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A smiling girl in a purple shirt reaches out and bumps fists with someone, both hands covered in chalk dust, in a brightly lit Brooklyn indoor setting—capturing the joyful spirit of local After School Programs. Another person is blurred in the background.
Tempe After School Programs

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Climbing is a Path

Connect. Grow. Climb. Call it higher learning. Our after-school programs provide kids a chance to take their first steps into the sport and support them all the way to our sport’s biggest stages. We’ve built programs to meet each age tier at their ability level and help young climbers follow their curiosity. 

Winter Registration opens November 2nd. Please pay attention to age categories.
A toddler in a yellow shirt walks barefoot on the soft floor of a Tempe climbing gym.

TOTS

Format: Seasonal
Duration: 30 minutes
Ratio: 1:4
Age Range: 18 months-3 years
Cadence: Once a week, consistent group, guardian participation required

This unique class brings tots and guardians onto the pads to explore movement, texture and height in a guided setting with our instructors in a play-based learning experience. At this age, children build gross motor skills, refine balance and develop an awareness of heights and risk. It’s a chance for guardians to foster a love of movement in their kids.

A smiling child climbing a rock wall at a Tempe youth climbing club.

PEBBLES

Format: Seasonal
Duration: 1 hour
Ratio: 1:4
Age Range: 4-5 years
Cadence: Once a week, consistent group

Play is a powerful teacher. The Pebbles program turns climbing walls into a playground for a preschooler’s imagination. Games and cooperative play provide the backbone of a program that fosters coordination, strength, teamwork and listening skills. Our goal – build confidence, coordination and focus with an emphasis on growth and fun.

Two boys play with a yellow hula hoop in front of an indoor rock climbing wall at one of our youth climbing clubs.

ROCKS

Format: Seasonal
Duration: 1.5 hours
Ratio: 1:5
Age Range: 5-7 years
Cadence: Once a week, consistent group — great entry point for first-timers

While much of climbing comes naturally to young climbers, technique and structure goes a long way. At this age kids absorb coaching. Through thoughtful games and challenges, young climbers learn footwork and body position while working together. We emphasize creative problem solving on the wall and sharing in each other’s success.

A young climber at a Tempe youth climbing club reaches for a large pink hold on a blue indoor wall.

BOULDERS

Format: Seasonal
Duration: 2 hours
Ratio: 1:5
Age Range: 8-11 years
Cadence: Once a week, consistent group

At this age, young athletes begin to understand their mind plays an equal role to strength in meeting athletic challenges. Fostering perseverance takes consistency and a supportive peer group. Together, climbers tackle on-the-wall problem solving, begin to set goals and help each other work towards them while also learning how to take turns, practice good climbing etiquette and cheer each other on in whatever challenge they’ve chosen.

"She had fun with the games and met a new good friend."
- Parent of a Climbing Club participant

Youth Rules and Expectations

Climbing is an exciting and fun sport—but it does come with risks. We insist on highly-attentive adult supervision to mitigate these risks for youth and other climbers. Before climbing with us, please read through our Rules and Expectations.

  1. Youth under the age of 14 must be closely accompanied by an adult at all times.
  2.  Our supervision ratio is 2 to 1; up to 2 youth climbers can be supervised by 1 adult chaperone at a time.
  3. Stay far from the walls and out of fall zones when moving through the gym or waiting to climb. A “fall zone” is anywhere on the mats where a climber could land if they were to fall. 
  4. Make sure to check where a route ends before starting to climb–some routes are close together or even overlap, and you don’t want to end up directly above, below, or next to another climber. 
  5. This is a climbing gym! Please save running, wrestling, horseplay, and gymnastics for other spaces. 

Have questions about climbing, the facility, or risk? Ask our staff—we are here to help.

Youth Programs: Jonah.phung@boulderingproject.com

Youth Programs: (480) 269-6570

Youth Program Season Class Dates Number of Classes Holiday Breaks (No Classes)
Fall 2026 August 31st – November 24th 12 classes September 19th (Boulderfest)
Winter 2026-2027 November 30th – March 6th 12 classes December 21st-January 2nd (Winter Break)
Spring 2027 March 22nd – June 12th 12 classes —