

Am I willing to do regular maintenance? Swing sets require regular upkeep to ensure they’re safe and functioning properly.If you’re worried about your ability to set up a swing, or don’t have the proper tools to do it, consider hiring someone to ensure the set is properly constructed.

Depending on the type of set you buy, you’ll likely need to have a power drill, wrenches and a hammer. How handy am I with tools? Swings sets require extensive installation - and following the directions exactly is key for ensuring the safety of your little ones as they play.(No, plain grass or dirt does not cut it.) This is an added expense and requires its own installation, either DIY or from a contractor depending on what material you choose. Am I willing to pay for protective surfacing, too? Hendy strongly recommends installing protective surfacing - a shock-absorbing surface like engineered wood fiber, wood chips, shredded rubber or rubber tiles - to reduce the risk of serious head injury.If you don’t have enough room, have uneven terrain or have lots of trees, fences, poles or other obstacles taking up space, you’ll need to make big changes before you can have a swing set. Swing sets require even more room on the top, front and rear sides to account for the motion of the swings. According to the Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC), any outdoor playset should have at least six feet of clearance around all sides. Is my yard space suitable for a swing? Having enough yard space is critical, says Teresa Hendy, a Certified Playground Safety Inspector.

You should ask yourself these questions before purchasing a swing set: Swings can be a great toy for kids of practically all ages, but buying a swing set is definitely an investment of your time, space and money. It can be overwhelming to say the least - which is why we’re breaking it down so you know exactly what you’re in for. And according to the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP), physical outdoor play helps kids build skills like spatial awareness and balance and can improve their attention spans.īut unlike other outdoor toys that you can just casually buy without a ton of planning, like balls or sidewalk chalk, purchasing a backyard swing set comes with a lot of safety consideration, budgeting and logistics planning. Since toddlers have lots of energy to burn, decking out your outdoor space with a swing set is an excellent way to ensure they get that much-needed physical activity. If your child has ever complained of being bored at home, a playset is the perfect solution.There’s nothing like the feeling of getting outside to play, especially when you can do so in your own backyard. This makes a playset a great investment in your child’s future, as well as a wonderful present for them to enjoy today with their siblings and friends. These outdoor playsets appeal to both boys and girls, and encourage them to develop strength, agility, stamina and creativity, improving their physical development and spatial coordination, as well as help them to learn to play in groups – all important skills that will help them later in life.

Wooden playsets come in a wide variety of features and functions that provide fun all year round. If you are looking for a piece of apparatus that will give child hours of pleasure and enjoyment, you should consider purchasing a wooden playset. Are you concerned that your child or grandchild is too sedentary? Do you want to encourage them to get outside, get exercise, be creative and have fun? Research has shown that children who get plenty of outdoor play enjoy many physical and psychological benefits: it builds physical skills such as running, climbing, swinging, jumping and sliding, improves endurance and balance, helps to stimulate learning, develops social skills such as decision-making, negotiating and self-confidence, and may help to reduce a child’s risk of obesity and related illnesses.
