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Daycare Center and Family Home Forum>Outdoor Playset That Can Work for Toddler & Older!
kdparadise 06:50 AM 04-12-2010
Any ideas, my backyard only has a certain amount of space. Eventually we're considering moving, but I have what I have! I need to have an outdoor playset that can work for toddler and up to much older kiddos, as I'd like my 7yr old and up to be able to play on it as well. My husband had the idea of getting/making a playset that is the two level style and under the lowest level put a already made plastic toddler playset? Any other ideas as to how people combine the ages. My daycare will have your standard 2 under 2 and up to 5, but I want my older children (residents) to be able to play on it and be challenged also. We'll have a climbing area of the playset and upper level, large swing and baby swing, but it can't be gigantic. What do you all do? I need ideas, pictures, brand and models of playsets that work for younger ages and older??
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kitkat 12:22 PM 04-12-2010
I just have a basic wooden swing set that we built ourselves. It has a slide with ladder, 2 big kid swings, one baby swing, and a steering wheel toy. I also have a set of rings that I can hang instead of a swing. We have a separate sand box area. DS is 5 and is wanting a fort type thing, but I'm really not sure how much he'd actually play in it. The other problem is making sure little ones don't climb the ladder to it. DD is 18 months and can climb a 6ft+ tall ladder up to my nephew's fort/slide combo. Honestly, I don't even take my dckids to the park playground because DD and a dcg who is 2 are both dare devils. Whatever you make, I wouldn't make it very high.
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Childminder 12:45 PM 04-12-2010
I have one of the large wooden structures for the older children and a couple of the step2 and playskool climb on toys for the littler ones.
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momma2girls 12:47 PM 04-12-2010
We have just purchased a rainbow wooden swing set. We also checked out backyard adventure ones. I think the Rainbow ones are all over the U.S. It is very nice, and no weight limit whatsoever, even for adults. I can't wait to get it in!!! They also deliver and set it up for you, and if you ever move, they can move it and set it up for you as well.
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Crystal 01:26 PM 04-12-2010
I JUST put this in my backyard this weekend and I had the same requirements as you except only to age 6:

http://www.step2.com/product.cfm?product_id=1649
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originalkat 03:15 PM 04-12-2010
Originally Posted by Crystal:
I JUST put this in my backyard this weekend and I had the same requirements as you except only to age 6:

http://www.step2.com/product.cfm?product_id=1649
I have something VERY similar. It is great for the under fives, but the older ones get bored. I am going to get a larger wooden set designed for 3-10 year olds.

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originalkat 03:16 PM 04-12-2010
Originally Posted by Iowa daycare:
We have just purchased a rainbow wooden swing set. We also checked out backyard adventure ones. I think the Rainbow ones are all over the U.S. It is very nice, and no weight limit whatsoever, even for adults. I can't wait to get it in!!! They also deliver and set it up for you, and if you ever move, they can move it and set it up for you as well.
Do you mind me asking how much something like that runs? We have a dealer in town but I am afraid to ask how much it would be.
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kdparadise 11:09 AM 04-13-2010
My neighbor down the street has a Big Stuff Backyard playset. Her own kiddos are 2-9 and she has a infant/toddler swing attachment. I've been admiring how wonderful it looks, but she said it was very expensive and she got it at Sam's Club. Big Stuff Backyard is very expensive! Wow, but their pics don't do them justice, they are really high quality plastic accessories. She made a good point, she spent good money on a wooden playset and was constantly staining it and the wind damaged the cloth roof, well they had to replace it. Well, this would be on a wish list or perhaps there is a way to find their stuff on a clearance. Step 2 does make nice plastic pieces. Other companies do sell their accessories & large components separately. Hmmmm...
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momma2girls 11:17 AM 04-13-2010
Originally Posted by originalkat:
Do you mind me asking how much something like that runs? We have a dealer in town but I am afraid to ask how much it would be.
It was expensive $2000.00-$10,000.00 but it has rounded corners, redwood , absolutely no splinters, pretreated, lifetime warranty, and we got extra things free, as they were having a sale, free installation, and we took things away that we didn't want such as a sandbox, etc. we got it delivered and set up for $2500.00.They also had a sale 40 % off the weekend that we went to look at all of them. THere was such a huge difference between these, and Sam's club, Menards, Lowe's all of them. Plus there is no age or weight limit for adults as well. You can go on line and look where the locations are. I think they are all over! I can't wait to get it in!! I think they are well worth the money!! Plus it is a big added bonus, daycare deduction at the end of the yr. I googled it under rainbow wooden swingsets and found it. We had to drive 2 hrs. and look at their showroom, but really really loved them all set up and played with!!! If you have a chance to go thru a showroom with the swingsets all set up, wow!!! You would be amazed at all the differences!! You can also look on line at everything!!! There is a huge huge difference!!!
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MsKara 11:33 AM 04-13-2010
I've had success with putting an outdoor play-yard (a circular baby gate set up) around the ladder of our playset. My rule is, if they can climb over the play-yard gate to get to the ladder, or climb up the slide, they are old enough to do so. The rest of the littler ones play underneath, on the swings, or on smaller plastic climbers.
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Unregistered 10:03 AM 08-22-2010
Here is a link to a very reputable playground equipment company, I used them when i build a play area at my home. They did a great job, I highly recommend them

Commercial Playground Equipment
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Abigail 12:57 PM 08-22-2010
Originally Posted by Crystal:
I JUST put this in my backyard this weekend and I had the same requirements as you except only to age 6:

http://www.step2.com/product.cfm?product_id=1649
I was just looking at that online last night! ha ha. We have specific rules for licensing and I wanted to make sure I don't buy something huge that I couldn't use. This is perfect because even though it's ages 3-6, an 18 month old could use it just fine. The main thing that is different with this swing set you linked is that it only has 2 swings per bay VS. Rainbow Play Systems always seems to have three and I would have to remove one. Here is a basic list from our CCR&R that gives this information.

Unsafe Equipment
Yes No
�� �� There are no heavy swings or swings made out of wood, metal, or other rigid materials.
�� �� There are no animal figure swings.
�� �� There are no multiple-use occupancy swings (swings used by more than one child at a time) other than tire swings.
�� �� There are no swing sets with more than 2 swings per bay.
�� �� There are no rope swings; all ropes are anchored at both ends.
�� �� There are no trapeze bars or free swinging rings (exception: rings with chains less than 7 inches long).
�� �� Any see-saws present have a spring centering device for children 2-5 years of age. If see saws are used, for older children there must be a shock absorbing material required to cushion seat impact on the surface and the maximum height of the seat above the protective surfacing must not exceed 5 feet.
�� �� There are no trampolines.
�� �� There are no swinging gates.


This is only half a page pasted from an EIGHT page guidelines list! LOL I will have the space for outdoor equipment as I have nothing for outside right now. I'm just concerned about buying a larger playset because I only takes ages until they start school. Later I might do before/after school and have school age children during the summer, but not when I first start. I will always have 2 infants and up to 5 toddlers/preschoolers and just worry about them getting hurt if they fall or push each other off a higher playset! LOL, I do love those individual step 2 and fisher price slides...bright and colorful and can be spread apart and moved!
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laura margerison 08:02 PM 08-22-2010
Always a challenge to keep a range of kiddies happy but a good old fashioned sandpit, swing and a tree for the older kiddies is good value. Check out www.backyard-playsets.org
We got some ideas from this one.
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