To Swing Or Not To Swing?

[Mary Poppins]

So I am setting up the outdoor play yard happyface and as of now only have "safe-ish" toys (playhouses, toddler slides, sandpit, etc). I'm considering adding a large piece of play equipment but unsure if I want swings, monkey bars, etc.

Just curious how many of you do swings?

[Michelle]

we have swings, monkey bars etc. but we are very diligent at watching the kids carefully. When a little baby wants to walk close to the swings we just yell out "baby rules" and the older kids know to stop or slow down.
Monkey bars... we usually hold them while they cross until we feel they are fully capable of doing it themselves. We have alot of padding under the structure. We even have a rock wall.
They just need a lot of supervision.

[SilverSabre25]

How about something like this?


I badly want one of these, someday.

We have a swingset. Our rules are that I don't push kids on the wswings, period. I don't lift them up, either. If they can't get up on their own, if they can't swing on their own, they just have to deal. Saves me a LOT of trouble!

[Heidi]

How about something like this?


I badly want one of these, someday.

We have a swingset. Our rules are that I don't push kids on the wswings, period. I don't lift them up, either. If they can't get up on their own, if they can't swing on their own, they just have to deal. Saves me a LOT of trouble!

How very Montessori of you, Sabre! "when your body is ready......"

My kids used to con strangers into pushing them on the swings once in a while. I am sure they were thinking "gee, what a lazy mom!"

[Piemama]

Does anyone have one of those Geometric climbers? I'm curious if the younger ones (<3yrs) are able to use it.

[cheeseheadmama]

We have a smallish climber in our back-yard that has 2 swings. I love them and hate them at the same time. The kids use them constantly and relatively safely, but they are always arguing about whose turn it is and how that kid had more time and the other kids are hogging the swings, etc. I also rarely push anyone but the babies on swing because it was such a hassle and now they either do it themselves or recruit a friend to help.

[MN Day Mom]

Does anyone have one of those Geometric climbers? I'm curious if the younger ones (<3yrs) are able to use it.

I have one and the little ones love climbing through it and sitting under it. I also have a tent that attaches to it so it becomes a tented igloo of sorts... lots of fun!

[Cat Herder]

We are required to have 10-15 inches of LOOSE mulch to have a swingset.

We sure miss them...

[Sunchimes]

15 inches!! Wouldn't you lose a small child in that? Seems like it would be like walking through quicksand!

[DCMom]

I want one of those geoclimbers! My dckids would use it in all sorts of ways.

I have 6 swings, 2 slides, 2 gliders with two different wooden climbing towers for the older kids. Its those kits that you buy at the home improvement stores that you have your dh put together

I have a Step 2 climber with two bucket swings for the infant/toddlers. Nobody over the age of 3 is allowed on that set. These are the only swings I will push or help kids onto.

No monkey bars though, I just think those are an accident waiting to happen. If the equipment is used properly and with direct supervision, the chances of getting hurt are small; it's when kids don't use the equipment properly that they get hurt. JMHO

[AnythingsPossible]

If you work by yourself or have mixed age groups I wouldn't suggest doing swings. They require constant direct supervision.

[Blackcat31]

I have two swings. (used to have more but am down to 2). I have rules just like Silver. If you can get up on them, you can use them. NO ONE is allowed to push or pull anyone else on the swings. I will not lift up or down and I absolutely will not push you on the swings.

I am slowly fading my swings out though because the kids just fight over them and I am seriously not getting 10 swings so....

I am buying a geoclimber for the little ones. I had a big metal one for the bigger kids but don't take kids past Kindergarten any more so it had to go.

The geoclimbers come in lots of different sizes for all the age groups. They are pretty reasonable priced and I think the kids would rather have one of them than to swing.

I plan on buying through this company: http://www.domeclimber.com/index.php

[youretooloud]

I don't have a real back yard, so I couldn't have a swing set. I would get one though! I think swings are super important for development.

I wouldn't push kids on a swing, but I'd encourage them to do it themselves. By age four, they can usually pump themselves.

[DBug]

We have a small dome climber (about 6ft across), and the littles start trying to climb it when they're about 2.5. My rule is also "If you can't do it yourself, you need to find something else to do" -- ie. you're still too small to do it . The thing I love about it is that it is very self-limiting. They really can't get up themselves until they're physically capable of mastering it. In the meantime, they climb through and play underneath.

In the summer, we put the parachute over it to make a tent and have circle time under there

Swings though? No way we could handle swings in my tiny yard . I wish we could!

[Country Kids]

I use to have two swingsets and now down to one. The one I got rid of had two swings, a rope swing, 4 seater swing and a slide. The one I kept has two swings, a trapeze swing, seasaw swing, slide and monkey bars.

I'm soooo hoping I can talk hubby into getting a playstructure from somewhere this spring. I would love to have one.

I then have a playhouse, the playcastle, the little tykes tube with slides, another slide called the tree house and then my find of a century "The Cottage" from Cosco. It is a playhouse that is 9 feet long, 6 feet wide, and like 6 feet tall. A friend of mine gave it to me for FREE! Her granddaughters didn't want it anymore so she blessed me with it. I love it!