Backyard Playgrounds
photos provided by Playground World and Woodplay
Imagine This
Give your kids the classic childhood experience with a backyard playset.
With spring in full swing, save on trips to the playground and add one to your backyard. Playground World, which has locations in Canfield and Medina, offers playground construction kits made of natural, durable cedar with easy assembly to create a fun bonding activity between parents and their children ages 2 to 13.
“We’re all about children growing into units, not outgrowing them,” says Tony Adamic, owner of Playground World. “If you’re buying it for Sue and Johnny and they’re 2 and 4 years old, you want to think of them being 8, 10 years old when you buy the playset.”
Pick and order your custom playground in a set, choosing between five different wooden playset series, including sets with a wide base for a tire swing, mega sets and compact sets. Each of these sets has various safety features such as optional padded rails and industry-standard triple-joint construction. Big or small, Playground World can deliver and install sets in your backyard for a fee, or if you buy from the Medina location in April, installation is free, and check for sale prices.
So sit back and sip a cool, crisp beverage on a warm spring day as your kids invite their friends and play on some of these exciting sets — all in your backyard!
Jungle Tower (Safari series, $2,089)
Sometimes, all you need for a good bit of fun are a couple of classic belt swings hung at 8 feet tall, a smooth flowing 8-foot Alpine slide and a 4-foot deck. Swings and add-ons include a knotted rope, glider, toddler seats or trapeze bars and rings as your kids age. This set is perfect for those looking to unwind after a workday and catch up with their kids while pushing them on swings, and it’s one of the simplest sets for a childhood’s worth of fun.
Tip: For longevity, apply a child-safe, oil-based transparent sealer stain every two to three years to keep up this and other stained playsets.
6’ Combo 2 with Firepole (Playhouse series, $7,809)
With a towering 6-foot-tall deck, this combo set features a 12-foot slide, a 9-foot-tall swing beam and three levels of play with a base picnic table or sandbox and a third-level skybox with a lookout. It can have up to six stations where you can add periscopes, spotlights or a ship captain’s wheel. Plus, a firepole is a nice touch and lets your children safely explore their adventurous sides and bolster their courage. It’s a great playground for your kids to let their imaginations run wild with you, one another or friends.
“They love to gather, whether it be up top in the playhouse or underneath at the picnic table,” says Adamic. “It’s big enough where you can put four adults at that picnic table.”
Tip: Before buying this set, scout out the most level area in your yard. If your yard is hilly, this modular set and the Outback series ones can be modified with extended ladders and swing sets to help compensate for the slope.
Megaset 3
($22,329)
This gigantic set could keep your children and you entertained even into adulthood with an optional wooden Burma bridge or plastic crawl tunnel, a 14-foot dual racing slide, a 360-degree spin spiral tunnel slide, two climbing walls, three rope ladders, a tire swing, monkey bars and swings. With up to 10 different stations for your child to play in, any scenario goes — castle, alien invaders, pirates, spaceship. It makes any function the party of the year. Adults can even swap in hammocks in place of swings, so it can be your sanctuary too.
“Some people just want the biggest that they can get. … Kids look at it, and they go nuts,” says Adamic. “It’s something they’ll never outgrow. It’s always gonna pique their interest and challenge them.”
Tip: Consider the placement of all sets, especially this gargantuan one — keeping it within vision from your windows as well as leaving at least 6 feet of space around the playset for safety and peace of mind.
5’ Combo 4 (Outback series, $7,359)
Featuring a wider base that allows for a tire swing underneath, the Outback with a 5-foot-tall deck has features like a rock climbing wall, a tire swing and rope ladders that are more immersive while still offering the quintessential playground experience. Plus, the monkey bars underneath add more challenges for kids 6 and up.
“[It’s] really how many activities there are,” says Adamic. “They’ll just bounce from one to the next. Kids love to slide, love to climb. … The tire swing’s very popular underneath. They love to spin around.”
Tip: Check and tighten the carriage bolts between seasons once or twice a year — especially parts and joints that are higher up on this and all sets.