Tree Climbing at Waldorf

I was pretty surprised when my daughter fell out of a tree this summer at a Waldorf summer program. It made me ask myself, "How safe is free tree climbing?" It turns out that without the proper training, supervision and equipment, unsafe tree-climbing is a very dangerous activity.

It's critical for your Waldorf school to have a Safe Tree Climbing Policy. Make sure you compare their policy to the guidelines on this page.

Tree climbing can be a wonderful experience for a child, providing it is done in a safe and supervised manner. While most public schools and recreational programs prohibit or limit tree climbing for children, many Waldorf schools allow and even encourage free tree-climbing. While tree climbing can boost children's self-esteem and appreciation of their relationship to nature, free tree climbing can also be injurious and even fatal. It is every parent's responsibility to balance a child's freedom and safety whenever they climb a tree. With the proper training, supervision, and equipment, your child can soar to the heighest heights imaginable!

The Dangers of Unsafe Tree Climbing

According to the National Center for Policy Analysis, "unintentional injury is the top killer of children under 14, ahead of cancer and birth defects."

• In the United States, more than 5,600 children die annually from unintentional injuries. (NCPA)
• Each year in the U.S., 140 children die, and 3 million more are injured in falls. (American Academy of Pediatrics)
• Falls are the second leading cause of death from unintentional injury in the U.S. (American Academy of Pediatrics)
• Being a timber cutter is the most dangerous job there is. (Bureau of Labor Statistics)
• Tree climbing is so unsafe, lumberjacks can't buy life insurance. (Sierra Club)
• 36% of all hunting accidents in Georgia are caused by falling out of trees. (Sierra Club)
• A village in Zimbabwe is experiencing an epidemic of . (Zimbabwe Daily News)
• Children of ukrainian farmers often died falling out of trees.
• The majority of hunters are not injured by buckshot, but from falling out of trees. (Panama City News Herald)
• Playground equipment over 8 feet [has] close to three times the injury rate of equipment under that height. (National Program for Playground Safety)

Professional tree climbing organizations such as Tree Climbers International do not recommend free climbing because it is so dangerous. They believe that encouraging a child to free-climb is life-threatening.

Dangers of Falling from Heights

The primary risk of tree climbing is associate with the danger of falling from heights. But how high is too high? Here are a few articles to help you understand the dangers of heights. Injuries from a fall are based on 2 factors:

1. The height of the fall. To learn more read The higher they are, the harder they will fall, from the National Program for Playground Safety.
2. The fall surfacing. Check out these Fall Surfacing Guidelines.

Safe Tree Climbing Guidelines

Under proper conditions, tree climbing is a fun, safe way for children to explore their own potential and the natural wonder of trees.

Here are guidelines from Tree Climbers International for creating a safe tree climbing environment at Waldorf:

• Only climb trees that have been certified by an arborist as safe for climbing.
• The safest way to climb trees is with a helmet and harness.
• Make sure all climbers, as well as those under and near the trees know all the rules for climbing trees.
• Make sure that everyone in, under, and near climbing tress know the rules of tree climbing!
  • Read these Climbing Rules from Tree Climbers International.
  • Read these Rules of Tree Climbing.
  • Read this article on Safe Tree Climbing.
• Every climber should wear a helmet at all times.
  • Helmets protect the climber in the unlikely event of a fall, and from falling objects, such as dead branches.
  • Helmets should also be worn by all people under and near the climbing tree. Helmets protect people on the ground against falling branches that may be broken or dislodged during the climb, as well as dropped objects, such as shoes, water bottles, or other climbers. Falling objects can land in unpredictable places as they bounce off other branches on the way down.
  • Buy a good rock-climbing helmet for kids.
  • Bicycle helmets are not good choices for tree climbing, because they are not designed to protect your head from falling objects.
  • Always use a chin strap.
  • All professional tree climbing schools require helmets for safety and liability.
• Climbs over 12 feet should utilize a rope, pully and safe-belay (see the article How to choose a belay device.) Mountain climbing ropes are not appropriate for tree climbing.
• Don't shake the limbs. They can break under stress. Also, shaking the limbs can intimidate other climbers.
• Educate children about the three-point stance
• Take your time.

Create your own rules for safe tree-climbing, and you'll enrich the child's experience as you make tree-climbing a safe activity.

Recommendations For Schools

If your Waldorf school allows free tree-climbing, you are opening yourself up to enormous liability risks. Not only are you endangering the physical health and safety of your students, you are aso endangering the financial well-being of your Waldorf school.

Here are some recommendations for protecting your students, faculty, and extended Waldorf community from unsafe tree climbing.

• Start your own tree climbing programs. Contact a professional tree climbing organization listed here for advice and guidance. Consult your school lawyer to discuss liability issues.
• Have all tree climbers (as well as those under climbing trees ) sign waivers
  (This is opinion, not legal advice. Please discuss the pros and cons of this with your school lawyer).
• Have a certified arborist inspect and prune trees for safety.
• Only allow climbing in trees that have been certified by an arborist
• Teach climbers about tree-climbing technology: ropes, knots, etc. This should help to expand their experience.
• Consider guided festival climbs as an alternative to regular climbing.

Additional Tree Climbing Recources

New Tribe has all kinds of tree-climbing gear.

Dancing With Trees can help you with your tree-climbing policy and guided tree climbs.

"Lofty Aspirations" is a wonderful article on tree climbing from Smithsonian Magazine.

The U.S. Forest service has some cool pictures of a tree-climbing workshop.

Questions for Parent's Night or School Tour Tree Climbing at Waldorf Were you aware that when a child falls 8 feet out of a tree, that it's the same as hitting a brick wall at 30 MPH? Are children allowed to climb above unsafe falling surfaces? What are the rules for tree climbing at Waldorf? Were you aware that professional tree climbers do not recommend free climbing because it is too dangerous? How many children are allowed in the tree at one time? What kind of supervision is provided during tree climbs? Who is the the trained person in charge of tree climbing? Has anyone received training on proper tree climbing techniques? Has anyone signed off on specific trees as established climbing trees? Have the trees been certified for climbing by an arborist? What kind of instruction is provided for high tree climbing? Do you consider it safe for a child to ride a bike or a scooter without a helmet? Do you consider it safe for a child to climb 8 feet into a tree without a helmet? Does the school allow the children to climb trees? Do you provide the children with protective gear such as helmets, ropes, and gloves? Are children at Waldorf allowed to climb trees 8 feet or higher without protective gear? Is there a maximum height children are allowed to climb? Which is more dangerous to my child: (1) climbing more than 8 feet into a tree over an unsafe falling surface without protective gear, or (2) watching television? You can print out the Master Checklist for parents, and bring it with you to school.