Shift Climbing’s After School Program: Active Movement & Skill Building for Youth
The Shift After School Program is engineered specifically to provide young climbers with a supportive, highly dynamic environment to develop functional strength and confidence.
Bouldering is one of the most well rounded activities combining elements of mental problem solving, as well as growth in upper and lower body, and core strength. Every boulder requires focus, balance, and strategic planning, making climbing an ideal screen-free activity to recharge after a full day in the classroom. Our program mixes targeted coaching with open exploration and projecting in a 60-minute session once a week. Whether your child is stepping onto the pads for the very first time or looking to refine their technique, our instructors scale every challenge to their individual abilities.
At a Glance: After School Program Details
| Who are you? | 7-13 year olds looking for beginner or intermediate climbing coaching. |
| How long is the session? | One hour, once a week |
| Schedule | Mondays or Tuesdays: 5:00 PM – 6:00 PM |
| Semester Dates | Second week of September – Second week of December (No class Thanksgiving week) |
| Flexible Tuition | $50 / month OR $165 for the full 3-month semester |
| Where are you? | 12345 James Street, behind Burlington Coat Factory. |
Why Choose Bouldering for After-School Fitness?
Climbing is a highly individualized sport, scalable to people of all abilities. It takes the best part of team sports (collaboration,) and individual sports (goal-setting and self reliance,) and combines it into one activity, bouldering.
- Scalable Skill Progression: Because every climb on our walls features different holds and movement styles, brand-new climbers and experienced kids train side-by-side seamlessly. Coaches and athletes can scale the difficulty so every participant can do what’s right for them.
- Exploration & Projecting: Beyond technical drills, students dedicate class time to "projecting," taking the time to work on the same problem, across multiple climbing sessions to achieve a larger goal through ongoing efforts and collaboration with others.
- Confidence & Spatial Awareness: Climbing builds well rounded athletes. Your child will learn body tension, foot precision, balance, and responsible risk management in a regulated, padded environment.
Program Structure & Semester Options
To fit busy family schedules in West Michigan, we offer both a low-commitment monthly track and a full-semester commitment option:
- Weekly Schedule: Choose either the Monday or Tuesday cohort (5:00 PM – 6:00 PM).
- Full Semester Option ($165): Covers the complete 3-month curriculum from mid-September through mid-December, offering the best overall value and consistent skill progression.
- Monthly Drop-In Option ($50/month): Ideal for families looking to test out the sport or balance seasonal sports schedules without committing to the full term.
Enroll Your Student Today
Ready to get your kid off screens and onto the walls? Spots for our Monday and Tuesday cohorts are capped to ensure optimal coach-to-climber ratios.
What a session looks like
Who it's for
Kids ages 7 and up! Climbers of every experience level are welcome, and we have specifically designed classes for ages 13 and up as well. Kids climb on big holds and varied movement, with no small-hold training.
The first ten minutes
The first 10 minutes are for checking in, getting climbing shoes on, a fun question of the day, and a warm-up.
The coaching
Jadee leads most of our climbing classes. She has a degree in elementary and special education. Our coach-to-student ratio is 1:8.
What parents do
Parents are welcome to drop off their kids or stay at the gym and either hang out in our cafe space or climb! We offer discounted day passes for parents who want to climb while their children are in class. Siblings are welcome in the space as well with direct parent supervision.
What it costs and what's included
Shoes and chalk are always included. Students in the class also receive a free membership, which includes one guest pass to use for a friend or family member each month.
What comes next
Sign up online, give us a call at 616-377-7006, or email Jadee directly at jadee@shiftclimbing.com with any questions!
Like all our youth programming: age-grouped coaching, falling taught first, easy-circuit climbing on big holds, and 12 to 14 inches of engineered flooring under everything. How we look after young climbers
What are other parents saying?
These are real Google reviews from families who climb here.
"A real treat with a group of friends. None of us are climbers but we were all challenged, helped, had space to socialize and went home with lots of smiles."
AJ W.
"The family always enjoys Shift. The staff is amazing; the routes are set for all experience levels and relevant for all kinds of movement."
Dan K.
"My kids LOVE Shift Climbing. They attend the homeschool classes and have learned so much and feel very encouraged by the staff."
Jordan
"The routes are always fun, lot of focus on moving, pretty chill place. Have a nice mix of easy and challenging routes which is nice for my level."
Heather W.
Jordan, a homeschool mom who drives in from Hudsonville with three boys, sat down with us to talk about what climbing has done for her kids. You can watch it below or read her family's story. Climbing as a whole family? Our Family Climbing page covers the family membership, day pass costs, and what a first visit looks like.
Call the front desk at (616) 377-7006 and we will help you choose a program.
Sign upHave questions about rental gear or first-time waiver policies? Stop by our front desk in Holland, MI, grab a beverage from our café, or ask our team in the gym!