{"id":148,"date":"2025-11-18T05:11:13","date_gmt":"2025-11-18T05:11:13","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/touchstoneclimbing.com\/mission-cliffs\/?page_id=148"},"modified":"2026-01-24T20:06:16","modified_gmt":"2026-01-24T20:06:16","slug":"climbing-with-kids","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/touchstoneclimbing.com\/mission-cliffs\/climbing-with-kids\/","title":{"rendered":"Climbing with Kids"},"content":{"rendered":"\n\n\t<h2>\n\t\t\tWhat to Know Before You Visit\t<\/h2>\n\t<p>Climbing is an inherently risky sport-and safety is our top priority. Please take a few minutes to read this page before your visit so you know what to expect and can make the most of your time at the gym.<\/p>\n<h2>\n\t\t\tImportant Info\t<\/h2>\n\t<ul>\n<li aria-level=\"1\"><strong>Everyone needs a <a href=\"https:\/\/portal.touchstoneclimbing.com\/missioncliffs\/agreements\/waiver\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">waiver<\/a>.<\/strong> That includes participants and spectators.<\/li>\n<li aria-level=\"1\"><b>We don&#8217;t provide staff supervision<\/b> for kids during general gym hours.<\/li>\n<li aria-level=\"1\">We have many kid-friendly options. Read more about those below!<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h2>\n\t\t\tWays to Climb with Kids at Mission Cliffs\t<\/h2>\n<h3>\n\t\t\tIf Your Kids Want to Boulder\t<\/h3>\n\t<ul>\n<li>You can boulder with your child! <b>Check in with the front desk<\/b> for an orientation on the bouldering area rules and falling techniques.\u00a0<\/li>\n<li>Children 12 and under must be <b>closely supervised at all times<\/b>-think helicopter parent!<\/li>\n<li>Adults must stay within arm&#8217;s reach in the bouldering area.<\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/touchstoneclimbing.com\/mission-cliffs\/membership-and-passes\/\">Day passes<\/a> and <a href=\"https:\/\/touchstoneclimbing.com\/mission-cliffs\/faq\/do-you-have-rental-gear\/\">gear rentals<\/a> are available at the front desk.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h3>\n\t\t\tIf Your Kids Want to Top Rope\t<\/h3>\n\t<ul>\n<li>Take an<a href=\"https:\/\/portal.touchstoneclimbing.com\/missioncliffs\/programs\/intro-to-climbing-class\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"> <b>Intro to Climbing Class<\/b><\/a>, <b>or<\/b>You or another adult must either:<\/li>\n<li>Classes must be booked in advance and are open to participants 13 and older.<\/li>\n<li>Kids under 13 can learn to belay through our <a href=\"https:\/\/touchstoneclimbing.com\/mission-cliffs\/youth-programs\/\"><b>Youth Programs<\/b><\/a>.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h3>\n\t\t\tCheck out our Youth Programs!\t<\/h3>\n\t<ul>\n<li>Enroll your child in one of our After-School or Summer <a href=\"https:\/\/touchstoneclimbing.com\/mission-cliffs\/youth-camps\/\">Camps<\/a><\/li>\n<li>Schedule a <a href=\"https:\/\/touchstoneclimbing.com\/mission-cliffs\/private-lessons\/\">private lesson<\/a> with our staff.<\/li>\n<li>If your child has prior climbing experience, check out our <a href=\"https:\/\/touchstoneclimbing.com\/mission-cliffs\/youth-teams\/\">Youth Teams<\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h2>\n\t\t\tRules, Etiquette, <br \/>and Community Love\t<\/h2>\n\t<p>We love kids and are excited to introduce them to climbing! But our gyms aren&#8217;t playgrounds. We ask that families help maintain a safe, respectful environment for everyone.<\/p>\n<h3><b>Be a Helicopter Parent<\/b><\/h3>\n<p>Actively supervise your child-not from the lounge, not while climbing yourself. Keep them within arm&#8217;s reach, especially in bouldering areas. Kids are often unaware of their surroundings, so your close attention helps keep them and everyone safe.<\/p>\n<h3><b>Set a Good Example<\/b><\/h3>\n<p>Model safe, courteous behavior-your child will follow your lead.<br \/><a href=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=IowJjrs2X-c&amp;list=PL4mUXWyDpShSV-4GDohMapnXMJ8DCeBcD\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><b>Our YouTube Has More Tips<\/b><\/a><\/p>\n<h3><b>Kid Rules<\/b><\/h3>\n\n<ul> \t\n<li aria-level=\"1\"><b>All kids 12 and under must be directly supervised<\/b> (within arm&#8217;s reach) at all times.<\/li>\n\n<li><b>Supervision Ratios:<\/b>\n<ul> \t\n<li aria-level=\"2\">Ages 7 and under: 1:1 non-climbing adult to child<\/li>\n\n<li aria-level=\"2\">Ages 8-12 bouldering: 1:2 ratio<\/li>\n\n<li aria-level=\"2\">Ages 8-12 roped climbing: 1:3 ratio<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n\n<li aria-level=\"1\">Kids 12 and under are <b>not permitted in the weight or cardio areas<\/b> unless directly supervised. Some equipment is off-limits and labeled accordingly.<\/li>\n\n<li aria-level=\"1\">No swinging, tugging, or playing with ropes or gym equipment.<\/li>\n\n<li aria-level=\"1\">Keep infants and small children out of climbing areas and away from fall zones.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n<h3><b>Gym Rules &amp; Etiquette<\/b><\/h3>\n\n<ul> \t\n<li aria-level=\"1\">No running.<\/li>\n\n<li aria-level=\"1\">Step away from the wall between climbs.<\/li>\n\n<li aria-level=\"1\">No barefoot climbing.<\/li>\n\n<li aria-level=\"1\">Never walk under climbers or between climbers and belayers.<\/li>\n\n<li aria-level=\"1\">Keep an eye on your surroundings-<i>and<\/i> above you.<\/li>\n\n<li aria-level=\"1\">Don&#8217;t step on ropes or touch other people&#8217;s gear.<\/li>\n\n<li aria-level=\"1\">Keep bags, bottles, and snacks off the mats.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><em>This is a shared communal space. If we have to remind you or your child about safety or etiquette multiple times, or if we receive more than two complaints, we may ask you to leave for the day.<\/em><\/p>\n<h2>\n\t\t\tCommon Questions:\t<\/h2>\n\t\t\t\tDo you host birthday parties?\n\t\t\t\t<p>We no longer host birthday parties, but you&#8217;re welcome to bring a small, self-sufficient group (see below) if you meet the following criteria:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li aria-level=\"1\">Everyone has<a href=\"https:\/\/touchstoneclimbing.com\/waiver\/\"> completed a waiver<\/a>.<\/li>\n<li aria-level=\"1\">Groups must reserve at least one week in advance by emailing <a href=\"mailto:mc_staff@touchstoneclimbing.com\"><strong>mc_staff@touchstoneclimbing.com<\/strong><\/a>.<\/li>\n<li aria-level=\"1\">Groups with kids under 13 may not exceed 15 participants.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<hr \/>\n<h3><b>Self-Sufficient Group Requirements<\/b><\/h3>\n<p><b>Bouldering<\/b><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li aria-level=\"1\"><b>Safety first:<\/b> Adults must keep all children within arm&#8217;s reach.<\/li>\n<li aria-level=\"1\"><b>Experience required:<\/b> For every 5 climbers, at least one must be an experienced boulderer (has taken our <a href=\"https:\/\/touchstoneclimbing.com\/dogpatch-boulders\/climbing-classes-intro-to-bouldering\/\"><b>Intro to Bouldering Class, offered at Dogpatch Boulders<\/b><\/a> or has 6+ months of experience).<\/li>\n<li aria-level=\"1\">Request a falling\/safety lesson and review our kids&#8217; safety brochure at the front desk.<\/li>\n<li aria-level=\"1\">Maintain at least a <b>1:3 adult-to-child ratio<\/b> for kids 12 and under.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><b>Top Roping<\/b><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li aria-level=\"1\">For every 5 climbers, at least one adult must be a <b>Touchstone-certified belayer<\/b> (18+).<\/li>\n<li aria-level=\"1\">Certified belayers hold a permanent Touchstone belay card or can pass our belay test without assistance.<\/li>\n<li aria-level=\"1\">Consider taking an<a href=\"https:\/\/portal.touchstoneclimbing.com\/missioncliffs\/n\/intro-classes\"> <b>Intro to Climbing Class<\/b><\/a> beforehand for a refresher.<\/li>\n<li aria-level=\"1\">Maintain at least a <b>1:3 adult-to-child ratio<\/b> for kids 12 and under.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>If you&#8217;re unsure whether your group meets these requirements, please reach out to our staff before your visit. If requirements aren&#8217;t met, we may not be able to accommodate your group for safety reasons.<\/p>\n\t\t\t\tDo you have staff who can supervise my child?\n\t\t\t\t<p>No. We don&#8217;t offer on-demand supervision. However, we have great <a href=\"https:\/\/touchstoneclimbing.com\/mission-cliffs\/youth-programs\/\"><b>Youth Programs<\/b><\/a>, including private lessons, climbing camps, and clubs.<\/p>\n\t\t\t\tDo you have an age minimum?\n\t\t\t\t<p>We do not have an age minimum, but safety is our priority. If you are coming in with a child under the age of 13, they must be supervised at all times.<\/p>\n\t\t\t\tCan we bring a small group of kids if it&#8217;s not a birthday party?\n\t\t\t\t<p>Yes, but you must maintain supervision ratios:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li aria-level=\"1\">1:2 non-climbing adults to kids in the bouldering area<\/li>\n<li aria-level=\"1\">1:3 in the roped area<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h3>\n\t\t\tStill have Questions? <a href=\"https:\/\/touchstoneclimbing.com\/mission-cliffs\/contact-us\/\">Contact Us!<\/a>\t<\/h3>\n\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>What to Know Before You Visit Climbing is an inherently risky sport-and safety is our top priority. Please take a few minutes to read this page before your visit so you know what to expect and can make the most of your time at the gym. Important Info Everyone needs a waiver. That includes participants&hellip;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":3,"featured_media":0,"parent":0,"menu_order":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","template":"","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"class_list":["post-148","page","type-page","status-publish","hentry"],"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/touchstoneclimbing.com\/mission-cliffs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/148","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/touchstoneclimbing.com\/mission-cliffs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/touchstoneclimbing.com\/mission-cliffs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/page"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/touchstoneclimbing.com\/mission-cliffs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/3"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/touchstoneclimbing.com\/mission-cliffs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=148"}],"version-history":[{"count":11,"href":"https:\/\/touchstoneclimbing.com\/mission-cliffs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/148\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":9679,"href":"https:\/\/touchstoneclimbing.com\/mission-cliffs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/148\/revisions\/9679"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/touchstoneclimbing.com\/mission-cliffs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=148"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}