How to Design the Best Home Playsetfor your Kids
There are few things that kids love as much as playing on jungle gyms in the park. Climbing up the one side and sliding down the other, is a game that can keep them entertained for hours on end. Gyms help children develop their imagination. Often you will find a whole series of games created around the playtime structures. The slide may be a runway for an airplane to take off; the bridge could be crossing a raging river; the tower at the top could be a lookout. Play is essential to any child’s learning and development. The physical actions of climbing, crawling and sliding down help develop coordination and strength. Emotionally kids benefit because they get to interact with their friends and have fun. Because of this many parents like the idea of having a playset in their garden at home. They see the value of playgrounds and having one at home means that your children can play in a safe environment for longer each day. When looking around for a playset, here are few things to consider.
Finding a Playset made out of Materials that will last
There are several materials that are commonly used to create playsets. These are metal, plastic and wood, and sometimes a combination of two or more materials. In terms of cost, plastic sets are usually the cheapest. Unfortunately you pay for what you get and they usually do not last. Plastic will often crack in extreme temperatures, the colors fade easily after being in the sun for a while, and often plastics are not strong enough to withstand rough and tumble kids play. Metal is certainly stronger but it is still susceptible to the elements. If you live in an area that is particularly cold, wet or humid it could easily rust. Even though metal can be treated, the paint will often peel off over time. Wood is a popular alternative for playsets. While it is still susceptible to wear and tear from the elements, if treated properly can far outlast metal and plastic. The type of wood used is the key. Soft woods will warp when they get wet. Planks that are not properly sanded down and treated can splinter. However, if it is a hardwood and is sealed with the right type of oil or varnish it can withstand extreme temperatures without cracking.
Where can you find Designs to choose from?
You could go down to your local hardware store or garden center and ask for their advice. Often garden centers have a number of ready-made designs that can simply be transported and constructed in your garden at home. If you are looking to benefit from good value it can be worth your while shopping online. Do a search for playsets and you should have a number of companies that come up. Many have catalogs where you can put together different elements of a playset to create your own unique playground. You can take advantage of their design tools and quite literally build your own design. Once you have completed our design, you can choose to have the structure shipped to you for you to tackle as a DIY project. If you know that your building efforts are not that sharp, you may want to opt to get the playset professionally installed by a contractor.
Elements of a Great Playset
When creating your playset there are a number of things to keep in mind. First of all, the playset, if well constructed, is likely to last up to ten years or more. This means that it needs to have elements to it that will continue to provide entertainment for your children as they grow older. Have multiple levels, preferably two or three, where kids can have different territories. Ideal is to have a tower house which can always be converted into a type of treehouse or play den as they grow older. Next make sure that there are between three and six different access points. Kids love to be able to climb up one side and down the other, crawl through things and create their own obstacle course. You can also incorporate things like car tires or cargo nets as different areas where they can climb or crawl. A great playset will also have a bridge or some sort. The bridge can be either a slatted wooden swing bridge or a log with a cargo net on either side of it. This is ideal for teaching kids balance and to overcome fears. For more information please Visit : www.kidscreations.com
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