key (I love how seamless this is against the beams!), and then attached to the wood beams.
Again, safety-wise, I was happy to have them lower, attached to the beams, vs. higher up on the highest point of the basement ceiling.
The monkey bars can be reached from the top of the climbing wall, offering an expansion of a “one-to-the-next” climbing structure.
- Wood Rings
Adding the monkey bars added a great height and structure to install some wooden rings. These rings are GREAT! The wood is so smooth, and the light wood color looks so pretty. (Find the exact rings HERE).
- Climbing Ladder
You almost don’t even notice the climbing ladder since it blends in so well! We chose to have a climbing ladder right by the basement window. From this point, the kids can also access the climbing wall as well as the monkey bars.
- Wooden Swedish Wall Ladder
I love these natural wood wall ladders, and this was the perfect height for allowing access to the rock climbing wall as well as our kids favorite…
- Cargo Net
The cargo net! It’s strong enough to hold 4 kids at a time and my kids LOVE this thing. This playroom cargo net gets SO much use- as a hideaway, a reading nook, a fort, a “plane”, a “submarine”, you name it.
It can also be unclipped from the ceiling wherever you want an opening, or it can stay closed so the only exit is back down the wall ladder. When it’s open on the end, my kids and their friends love running and jumping into it as they climb up the “mesh”.
In my initial design, I really wanted a natural-colored rope cargo net, but the installer explained that the natural rope nets have much wider openings, and kids constantly have their limbs falling through, so they aren’t the best as cargo nets where you have multiple children playing in it. The cargo net he ordered only comes in black, but now that everything is put together I actually don’t mind the black as much as I thought I would.
- Padding
When creating an indoor climbing wall playroom, you definitely need padding! While we do have tumble mats, we added padding under our carpet during the basement remodel process- and I’m so glad we did!
Indoor Kids Gym Essentials
If you’re considering creating an indoor kids gym, even if you don’t have room to install all of the climbing structures mentioned, they sell some great kids gym sets that would be great for smaller spaces or younger children.
But if you do have the space, adding an indoor climbing wall for kids will be well worth the investment. And if you’re handy- you could definitely do a DIY climbing wall- it’s not all that complicated! (Says the person who didn’t build it 😉 )
Wooden Rings (These are the exact ones we used)
Neutral Wood Grip Climbing Holds
Neutral Holds and Various Ninja Course Items
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What type of brackets did you use for the ceiling on the cargo net?
Hi, I’d love to talk to you or just hear about the cargo net. I would like to do a similar feature in our playroom. I would like to know how it is connected – Eye bolts directly into rafters? Plywood on ceiling? I would also like to know how it has held up. Thank you so much!
Hi Todd! (Sorry I never saw this notification!) we had someone professionally install the cargo net but this is their answer when I reached out: “Hi Steph, we use 3 inch GRK screws to mount D rings directly into the joists. I wouldn’t recommend anybody doing that on their own unless they know what they’re doing. If you don’t hit the joist dead center, it can crack. The joist and the d ring could come out.” Hope that helps!
Hi Jocelyn! (Sorry I never saw this notification!) we had someone professionally install the cargo net but this is their answer when I reached out: “Hi Steph, we use 3 inch GRK screws to mount D rings directly into the joists. I wouldn’t recommend anybody doing that on their own unless they know what they’re doing. If you don’t hit the joist dead center, it can crack. The joist and the d ring could come out.” Hope that helps!