subject: How To Choose A Play Set For Your Backyard [print this page] One of the fun things about being a parent is getting to choose a backyard play set for your kids. It brings back a lot of memories, and you may sometimes wish that you could join in the fun more often. Giving your kids the chance to climb, play and swing in their own backyard is a wonderful gift.
But with all the wonderful sets out there, how do you choose the right one for your kids?
Space may be your first consideration. If your backyard is small, you need to be looking at more simple play sets. If you have more room, you have a lot more freedom to pick what you would like to make it all work.
The next consideration is what ages your kids are and how many years you want them to keep using it. A small plastic play set is fine for toddlers, but as kids get older they just aren't nearly good enough. You want to think about wooden play sets if you want it to be used for many years.
Then there's your budget. You can't ever forget that. How much are you really willing to spend on a back yard swing set?
Safety is always a consideration, but with professionally designed sets so easily available you aren't likely to have too many problems. Probably the biggest safety concern with any play set is what you set it on. A grassy lawn is easiest, but not the safest when kids take a hard landing. Even so, that is what many families set the swing sets up on.
You also need to consider the materials the set is built from. As I said above, plastic is good enough for little kids, but it's not going to do so well as they get older.
The inexpensive metal sets do an adequate job if you're on a tight budget, but can require a bit more work as parts loosen up. The heavier duty metal ones may hold up better, but they're much harder on the budget.
Wooden play sets are the most popular these days. They come in a huge range of styles and with great features available. Forts are a common feature in addition to the traditional swings, rings and slides.
You'll still need to pay attention to how well connectors are holding up with wooden sets, but they're typically quite well made. Redwood is generally considered to be the most durable of woods for this type of structure, as it resists decay and doesn't splinter too much.
Look around and pick out the play structure that best appeals to your family and to your budget. With any luck at all your kids will enjoy it for years to come.
