Why Purchase A Wooden Swing Set

Parents have a number of goals when researching products to entertain their children in the backyard. They want quality and longevity. An item purchased that a child quickly loses interest in or that breaks and is no longer useable is money wasted. That is one reason many parents do choose to buy wooden swing sets for their children. While at first glance the price is not an inexpensive one, purchasing a quality set that starts by amusing young children and continues to challenge and occupy children as they grow, is what many consider to be a long term entertainment investment. The successful purchase of one of these structures involves investigation, planning, and budgeting. Buying a larger product that is cheaper may seem like a great option before doing the research. However, when the information is analyzed you may discover that the costs involved with upkeep and replacement actually make a smaller starter set from a better quality company a better choice. Over time, many of these products are designed with the ability to add space and features to accommodate buyers who started small and wish to grow. Reading the available information on the product lines can help you to determine which route is best for your family.

Safety should be a concern when researching a wooden swing set. Consumer Reports is a good starting point for determining the safety of any purchases you might be considering making. I found a report on Adventure Playsets that discussed a recall of various models sold at Walmart from January-March 2006. If you are considering buying a model second hand, you will want to see if there are any outstanding recalls you should be aware of regarding the product. ABC News researched the Rainbow Play System purchased by the Obama’s for instillation at the White House. While the report cited previous recalls by that company, the reporter was unable to find any outstanding recalls on the product purchased by the President and his wife. From what I was able to discover from my research many of the recalls seem to relate to the bolts and other connecting pieces. You will want to inspect any set you have shipped to make sure the parts you receive are in good shape. If not do contact customer service regarding any issues you may have.

One of the most intriguing aspects of enhancing your yard with a wooden swing is the many features that these companies offer to entertain and entice parents and children. Many of the most common that are offered are the forts, rock walls, climbing ladders, sand boxes, trapeze bars, and a wide range of swing set products. Many of these options can be added as the child or the finances grow. One also retains the option of updating as the child outgrows certain sized features. Baby metal swings can be replaced with larger sized features that suit older children. Smaller plastic slides can be upgraded to larger slides that challenge older children to keep engaging in play. Creating new physical challenges does keep children learning age appropriate skills. These structures can also be designed to meet the needs of multiple aged children. You can keep the baby swing and upgrade to add older features for the older members of the family, should a family have the need.

I researched a number of websites to get some idea of pricing. I did find basic cedar starter kits that were in the $1200 range. There were a few advertised for less but there seemed to be some questions as to what was included at the lesser price. Triumph Play Systems advertises a basic cedar set for $1349. The prices climb to well over $4,000 as you increase the options on the set. Cedarworks advertised beautiful sets, what concerned me is there was no pricing anywhere on the site. In general if they are not posting prices there is a good chance that the quality is well beyond the ability I have to finance. Another name that came up frequently as I was searching was Gorilla Playsets. They use both cedar and pine which is likely why they have a wider price range. If a customer is willing to use a cheaper wood like pine the price drops dramatically. I was able to locate a set starting at $899 on their website. Green Monkey, Rainbow Play Systems, and Adventure Playsets appeared frequently in many of my searches. While the costs can seem to be intimidating, families who invest in wooden swing sets find that they can pay off in the long term.