Pikler Triangle: What is it and why do kids love it?

You’ve probably seen a Pikler triangle and wondered what the big deal about it was. A triangular wooden structure with rods across it seems like a pretty basic Montessori toy.

So why is it both highly recommended by childcare professionals and an evergreen children’s favorite? Let’s find out!

What exactly is the Pikler Triangle?

The Pikler Triangle was invented by the Hungarian pediatrician Dr. Emmi Pikler over 100 years ago. The toy is a simple wooden triangle with rods across it that can be used as a climbing frame. From a one-year-old to a five-year-old, the triangle can be enjoyed across ages as it grows with your child. 

Dr. Pikler encouraged the idea of free movement for children and promoted independent learning through play. This is reflected in her triangle, which is grounded in respecting and trusting children by allowing them to move at their own pace in their growth and development.

The toy was an instant hit with modern mothers in the 60s and since then, every generation has grown to love it just the same! 

What does the triangle do for children?

Think of the Pikler triangle as the Before to playground games. With this structure, your child isn’t pushed onto a slide or a swing but can get comfortable exploring movement on their own terms. This is one of the most attractive qualities of the triangle.

Learning their own boundaries 

If you place a one-year-old underneath the triangle, they may hold the bars and try to push themselves up. A two-year-old would enjoy running around it or trying to climb the bars. A five-year-old will climb to the top-most rung of the triangle and claim it their own little mountain! 

The Pikler triangle is created around the concept of free play. Your child can meet this open-ended toy where they are at in their development and use it to push themselves to the next level. The triangle enables children to learn their physical boundaries and gain balance and spatial awareness at their own pace. 

Run, jump, and climb with confidence!

Before going to the playground, it’s important that your child is able to run, jump, control their movements, and have a say in what happens while playing with other children. For this, it’s important that they are comfortable with their basic motor skills. Enter the Pikler Triangle!

Holding onto the bars and navigating their way around the triangle will hone their fine motor skills. Crawling underneath it, lifting themselves up, and climbing the triangle will strengthen their limbs and their gross motor skills. With the aid of the Pikler triangle, your little one will be playground-ready in no time!

A tool for endless creativity

The Pikler Triangle is not only a wonderful way to strengthen your child’s reflexes and motor skills, but sets the stage for them to imagine incredible worlds around! It can turn into a cave inside which your child hides from monsters, a rainbow they can crawl underneath, or a bridge they can run across.

It’s also a perfect DIY toy. You could use it as a ladder or throw a rug over it and turn it into a tent-like cozy reading nook. Your child could hang or set some of their toys on the triangle, using it as an abacus. You could even attach slides and other structures to it and further develop the toy any way you want!

Should I invest in a Pikler triangle?

We at shumee believe that play should be 90% child and 10% toy and the Pikler triangle does just that! It is not just a toy, but a space around which your child can experiment, play, and grow confident in their skills and abilities.

Since your child will only use the triangle however they feel comfortable, you can be certain that it’s safe for them. The triangle can also be fun for creative and competitive games with friends. As a secure, sanitary toy that provides social contact off messy playgrounds, it wins a few more points!

The Pikler triangle is a supremely simple structure with so much to offer in terms of mental, physical, and social growth. We are sure that just like Dr. Pikler’s kids and most mothers since the 60s, both you and your child will fall in love with this toy!