Backyard Play Structures
What You Need
to Know Before You Buy
By Liz Harris
Copyright
2004 by Parents' Press, all rights reserved
Originally published in the May 2004 print edition of Parents'
Press
Kids play all year, of course, but when
winter turns to spring, they're ready to fly the coop and head
for the great outdoors.
This time of year, many families think
seriously about buying backyard play structures. "As soon
as the sun comes out," says Paul Nielsen, the owner of Swings
'n' Things, families begin flocking to his Bay Area showrooms.
There's a lot to look at, too. Besides
the proverbial swing sets, there are forts and towers, rock walls,
trapeze bars, fire poles, and much more. Since most sets are
modular, it's relatively easy to add items or remove them, if
necessary, as children grow older.
Though most kids can get a good ten years' play out of a backyard
structure from the time they're toddlers until they lose
interest as teens some parents don't waste a second getting
everything in place.
"They start shopping before they're
born," says Debbie Beruyte, the owner of PlayNation Playgrounds
in Oakley, with a laugh, because soon enough, "they'll be
using the infant swings or will have extended family" over
for a visit, "so they're ready to set up their yard for
kids."
PlayNation serves the entire Bay Area,
but its bread and butter lies in the booming bedroom communities
of Tracy and nearby parts of the San Joaquin Valley. Not only
is the area filled with young families, says Beruyte, but, "It's
growing like crazy, and they have good-sized yards."
Though small yards can definitely put
a crimp in kids' style, they don't preclude play structures altogether.
"So far," says Beruyte, "we have never found a
yard we couldn't get something into," even if it's just
a tower and a swing.
Nielsen, who has Swings 'n' Things stores
in Danville, Petaluma, and Sebastopol, says small yards are commonplace
nowadays, so, "We just try to whittle something down to
fit. We ask for diagrams, and we'll plot it out."
One woman, he recalls, had only a 10-foot
by 7-foot plot to work with, but instead of trying to squeeze
in a swing or slide, "She just wanted a tower with a rock
wall, someplace for her children to hang out."
Scott Schulz, owner of The Backyard
Factory in Dublin, agrees that with careful planning, you don't
have to compromise fun or safety in small spaces.
"We've tucked some very small play
sets into side yards," he says.
In Berkeley, he points out, there are
loads of smaller lots, and for homes in the Oakland hills, he's
designed and installed long, narrow sets for hillside lots.
A primary concern, always, is safety.
"We recommend a safety clearance
for kids of six feet around the entire set," Schulz says.
"The last thing I want to do is
try to cram someone into a backyard where they can get hurt."
Play sets can range from four to seven
feet high. But five feet is a good average height, retailers
agree. Plus, you can always add another platform or structural
component at a different level.
Conversely, you don't want something
a child will quickly outgrow.
"I try to recommend not buying
for the age right now, because they are going to grow into it,"
says Nielsen. "If you buy something bigger, they are more
inclined to use it."
And sets are built with safety in mind.
Beruyte notes that decks are enclosed (which conforms with Consumer
Product Safety Commission recommendations that platforms more
than 30 inches above the ground have guardrails to prevent falls),
and that "safety stepladders" are available for those
as young as 18 months.
"We want to get them a set that
has all the features that are important to that family,"
says Beruyte. "We start simple and basic," then supplement
as necessary.
That doesn't mean everyone begins with
a swing set.
"For some people, they're more
concerned about getting a nice quality, strong climbing structure,"
she says. One customer, for example, eschewed a swing set for
a tower and rock wall, rope ladder, and tire swing for her boys.
Beruyte, incidentally, is not the only
person to suggest that boys tend to prefer climbing to swinging.
"There is definitely a difference,"
she attests, between the sexes.
Schulz, who carries Wood Play products,
says the most consistent sellers at his showroom are forts, slides,
and swings, although rock walls and tire swings are popular add-ons.
And Nielsen, the retailer of Creative
Playthings, insists, "They all go out with slides. The only
time they don't is when space is a concern."
"I think the parents have a lot
of input and put a lot of thought into it," says Schulz.
But he believes children should vote with their feet. "We
recommend bringing the kids down to the store and seeing what
they play with. We have over 12 different series of forts in
50 different varieties."
The price spectrum for play equipment
is broad, no matter where you shop. While $600 is common for
a starter set, several Bay Area retailers agreed that their average
sale falls between $1,500 and $2,500.
That might seem a large sum to swallow,
but Schulz offers a palatable explanation: "This is a one-time
investment. You shouldn't have to buy another unless you move"
and can't take it with you. (Unlike the old metal set that had
to be cemented into the ground so it wouldn't topple over, today's
wooden play structure is portable, though heavy. "Gravity
will hold it down," Schulz notes.)
If money is no object, one might consider
the play structures of Barbara Butler. The San Francisco artist-builder
creates backyard fantasies. While some of her forts and playhouses
are modestly priced at under $15,000, her custom extravaganzas
can go for tens of thousands of dollars, or top $100,000.
One of her best sellers, the Robin Hood
Fort, carries a price tag of just under $14,000. For that, you
get an adorable, colorful, two-story hideout with all sorts of
play features and wonderful details such as a jail-bar window
and a front door with a peeper/knocker and a mailbox slot.
Whether a yard is large or small, finding
the perfect place for a play structure is not that difficult.
Proper clearance is essential, however; the Consumer Product
Safety Commission sets a minimum of six feet in all directions.
Another important factor is visibility.
Most parents want to keep their children within eyesight. "Seventy
to 80 percent of our customers say, 'I'd like to be able to see
them,'" says Schulz.
One of the most practical views is through
the kitchen window. "Dinnertime is hectic, and it's nice
to be able to say, 'Why don't you go outside and play a little
bit?'" says Schulz, who has a 2-year-old and a 4-year-old
at home.
Having your very own play area "is
kind of like having a park in your backyard," he adds. "It's
just very convenient to have it at home."
Liz Harris is
a Marin-based writer and regular contributor to Parents' Press.
Previous articles have covered such diverse topics as co-housing
for families, athletic scholarships, and dad-and-baby hiking
clubs.
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For information
on making older play structures and playgrounds safer for children,
see A
Question of Arsenic.
Playing It Safe
Every year, about
200,000 children end up in hospital emergency rooms due to playground
and play structure accidents, according to the U.S. Consumer
Product Safety Commission (CPSC).
An estimated
one-fourth of those incidents occurs on home play equipment.
Most injuries
are the result of falls, so what goes beneath the structure is
very important.
Although many
play structures sit directly on lawn, the CPSC points out that
grass and turf "lose their ability to absorb shock through
wear and environmental conditions." It recommends using
protective surfacing, such as double-shredded bark mulch, wood
chips, fine sand, or gravel, at a depth of at least six inches.
Another option
is synthetic surfaces specifically designed for playgrounds.
Scott Schulz, owner of The Backyard Factory, likes Groundscape,
which is made from recycled tires. The steel is removed and the
rubber "shredded like popcorn," he says. It comes in
a handful of colors.
Debbie Beruyte
of PlayNation Playgrounds recommends certified playground chips
over bark, which she says will splinter if used by itself.
As for the structures
themselves, frames are usually made of wood, slides from plastic,
and clips and other metal parts covered in protective nylon.
Many frames are
made of redwood, which has tannins that make it naturally resistant
to rot and insects. For those worried about the cutting of trees,
ask for farmed redwood.
Western red cedar,
which is typically less expensive than redwood, is another option.
It may not be as smooth to the touch as redwood, however, so
examine it closely.
A third option
is Southern yellow pine. It's about the same price as redwood,
but lighter in color, says Beruyte, who carries both.
What to Wear
Playground safety
experts also caution against letting your child wear clothing
with a drawstring at the neck, such as a hooded sweatshirt, while
playing on structures. Drawstrings have been implicated in some
strangling fatalities on playground equipment.
And while you
might think that a bicycle helmet could protect your child's
head in case of a fall, wearing a helmet of any type is actually
hazardous. Like drawstrings, helmets have been involved in play
structure strangulation deaths.
For additional
information on play structure safety, visit the Consumer Product
Safety Commission website at www.cpsc.gov.
L.H.
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