Anne Hill International School’s latest addition to its District 2 (Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam) campus and outdoor facilities – The “Reach For The Stars” Rock Wall.
Embellished with colourful steps, rock-climbing is a fun way for students to improve their balance, agility and core strength. Besides the physical benefits, it also helps students learn how to focus, problem-solve and conquer new challenges.
Balance
Learning how to balance is an important objective that we hope our students will recognise while they are doing this activity. Acquiring a sense of balance helps students realise their centre of gravity and how they can use this in order to shift their weight appropriately.
Agility
Students will also get the opportunity to improve their hand-eye coordination through rock-climbing. Through repetition of this activity, they will be able to improve their technique and condition their muscles. They will learn how to ascend, descend, grasp and grip in order to keep moving.
Core Strength
Rock climbing is a sport that teaches students to use their core strength in order to climb up the wall in an effective manner. Students will learn not to rely on their arm strength only; it is also important to utilise their lower body.
Focus
Unlike focusing in a classroom setting, rock climbing requires students to actively focus in order to maintain their balance and plan for their next move. It promotes deep concentration, allowing students to apply this to other settings throughout their school life.
Problem-Solve
Rock-climbing is not only a physical activity but also a mental exercise that provides students with a real-life problem: how to reach the top of the wall? Students will experience various ways to climb to the top and ultimately decide what is the best strategy that will conserve their energy, time and effort.
New Challenges
Finally, we hope to slowly introduce our older students to rock-climbing as an activity that will challenge what they have already learned in school. Let’s for aim for new heights not only through books, but also through the environment around us.
