What is a rope tunnel bridge
A Play Rope Tunnel Bridge is a long cylindrical tunnel that kids can crawl through and play inside. You may have seen those plastic or fabric type springy pop-up play tunnels, well this one is quite different, it is made from rope, in fact a heavy duty rope mesh.
At each end of the mesh tunnel there is an anchor point to which is attached a long webbing strap which can be easily secured, using the supplied ratchet system, to a tree or other sturdy garden fixture, allowing the rope-tunnel to be suspended in mid air and turning it into a rope-tunnel-bridge for children to play in!
Rope balance bridge comparison table
This added dimension turns a bit of a one-trick pony :- “It’s a rope balance tunnel, you crawl through it” into a bit of a Swiss army knife of climbing-hanging-crawling-swinging and any other combination you might imagine. A Rope Tunnel Bridge is a surprisingly versatile piece of garden play equipment, that is to say that your kids may surprise you with how many different ways they can play with, whether in or on or under the Rope Tunnel Bridge.
Not only are they great fun but also great exercise and even just crawling through engages lots of different core muscles, the essential muscles for a strong and healthy posture and also the legs and arms also get a thorough workout. This combination of play, balance, learning and improvement of coordination skills is very much in line with the montessori method of learning and play.
Top choice Backyard Rope tunnel bridges
Here are a election of rope tunnel bridges for your back yard. There are very few brands creating rope tunnel bridges at the moment so we have also included a selection of other balance, climbing and tunnel toys that we think your children will also enjoy playing on.
Hearthsong Rope Tunnel Bridge Review
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The Hearthsong rope tunnel bridge is six feet long with a diameter of three feet. The rope tunnel bridge is constructed or woven from a heavy-duty polyester rope that is water resistant, oh and did I mention ‘heavy-duty’ because it certainly is, weighing in at a whopping thirty six pounds this is no cats cradle, it is more like something you might find on an army or Ninja assault course and it looks built to last.
This solid construction allows the rope tunnel bridge to support weights of up to four hundred pounds, which is over twenty eight stones or five average ten year old children comfortably.
Now I admit that with five ten year old children inside at the same time it might feel a bit cramped but they would squeeze in and the rope tunnel bridge would hold their weight easily and safely. So hopefully that gives you a good picture of how well made and sturdy it is.
This Hearthsong rope bridge is quite easy to assemble, you simply clip on the two long webbing straps, one to each end of the tunnel and wrap them around a tree or similarly sturdy fixture in the garden, then tighten them up using the included ratchets.
This is straightforward enough, assuming you have two suitable trees in the garden about eighteen to twenty feet apart, this being the recommended distance for suspending the rope tunnel bridge. This is really quite important for the bridge to suspend well with a good tension.
Once the rope tunnel bridge is fixed to your trees it makes quite a feature point in your garden and it will set your and your children’s imaginations alight, I definitely wanted a go and I am 42 ! The rope tunnel bridge works really well , feels very secure and has a nice tight springiness.
Children can sit, crawl, climb, hang, roll, lie and generally monkey around in the rope tunnel bridge to their hearts content, all the while suspended in mid air, perfectly safe and at the same time giving their important core muscles a thorough work out and building strength in their hands, arms and legs.
Playing in this rope tunnel is a great all round exercise, its uses and adaptability seem almost endless and fantastic fun. The water resistant polyester rope can certainly withstand wet weather for long periods of time and although I would not recommend leaving it permanently outside if your winters are as damp and soggy and long as ours but dismantling the rope tunnel bridge is even quicker than assembling it was {assuming you have two suitable trees eighteen to twenty feet apart remember!} so you can easily store it away for the winter if you decide to.
All in all, if you have the space in your garden and two suitable trees , then the rope tunnel bridge is a great piece of children’s play equipment and we really don’t know how we ever managed without one, thoroughly recommended.
TopNew Tree climbing holds
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If you are going to be playing in your very own rope tunnel bridge then it can be a lot of fun to have come tree climbing holds on the trees you are attaching the tunnel to.
TOPNEW have created this set of climbing holds that can easily be fastened on to trees using the straps and ratchet. In this set there are 12 different colourful climbing holds that you can fasten around the tree.
Each strap has a few of the rock holds attached so that you have a choice of which one to grip onto next as you move up and a little way around the tree. When you reach the top strap you could enter the rope tunnel or use it as part of one of your fun outdoor obstacle course ideas. I really love the ratchet and rubber grip. You’ll have hours of fun climbing using these kids climbing holds. They are strong and sturdy and a nice quality design.
Slackers Rope Ladder
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What better way to make a rope crawling tunnel even more fun than to add a rope ladder. Slackers make some great adventure equipment, including obstacle slack line kits, rope ladders and other fun play equipment. This rope ladder is easy to attach to a tree branch or slack line rope.
I really like the design and the thick wooden beams. Kids love to climb ladders and this rope ladder hangs down 7 foot, making it tall enough to be fun for kids without being too high and challenging.
Narmay Play Tunnel
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If you don’t have the space or strong enough trees to hold a rope tunnel, this Narmay play tunnel is camouflaged and is a lot of fun for kids to crawl through. It isn’t as challenging as trying to find your footing and pull and crawl along a rope bridge but it does offer a low price and fun chance to play in a fun tunnel that can even be added to a garden or indoor obstacle course or used below the Hearthsong rope tunnel.
The tunnel is waterproof and the fun camouflaged design looks exciting and blends nicely into your garden. When you’ve finished crawling the tunnel can be pushed back into a small ring size and then stored away.
Ideas for using a rope tunnel bridge for a tree house
Rope tunnels are a lot of fun even if you don’t have a tree house to attach it to. If you do have a tree house you can add a whole new fun element to your tree or rope house by extending the tree house, or connecting two raise platforms together using this bridge. Instead of your tree house being a platform for you to sit or play on, you can now move around up in the air and this will make your kids feel like real explorers.
Kids can imagine they are jungle explorers climbing from tree to tree. If you have a lot of space and lots of big strong trees you can place lots of these tunnels together and create a big adventure course up in the trees around your garden, combing platforms, tree houses and bridges made of rope connecting them all.
Rope balance bridge review summary
Every child has always dreamed of climbing through the trees like monkeys, in their own exciting worlds, hiding away and looking down at the world below. These rope bridges are the closest thing to being able to feel like a tree creature in your own back yard. Climb and crawl while letting your imagination run wild and take yourself and your friends on a big adventure.
Not only will you have fun but crawling along the net on a rope tunnel bridge requires strength, flexibility and a sense of balance. You’ll need to use your legs, arms and core muscles to adjust and feel your way across the bridge to the other side without slipping through the holes.
Travelling across your own rope bridge is so much fun, you can even use it as a hideaway and escape the world below for a while. If your bridge is attached to the tree at a safe height you can also hold onto the rope from below and pull yourself along or climb and swing as long as you do so safely.
If you’ve decided to buy a rope balance bridge for your garden then I highly recommend the hearthsong tunnel. The rope is strong and doesn’t fray easily so it is protected and comfortable to grip on to without hurting your hands.
If you want to improve your grip strength and make it even more comfortable you could buy some kids monkey bar gloves that can be worn for all sorts of adventure equipment and climbing frames.