Brachiation!

bra·chi·a·tion [brey-kee-ey-shuhn]

–noun Zoology.
locomotion accomplished by swinging by the arms from one hold to another.

Yesterday we finished the first portion of our long-awaited, much anticipated brachiation ladder. After several months of saving the money I am finally able to create this wonderful learning tool for my son. I altered the design so that it can fit over our bed to save space in our 150-square-foot living space.

"Brachiation ladder" is another name for a set of monkey bars. Glenn Doman began using brachiation as a therapy for brain-injured children several decades ago at the Institutes for the Achievement of Human Potential. Brachiation is a very powerful and extremely beneficial tool for the growing brain and body, as it builds the lungs, strengthens the upper body, and coordinates the brain in such a way as to build the necessary skills for writing, reading, and violin playing. Children on their physical excellence program have ALL been able to write stories, do gymnastics, and play the violin superbly by the ripe old age of three years old, and a large part of that program is brachiating. To say the least, we are very excited about the opportunity to finally make one of these.

Assembling the ladder was very easy even for a wanna-be handyman like me. The next step is building the frame and then we're ready to go! The lumber is fairly inexpensive and I believe the cost is generally less than $150 to make one. And of course, the benefits and fun are priceless!

I am documenting our project with video and pictures so I will have a how-to video and download-able instructions coming soon.

"...and the arms of his hands were made strong by the hands of the mighty God of Jacob"

Genesis 49:24

Hunter is 3 years, 2 months old