Kids Play Ground

   / Kids Play Ground #1  

EddieWalker

Epic Contributor
Joined
May 26, 2003
Messages
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Location
Tyler, Texas
Tractor
Several, all used and abused.
My grandson will be 4 in a few weeks and he has asked me to build him a playground. He likes to swing and go down a slide and climb the rock wall, so those will be part of it. I'm also thinking about a fort up in the air, maybe attached to a tree in my back yard. Might make the slide go down from the fort and a rock wall to get up to it.

Home Depot used to have some of this stuff in their stores, but they don't anymore. Amazon seems expensive, but maybe that's what stuff costs now? I'm hoping somebody on here has done this recently and you found a good source of materials for a reasonable cost?

I'm also hoping some of you can post pictures of what you did, that might inspire me to make this better for him.
 
   / Kids Play Ground #2  
Unfortunately I have nothing to add but based on your previous posted projects I guessing your Grandson is going to have an awesome playground.

You better stock up on kool-aid and snacks for him and all of his buddies.
 
   / Kids Play Ground #3  
I know that the "Mountaineering" stores sell the rock climbing stuff.
 
   / Kids Play Ground #4  
So 10 years ago, when my daughter was 4, I built her a fort/play house that has a platform ~ 8ft up.


I hate to tell you, but the parts are expensive no ands, ifs or buts. I lucked out and found a plastic slide at Lowe's on clearance (I think maybe $100). I did incorporate parts from a metal swing set we had got from Walmart a few years before.

I would also check Craig's list or the local Facebook marketplace for used play sets that you could rework into a you own design. Around here, parents buy them and then when the kids hit 10, they put them up for sale cheap.
 
   / Kids Play Ground #5  
I bought a playhouse/slide/swingset for my Grand daughter, last year, from Amazon for $749. It is really lightweight and adults make the joints move when swinging. Check out one of those speciality playground places where all their product line is assembled and check them out or to get ideas. They are not cheap, but way stronger than what I bought.
hugs, Brandi
 
   / Kids Play Ground #6  
..........oh yeah, it has a small rock wall on the side of the playhouse. Kids love'em.
hugs, Brandi
 
   / Kids Play Ground #7  
Make sure you add a rope and pulley with a bucket so he can haul milk and cookies up to his fort.

Doug in SW IA
 
   / Kids Play Ground #8  
Check with this guy. He is not far from you and I think that sometimes he has used playground equipment.

Kincade Recreation
 
   / Kids Play Ground
  • Thread Starter
#9  
Thank you for the ideas.

My first thought is to build a platform off of the trees and the height of the platform will be based on the slide. From what I'm seeing, 4 feet off the ground seems to be the most common. That doesn't seem like much of a slide to me. There is a significant jump in cost for a 5 foot height, and that slide is two pieces instead of one. I prefer one piece because I think it would be stronger and last longer, but I have no first hand knowledge to support this.

I've looked on Craigslist and saw a "fort" in Dallas for a good price, but it's 2 hours away, and the more I looked at it, the less I wanted to drive that far.

I'll have to look through FB. I didn't think of that.

His Birthday Party is August 29th, so I need to find a slide and get it ordered this week.
 
   / Kids Play Ground #10  
I would suggest not attaching to a tree. Not healthy for the tree. And, the tree is growing and and moving with the wind, affecting your attachment points.
 
 
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