We introduced the Pikler Triangle into our home when my daughter was a young toddler. She uses it everyday, either for climbing or creative play. She loves her Pikler climber and so do we! The play possibilities are endless.
What is a Pikler Triangle?
The Pikler triangle is associated with Montessori, as it is a long-time staple in many Montessori (and Waldorf) classrooms. It was developed by a Hungarian paediatrician, Dr Emmi Pikler, and intended for babies as young as 6 months to children around 6 years. Over the years, Pikler triangles have become a playroom feature in homes too.
The Pikler Triangle allows children to explore their physical limits, understand their body movements and capabilities, develop their own boundaries and respond to developmental climbing needs. It offers a safe environment for development of gross motor skills, physical strength, agility, and its open-endedness empowers free movement and creative play.
Tangible Benefits of a Pikler Climber We've Observed at Home
These are the benefits we've seen by having a Pikler climber at home:
- Enables my daughter to practise and master gross motor skills
- Supervised climbing in a controlled environment where my daughter can test her physical limits and understand the abilities of her body, thereby building her confidence
- Safe place for redirecting all dangerous/risky climbing at home
- Grows her creativity by imagining the Pikler climber as a "tent", "house", "school" etc
Our Pikler Triangle
Our Pikler Triangle is from the brand Smart Little Climbers and we bought it from Amazon. We love its tall height, collapsibility and sturdiness. However, it has been delisted.
Where to Buy The Pikler Triangle in Singapore
My sister-in-law residing in Singapore was highly keen to get a Pikler Triangle too, after seeing how much my daughter enjoyed it. She reached out to me for recommendations and sources. I wasn't too familiar with the Singapore market, but through research found some local manufacturers and distributors who retail the Pikler Triangle.
Where to Buy The Pikler Triangle in Singapore
Hope this list is useful to you if you're on the lookout for a Pikler Triangle! Feel free to recommend me more brands to add to the list!
Playfull Tribe manufactures its own Pikler climbers. Their Pikler climbers are collapsible, which makes it ideal for Montessori-ing in small spaces.
Material wise, their Pikler climbers are made of solid birch plywood on the sides and solid beech wood for the rods. I saw on an online forum that they'll be introducing pastel-colored rods for their Pikler climbers soon.
- Avdar Pikler Triangle from Luna Play
Luna Play is a Singapore distributor for Advar Pikler climbers.
The Advar Pikler climber is made from pine wood. I can't find information on whether it's collapsible, so you might wish to check directly with them.
- Home for Dreams (ships to Singapore) from Desert Cart
Desert Cart is the distributor for Home for Dreams' Pikler climbers, which are also widely available on Etsy.
Home for Dreams' Pikler climbers are made with aspen wood and painted with baby proof water based eco paint and eco wax.
Peach Kids manufacturers its own Pikler climbers, which are made of solid hardwood with water-based, non-toxic coat and paint.
Their Pikler climbers are foldable, great for stowing away when not in use in small Montessori spaces.
- SG Nuts and Bolts's Confidence Triangle
SG Nuts and Bolts retails the Confidence Triangle set which folds flat for easy storage.
I like the fact that the Confidence Triangle is made locally (Singapore) from pine, nyatoh and high quality plywood.
Moov Baby manufactures its own Pikler climbers which are foldable.
Their Pikler climbers are made of hardwearing and strong pine with Australian hardwood dowel rungs.
- Other selling platforms
I've found some Pikler Triangle listings on:
- Amazon Singapore (retailing the Homi Baby Pikler climber),
- Shopee,
- Carousell (including secondhand ones),
- Taobao.
Note: When purchasing an unbranded Pikler Triangle, the concern is whether any safety testing has been performed on it to ascertain weight limit, toxicity of materials used etc. Check with the seller to see if he/she would have such information.
Considerations for Choosing Your Pikler Triangle
The Pikler Triangle is a substantial investment for your home. Before making the purchase, these are factors you might like to consider.
There are no right or wrong answers, and these questions are open-ended so you could evaluate their suitability for your home.
Materials: Are you particular about the wood used? Where is it sourced from and is it sustainably produced? Some wood types are more durable and hold more weight than others. Is the seller able to tell you the type of finishing on the Pikler Triangle wood? You might also like to verify that the wax or oil coating applied is non-toxic.
Safety: My interview with a US-based Pikler climber brand might provide some insights on what to look out for in terms of safety considerations. Also, some rules and limits you could set at home to encourage your child's safe use of the Pikler Triangle.
Space: Applies to families practising Montessori in a small space. There are various (sometimes free) alternatives to having a Pikler Triangle at home, read below. Would those work better for your child's needs?
Usage: How old are your child(ren) and how many years of play would you expect on the Pikler Triangle? Note children are most sensitive to gross motor development from birth to 2.5 years old.
Alternatives to Owning a Pikler Triangle
Rent: I've seen a couple of Carousell listings sharing rental options for Pikler climbers. This might be a good way to satiate a period of intense gross motor need as well as to assess interest before committing to one.
Supervised climbing activities indoors: Are there opportunities for safe make-shift climbing at home? E.g. cushion/pillow tower for climbing on the bed, propping a sturdy mattress against the wall to serve as a huge climber and slide, padded floors around a low sofa, bean bag beneath a low table for catching falls, as well as taped study cardboard boxes to make an obstacle course.
Supervised climbing activities outdoors: If bringing your children to parks, places with stairs and playgrounds isn't a problem and part of your daily routine, your child might be able to get all the gross motor practice needed outdoors.
Other types of climbers to consider: There are climbers that have more uses (e.g. enable open-ended construction) on top of gross motor mastery, such as the Nugget (and its many localised variants).
If you know of other places to buy the Pikler Triangle in Singapore, or have substitute play ideas for it, DM me on Instagram to add to the list!
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Hi! I am Yunnie. I am the newly minted mama to a little baby girl and a mum friend to everyone on this special (and many times scary) journey of motherhood. Also a graduated bride with a penchant for weddings.
