Front Yard Playset

I'm thinking you would get LOTS of flack from the neighbors. I'd get a smaller one for the backyard.

R.,

Sorry - you are asking for trouble. In your front yard is an invitation for kids to come and play - and to get hurt...and make YOU responsible...check your home owners policy for what is labeled "Attractive nuisance" - a play set in the front would, in my opinion, fall under the "attractive nuisance" category..
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Attractive_nuisance_doctrine

I wouldn't do it. I would look for one that fits in my backyard or take my kid to a playground.

Good luck!

You're asking for all sorts of problems if you put it in the front yard. Kids could just walk up any time, day or night, whether you're home or not and play on it. Others can destroy it or vandalize it. Children can get hurt on it and it would be your responsibility to pick up the medical bills/lawyer fees. Also, what neighbor would want to look out their window and see the playset every single day/night?

Go for something a bit smaller and put it in the back yard where you have control over who uses it and when and how.

another vote for attractive nuisance.

Get one that fits in your backyard or don't do it.

Personally? I wouldn't to see a playset in the neighbors front yard.

You're begging for a lawsuit when some random kid gets hurt on it... In addition to it being an eyesore, I absolutely wouldn't even consider it

If a neighbor child plays on your set and gets injured, you might have a legal problem (honestly, that would be my main concern). And, yeah, if my neighbor put a playset in their front yard, I'd be pretty upset.

I'd vote for "nope, no way, absolutely not".

I am in the eyesore/ attractive nuisance camp. I would not put it in your front yard.

Get a smaller one and put it in the back. Definitely an eyesore. Don't do it!

I wouldn't do it, what if some strange kid plays on it and gets seriously hurt?

We have a pretty strict HOA and that would be a no go in our neighborhood.

Even if we did not have an HOA, I would not put something like that in my front yard due to detracting from the curb appeal of my home and potential liability because the structure is not enclosed in a gated area.

If I were a neighbor of someone who wanted this... I would not be happy and yes, it would bother me......because it would detract curb appeal from my home (and the neighborhood) and since we no longer have children living at home, we would not be crazy about hearing children out front of our yard.

HOA's can be a blessing and a curse at the same time. We have a homeowner in our area (Thank God, we don't have to drive by that house daily) who just installed some sort of solar panels on his roof that look hideous. To my knowledge, he did not get approval from HOA and there is a huge issue right now because like I said... HUGE eyesore in that area of the neighborhood which harms curb appeal for the houses around him.

My two cents worth is: No I would not put a play structure in my front yard for several reasons.

I am all for using the front yard but something like this is not good safety wise plus if someone in the area is trying to sell their home ( or you try to sell your home) ... it does damage the property value for all.

The question is: are you willing to have kids of all ages constantly in your front yard, invited or not, at all hours of the day and night, during dinner hour and homework time and nap time, doing what kids do to swings and slides (daring each other to go higher and faster, pushing each other, getting hurt, shrieking and laughing)? You might hope that a few nice kids will play sweetly and innocently, but the truth is often very different. You will never have control over your yard, you'll constantly be monitoring, you will set yourself up for lawsuits, and your daughter may not be able to enjoy her own play set. I would figure out what your backyard can accommodate and manage with that, even if it's smaller than what you wished for. Then the choice of play times, guests, and behavior is back in your control.

ETA

We decided to not have swings at my child care facility, can you guess why???

The previous owners had taken their swing sets with them and I wanted to buy some new ones but when our insurance agent found out....WOW!!!

Our liability insurance would nearly triple. Swings are a huge dangerous risk and the insurance shoots up.

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What does your insurance agent say?

I would imagine the cost of your insurance would go up with this in your front yard and not inside a fence.

When you're gone the kids will play on it and YOU will have to pay for any accidents that happen, even if you tell them they can't be on it.

If you put a sign out that says not responsible for accidents that says "I know you're going to play on it and if you get hurt so what". You're still liable.

If you can't put it in the back yard then for goodness sake, get her something else.

We have a play set and it fits fine in a small yard. You just have to get the size that fits. Your child is nearly 5 and then a new baby coming. I'd think you could do with some Little Tykes stuff. It's so flexible. For now the bigger girl will enjoy several of their options and when the baby is old enough to go out and swing or climb on something like a Kangaroo Climber you can get that then. We kept our Kangaroo Climber in the bedroom and the kids played inside on it for 9 months before we took it outside.

If you really want to go with something they'll both be able to use for years then a wooden one is best for sure. I do still think the back yard or not at all though.

I would check for city ordinances. Some cities have limits on what can be in front yards. I used to live in a city that would not let people park boats or RVs in driveways. They also had size limits on garden sheds.

Like someone else said, if it was in the front yard I would worry about just random kids playing on it. An injury could be a nightmare. You would be liable.

As a neighbor, I would hate it. I think all the plastic Little Tyke playhouses and toys in our neighbors' front yard in an eyesore.

Can you get a slightly smaller one that would fit in the back yard?

I think that it comes down to a matter of preference and I prefer them on the side yard or back yard, mostly for aesthetics but partially for safety of the children. If they are out back, they are less likely to chase a ball into the street, for example. But I think if you put it off to the side, it wouldn't be such a big deal. If you have no HOA, then you put it where you want it. Or you can reconsider the size or configuration of the set. Ours is not enormous. It's a double swing, a slide, two regular swings and a small fort thing. It's plenty for the kids. Do YOU want the bells and whistles or would your kids really use them all? And do you really want to be the playground for the neighborhood? Those are considerations. We did/do allow the friends to play on our set but not without us home.

I don't think I have EVER seen a swing set/structure in a front yard. Not only does it not look good, but you probably should think about liability. Do you really want random kids in your yard when you're not home or just don't know they're out there? Just get a smaller one, one that fits your backyard. We did one without the slide at the end and it was fine, it still had monkey bars, swings, trapeze and a little fort type enclosure where they played house, store, etc.

We have several neighbors who have a front yard play set, swings hanging from tree branches, tire swings, etc., with zero issues. One of my neighbors has one on the side, but they live on a corner so it's very visible. The dad is a federal agent so I doubt he's flaunting any laws or doing anything blatantly unsafe. No one complains, it's not an eyesore, no neighborhood kids are whining about not being invited over. I honestly think it's a shame that you can't use your front yard! We seem to have evolved into a back yard/ back deck society with no one spending any time in the front yards anymore. Just because it's a habit doesn't mean it's a necessity.

Check with your town's zoning department about "structures" (same rules will apply to things like storage sheds and tree houses, but I don't know if portable swing sets are in the same category). Ask what's allowed, and if there's any rule about it being a certain number of feet from the property line. Also check with your insurance agent - it may well be that anyone who trespasses on your property and gets hurt on the swing set is "at their own risk". Even if you had a swing set in the side yard or the back yard, if someone comes over to play on it without your permission, isn't it the same issue? Swimming pools and trampolines have high injury rates but I'm not sure the same can be said of swing sets.

What I would do is put down a thick layer of bark mulch (for cushioning, and because you aren't going to get any grass to grow there anyway). For "curb appeal", if you were to sell your house, that area could become a garden, or the mulch could be raked up and new grass planted.

I'm surprised at the answers here. Where I live, several people have them in their front or side yards where they are visible from the street. I never gave it a second thought.

I personally would probably want to put some landscaping at the edge of the yard around it so that it's clear that the playset is enclosed in the yard. It's not a fence, but kids are less likely to wander in if there is some kind of obstacle, even if it's just some bushes or ornamental grasses.

Instead of asking the opinion of your neighbors, it would be much more productive and wise on your part to inquire of your insurance and town ordinance.

My personal preference is to keep kids toys and the like in the back of the house. It can keep you children and your family safer. Some thieves and predators target homes because of stuff you have laying around the front of your property. This is sad but true fact.

I say be safe and happy. Find out what limitations would be placed on you by the authorities being your insurance company and the city ordinances. This whole conversation may just be moot.

i'm a little taken aback by the majority here!
while i myself would not want a playset in my front yard, my first consideration would be the benefit to my family over all. if the dang thing doesn't fit in the back yard, and my kids would love it, then in the front it would go. if there are ordinances against it, of course that won't fly, but if it's simply a matter of aesthetics, i prefer function over form any day. and something that would get my kids outside and playing would way win over 'do the neighbors like it?'
as for 'attractive nuisance', that's the sort of thing that makes me nut up. it's other people's jobs to keep their kids in check. if you seriously have ungoverned hooligans who will invade your property without your knowledge and permission and then sue you over it, you may have to put up a fence.
i myself would be more likely to call the cops if i saw people coming into my yard and using my property without my permission. and i certainly wouldn't base my decision on what unethical people might do. you'd never get anything done in life!
khairete
S.

I don't think a playset in the front yard or the back yard is a good idea. The way I saw it is if I had a playset in the yard I wouldn't have a reason to take the kids to the playground every day and the kids would end up stuck in the yard playing alone. The front yard would definitely be an eyesore. Do you not have playgrounds in your neighbourhood that you can take your daughter to play? Going to the local playground is a great way for your child to make friends and to meet other parents.