Swing Sets, What to Look For and Ways to Keep Your Kids Safe

Kids love swings, they are one of the most popular pieces of playground equipment you can find for your child. In reality it is just a seat suspended from a horizontal beam but it's also so much more.

A swing set is really just a set of swings, often two but maybe more. They will often be made up of other playground equipment such as a slide, a seesaw. In some cases a cubby house may also be incorporated.

As a swing set contains more than one piece this allows more than one child to be using the equipment at the same time. Often in a residential environment a swing set may consist of a standard swing, which is suitable for children over the age of four and a toddler version. As the name implies this is considered suitable or children up to the age of 4.

A toddler swing is quite different to a standard swing and will generally allow the child to be more secure in the swing, which is a necessity at the toddler stage where children are less aware of the dangers of taking a tumble.

This involves in most cases a seat belt and the swing may appear more as a molded seat than a standard flat piece of timber of plastic.

Safety Tips

Safety should be your first concern when looking into purchasing playground equipment for your children. Look for a reputable brand and quality construction. A decent quality swing set will have reinforcement brackets and come with securing pegs to allow you to secure the item to the ground. A common problem with swing sets is a rocking movement that may occur when more than one child is using the it, especially if the children are swinging in unison. Using reinforcement pegs will stabilise the swing set and allow your children to swing without fear of the swing set tipping over.

The placement of your set should also be considered. Obviously you will need to avoid placing it in an area that may be in close proximity to trees or other playground equipment. You should be aware of the surface the swing set is placed upon. If possible a sand or loose bark base is ideal, however this isn't always practical so at the very least avoid hard surface such as concrete. Also remember to teach your children to be aware of children in their direct vicinity when swinging. A child that walks behind a swing when in motion can put themselves at risk of injury.