Swing Sets Play

As a child, you probably remember pumping hard on the swing set so that you could go higher and higher; your legs would go back and forth as you soared up then down on the swing. You may have had one in your own backyard. As a parent, you will take all the necessary precautions to install your own child’s swing set in your backyard. It does take planning and preparation to make sure that it is safe.

Falls are a common occurrence among preschool aged children. Therefore, in order to minimize injuries that can happen with one, you should not have packed-down hard dirt. But rather, you should have sand or pea gravel, or a rubber surface under it. It is required by law that day cares and school playgrounds have one of these surfaces. If a child should fall on sand, pea gravel or a rubberized surface, his or her injuries will generally not be as severe as if he or she were to fall on a hard packed dirt surface. However, many parents do install them on grass in their homes (which still is not as bad as packed down dirt).

After you have decided which turf to put under it, you need to decide where you are going to place it. It should be about six feet (at least two meters) away from any encumbrances (buildings, fences, etc). It should also be far enough away from other play areas, such as a sandbox, and areas that get a great deal of walking, so that a child does not “kick” another child while swinging.