A little off our usual topics, but I really trust you guys..

we bought the wooden playset with the climbing nets and platform, built in sandbox-expensive, but I think your kids are just the right age-we waited too long and didnt get our moneys worth

My kids, ages 9 and 11 spend time on their bikes, scooters, at friend’s houses, at the soccer field, etc. We have a huge creative playthings structure that they used when younger, but not now; if I was starting out now at 6 and 9, I’d do a pool(or live nextdoor to someone with a pool). At 9, my 4th grader is at his best friend’s house, or riding his bike. Where we live, everyone plays soccer spring and fall and it dominates things(practices and games)…many people have soccer goal nets in their yards.

We have a small backyard and so space is at a premium. We designed and had built a combination swingset, fort, and sandbox. We designed it ourselves because the commerically available swingsets were a. too big space wide, b. designed for younger children.

We have a five by five covered fort that is the platform for a 10 foot slide. On either side of the fort are two swings. Below the fort is a sandbox.

My two boys 6 and 10 use the swing set/sand box daily. Their 12 year old sister still likes to swing on the swings occasionally.

The metal swing sets we grew up with are really too small for school age children. There are lots of companies who will build you anything you want—but we did it cheaper and more to our liking this way.

Beth

We moved into our first home when our kids were about the same age. The greatest benefit this house came with is backing up to our local elementary school. I would have underestimated this benefit. We could never have afford or accomodate the space of the equipment. There is always kids over there playing and my children play basketball, soccer, kickball, etc., at pick up games.

If you live close enough to the school, let your kids hang out there. It is also wonderful for social skills. It’s tough at times looking out the window and wanting to step in, but as long as there is nothing physical going on, let them work it out.

Hope this helps…

You don’t know my from Adam but my two cents…

We have one of those wooden playthings with the forts and stuff. My 10 and 11 year old sons used it little last year but pretty heavily in prior years. Last year they spent more time biking or at friends house. The neighorbor kids seem to use it ‘till they hit age 10 and then move on to other things. Maybe because they have more freedom to roam at that age? We built it ourselves too and I don’t remember it being to difficult.

One neighbor has a huge tapoline. She said the kids seem to use that alot until they hit about 12.

Barb

Finally an easy question right?

The house is 2 homes in from a major park with recreation stuff and on the other side of the park is the middle school. The only way my spacey boy will ever be allowed to walk to middle school is if we live this close!

But I do want to have something for them to climb, swing, hang upside down in the yeard so they can do it freely. And I think it couldn’t hurt him work on his motor planning/sensory / proprioceptic blah blah blah systems .

Thanks everyone!

I vote for a trampoline. We have a large one that has a big safety net around it. The kids use it almost every day (and the neighborhood kids come over a lot to jump on it too). We originally got it for therapeutic purposes, but have found that everyone seems to enjoy it. I even jump on it once in awhile.

My mother-in-law bought one when her youngest daughter was a teenager (before they had safety nets! Yikes!!! :-o). She had always said it was one of the best things she ever got. Even the teenagers loved jumping on it (although she thinks it’s a miracle no one fell and broke their head open. Thank goodness for safety nets!!!).

We were just on vacation where there was one in the water. DS kept doing flips (with my husband standing right there) until I pointed out that if he landed on his head he could break his neck.

Maybe one with a safety net and some proper supervision….? I was also thinking about a smaller one where you can bounce but not flip?

The liability is really that you’re going to have the neighborhood kids over and they’ll be doing flips…the American Academy of Pediatrics does not recommend them; teach your son soccer and baseball and he’ll fit right into the suburbs.

I wish we could get a trampoline. They are not allowed in our development because of asthetics.

My son’s best friend has a trampoline and he loves going over there to bounce. They have a big safety net so it seems pretty safe.

Also, now that you are in the burbs consider lacrosse. I have to say it is one sport my son seems to excel at. I don’t know if it is because of all the work we have done but he just seems to get it.

You can get a pitch back for the backyard and he can practice.

My son likes swing sets mostly as something to climb over while playing tag with his friends.

I learned as a kid (age 7) and taught trampoline as a high school club.
It is a wonderful sport, good for fitness, *excellent* for proprioception and balance, highly recommended, BUT . .

Safety is a MUST. Get a good book and learn how to do it right.
*Never* two people on the trampoline at once, unless you have a fully-surrounding safety net. One person can throw the other person off the trampoline and literally break his neck.
You have to learn basic control and landings *before* flips. Tough luck, no instant gratification. A good lesson to learn.
Flips are learned first from knee position, standing only after controlled. Head *always* tucked forward.
Adult supervision at all times — lock down the cover or whatever when you are not there. Like a swimming pool fence. Don’t trust a pre-teen/teen to accept a verbal rule, especially with friends egging him on.

I would insist on *written* permission from other parents before letting kids on it — and adult supervision. It’s like a swimming pool, a wonderful sport and skill and physical therapy, but also deadly in seconds if misused.

i bought a poool 15ft round and almost 3ft deep it is the kind you inflate the top ring and it rises as you fill it very simple to put up and under $400.00 i take it down and store it in my basement in the winter it was the best invetment i ever made my husband and i swim in it too:)
dl

If you live near a Sams Club they have a great wooden swing/covered fort/rock climbing set on sale. Not terribly huge either, maybe 5-6 feet all around. Includes a wave slide & rope to climb. Just a thought, I really checked it out for my kids because I have a gap to deal with too, trying to please 2 genders/different ages under 10. Not too ez. Good luck!

My kids are not physical “risk takers,” but if they were I’d probably think twice about a trampoline (and anything else for that matter!).

Also, for anyone out there considering a trampoline, definitely pay the extra money and get the safety net. I once went to a birthday party where a kid had one without the safety net and it was an extremely frightening situation. I spent the entire time at the party standing next to the trampoline when my son was on it, telling him over and over to stay in the middle, and running back and forth ready to grab him if he came anywhere near the edge. I think there’s a good chance someone could get hurt on one of these things that didn’t have a safety net — even with adult supervision!

We have a pretty large, wooden, 4 swing, Swing Set, a large plastic “mushroom climber” with slide and a Little Tikes Castle. By far, the swing set is what gets the most use at our house! We have had it for about 8 years, it wasn’t too expensive either and it has held up very well. My kids are 14 (ADD), 12 and 7(Asperger’s)…all girls. The 14 year old could care less about any of the yard equipment at this stage, but at times will sit on a swing. The 12 year old and the 7 year old are always on the swings or the rope ladder that hangs on one end. The neighbor kids play at our house because I like to supervise the play and so I can teach good play skills. I’ve noticed that among all of the kids aged 12 and under, the swing set is almost always the most popular hangout in the yard. Personally, I would recommend a good swing set for your yard…the swinging motion can be especially beneficial to children with any number of “issues”. Also, swinging is an activity that can be “social” without being loaded with lots of social “rules”…very nice for children with less than perfect social skills! I wouldn’t, however, recommend one of those metal tubular swing sets. They aren’t very tall so the arc of the swing is short also, the main cross pipe will begin to sag after use and too much weight.

Good Luck with your home “playground” and Congratulations on your new home!