Outdoor Playset - What to Look For

we got ours 2 summers ago. we love it. we have harsh winters and a south facing yard so we have to sand and stain it this year. but it will be a fun family project. We got one that has a picnic table built under half in shade from the clubhouse on top. 2 swings and a glider swing. I really like having the glider swing for littler kids when they come over they sit with an older one who helps propel them. it has a roost at the top and crossing bars and a little rock wall as well as a slide. we got ours at Sam's club. its solid and sturdy. there is a little box for a sand box but we just let the grass grow tall in there and the kids LOVE using it for a "nest" I didn't want to deal with sand coming in the house. we already have 2 dogs. and neighbors with sand boxes complain about the cats in the area using it as a litter box. Yuck. so we opted not to do that. I also just really like having the set on grass, its naturally soft I let it grow a little long there so the turf is stronger and stands up to the kids. of course we don't have a playground full on it all the time--maybe 2 or 3 at a time, or just our daughter by herself. it saved money on something to put around the set, and I've been really happy with the decision. having a good trimmer is important with that though. we already had one for the rest of the yard.
the crossing bars aren't used right now since my dd is only 4. but we wanted a set that will grow up with her and we are really happy that we did that.

Just look for holes or wood where hornets/wasps can dig in and start nests. Those are the worst. Holes can be covered with tape, but it might be better not to have them at all.

Hi R.,
We (actually are kids, 4 & 5) purchased the big wooden one that Sams sells. Our kids had been eyeing it for quite awhile so we put them to work so they could earn some money. They worked in our orchard, selling lemonade at our peach stand and selling the peach wood after they gathered it. Between their work and their savings they came up with 2/3's of the cost. It comes with a slide, climbing wall, two swings, a dual back to back swing, a clubhouse, monkey bars a lookout tower and a picnic table. It can also contain a sand pit but we opted to put wood chips throughout so we don't use the sand pit. I believe you can also buy a variety of other items too. We were blessed when we went to purchase it as it was marked down about $300. That was this last fall so they were trying to get rid of the last couple they had. You might keep that in mind. Our kids absolutely love it, they worked very hard for it so I think they'll enjoy it for years to come. (I believe it said it was good for up to 10 year olds. I would think that might depend on the size/weight of the child).On the "down side" it was very difficult to put together. I believe the instructions advised that it would take something like 40 hours for two competent (yes, competent:) people to put together. My husband, who is a carpenter/contractor took about 32 hours with a bit of help from me. I had a friend of mine who's daughter had purchased one and she claims she didn't have anything but problems with hers. She said it wasn't constructed well, the bolts kept coming loose etc. After seeing how sturdy ours is and how well put together and how durable it seems to be I would conclude that someone didn't do a sound job with the one my friend spoke of. We have a lot of wind here at our place and this winter was a doozy but through it all the playground stood the tests of the weather and still looks as good and steady as they day my husband finished it. I had done some research on various sets before we settled on the Sams one. "Play-Mor" has a large variety but they were more then we wanted to spend and the construction didn't appear to us to be any better. Sorry this is long but I hope it helps. Blessings, L.

Several years ago some friends of ours were being transferred to Houston and they gave us a really big playset from someplace like Lowes. It is pretty fun. My concerns after having it in Oklahoma storms. The slide occassionaly, after a 80-100 mile an hour wind, will be up out of the ground and the underneath support will be swinging under it instead of being covered by dirt. The slide basically floats on the air currents and then falls back to the ground with the support being misplaced. All we have to do is go back out and push it back into it's place but it still could be more secure.

The add ons are fun and can be interchanged with a few possible drilling modifications. If it is for a different brand you'll have to drill new holes and treat the other holes inside. Treat the wood as often as possible, it keeps it looking nice and keeps the wood smoother so there are less splinter opportunities. We haven't had any splinters.

A girl friend and I went over during the week and took the playset apart. The guys from church went over Saturday morning to my freineds house and moved the equipment by trucks and then put it back together in about 2 hours, moving it and all. The glider rusted out and didn't last very long but we use a regular swing, a swinging bar, and a toddler swing now. the kids love the rope wall and play pirates on it a lot. They also like the rope swing, it should be just a climbing rope but they jump off the platform and swing on it.

It is worth an investment because it will last a long time and all the kids in the neighborhood will want to come to your house and that way you get to keep an eye on your little ones and make sure they are safe.

One last thought, call your insurance agent and ask about additional coverage on this and what if neighborhood kids got hurt on it, you may want to up your insurance just a bit to be safe.

When I was looking for a playset. I read on the Costco site that you should treat the wood within 6 months of purchase and every year after that. I looked at other high quality wood sets and they to would requite a lot of maintenance. I have to stain my back porches and I didn't want to have to maintain a wood playset too so we went with metal. It is coated so it will not rust. It has a fire pole, three swing spots, a deck and a slide. My husband is going to build a sand box underneath the deck this summer. You can add monkey bars, rock walls, etc. just like the wood sets. It also has colorful canopies that you can buy for shade. We purchased ours at Pitcher Sports on State Street in Sandy, UT.

Good Luck! Our kids love ours.

We bought a Woodlawn set when we built our home in 2000 for our then 5 yr old daughter. We had 3 swing area, tire swing, horse swing, the ladder rungs across the top, upstairs "fort" with the slide and instead of the sandbox underneath the fort, we opted for a picnic type table. Our first one had the sandbox and we didn't like it.

We spent over $2500 and I just sold it to a mom on mamasource around Christmas. The people she hired to take it to her home said it was in the best shape of most they had ever seen, especially for the age.

SO....a little care and buying quality pays off. You get what you pay for. However, that does not mean buying the most expensive on the market. Just look for quality wood. The company we bought from came out, leveled the area and installed it as well. We did routine care for it over the years. I am sure the children who got it are enjoying it.

Kids played on our set for a long time....it was well used and well worth the money.

We were on the great search for an outdoor playset as well. We chose the toddler version afterall. However, we did find a an intermediate set (3 swings and a medium sized slide) online at Walmart for $130. We were tempted then decided we didn't want to have to move it to mow around, etc. At Toys R Us, they have been having really good sales on their swing sets, too. Most of their items over the weekends have been free shipping.

Can't help with anything else! We are just beginners with the whole thing!