Playground Swing Sets Garden Nursery Landscaping Guide
Playground Swing Sets With Improved Safety
By James Morrison
Playground swing sets have come a long, long way from the popular
sets of the 1960s and 1970s, when they were dominated by a tall
metal slide, a large metal frame with swings that had heavy wooden
seats, and the traditional wooden teeter-totter and merry-go-round.
In those days, the contrast between the backyard swing set and
the assembly in the playground was considerable; the set in the
backyard tended to be much smaller and less sturdy. But as both
types have evolved over the years, they’ve grown more and more
alike.
The Predominance Of Wood Swing Sets
The predominant form in both versions now is the wood swing set.
This type of set has been found to be safer in many ways and,
if made of the right sort of wood and properly treated, is almost
as durable as a metal set.
The old wooden planks that once served as swing seats have been
replaced either by seats of plastic or resin, or by plastic belts
that will hold the weight of the child yet not cause injuries
if they fly loose.
Plastic Slides Have Replaced Metal Slides
In fact, many of the components of playground swing sets are
now made of plastic like those swing seats, so that now, for example,
playground slides will be made of smooth, rounded plastic, doing
away with the old metal slides.
The modern playground swing sets, like their residential counterparts,
also tend to be more compact. They don’t always feature separate,
freestanding structures as they used to, with the swings in one
location, the slide in another, the teeter-totter in another,
and so on.
Including A Central Tower
These newer sets are more modular, many having a small central
tower of which different elements branch. So the frame for the
swings might come off one side of the tower, while the slide extends
from another side and a climbing wall might lead off from yet
a third side. You can review your options with the swing accessories,
in both the playground and home sets, can be added or changed
as the local needs dictate.
Another feature of playground swing sets now is that there is
more of a focus on safety. The wooden sets came into vogue after
playground injuries became a concern a couple of decades ago,
and the newer sets have tried to address safety in other ways
too.
The Disappearance Of The Merry Go Round
Many playground designers place these outdoor swing sets on softer
surfaces, like pads made of material from recycled tires, rather
than on open ground that gets packed as kids play on it.
The merry-go-round with its strong centrifugal force and metal
rails that could cause serious injury is generally absent now,
and if the teeter-totter still appears, it’s now made of plastic
rather than heavy wood.
The swing sets at parks and playground have evolved to become
safer than they used to be. With all the new materials, colors
and accessories, it’s still just as much fun as it ever was; just
a great deal safer.
About the Author:
James Morrison has written a number of articles on fun in the backyard including
Backyard Fun,
Wooden Swing Set.
Keep a lookout for more of his articles on this website.
Little Known Facts About Swing Sets....
Is your backyard missing something? No, it is not the apple tree.
No, it is not the sprinkler. It is a swing set. If you have children
or grandchildren having a swing set should be mandatory. Kids
love playing on swing sets and can do so for hours.
It gets them outside and playing which is always a good thing.
With so many children becoming obese at such an earlier age, it
is important to keep kids active. A swing set, to a child’s mind,
can be an amusement park, a playground and even a fort.
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