School's out and chances are your kids are ready to play. If you haven't a playground nearby, you can bring one to them.
Conventional metal play equipment systems consisting of a swing or two, a slide and maybe even a glider or seat swing, remain popular and require minimal assembly. Many parents, however, are opting for custom-built wood play systems or "activity centers."
The equipment can be as simple as a single swing or as complex as the imagination and the pocketbook will permit. Swings, slides, fireman's poles, various climbing equipment (nets, ropes and ladders), bridges, teeter-totters and canopy-covered forts are things that can transform your backyard into a bonafide playground.
Activity centers can be built from scratch, using plans from a book, or the construction material and prefabricated accessories can be purchased as a kit and assembled as a do-it-yourself project. Both types can be installed professionally.
With purchased kits, all wood and other components are pre-finished, and arrive ready to assemble. No further cutting or drilling is required and only basic tools are needed for assembly. And, most kit structures come with well-illustrated, step-by-step assembly instructions.
The cost for such a system will range anywhere from $300 for the material and accessories for a basic do-it-yourself project, up to $3000 or more for the professionally installed "have it all" activity centers.
Whatever the combination of play equipment or method of assembly, the primary concern should be safety. The Consumer Products Safety Commission (CPSC) found that nearly 75 percent of the injuries related to play equipment resulted from falls. Two factors determine the seriousness of injuries from falls: the height of the equipment and the surface on which it is constructed.
The CPSC suggests that all playground equipment be placed over a six-to-twelve-inch bed of sand, pea gravel, or small wood chips, and that children be restricted from climbing higher than five feet.
Another safety concern is the design of the components and the material from which they are constructed. For example, stairs on a ladder should be close enough together for a child to negotiate, but should be spaced far enough apart to keep him or her from becoming trapped.
Douglas fir, hemlock, redwood and cedar are widely used in the construction of these systems. Redwood and cedar are the most popular with the do-it-yourself systems due to their natural resistance to rot and pests. Some professionally installed systems are constructed of pressure-treated hemlock or Douglas fir. The material is treated with copper chrome arsenate (CCA) to protect wood from rot and fungus.
Whereas CCA has been deemed by both the Environmental Protection Agency and the Federal Food and Drug Administration to be acceptable when used according to directions, you may want to request a copy of the Consumer Information Sheet from the lumberyard. If you use redwood or cedar, the members must be twice the size of fir or hemlock.
Whatever wood is selected should be surface sanded on all sides (S4S) for smoothness and to avoid causing splinters. Kiln-dried material will result in less twisting, warping and checking, and should be considered even though it costs a bit more.
Completed structures can be painted, stained or left natural. Unfinished material, however, will not have the lasting quality that painted or stained material will offer.
Special attention should be given to the connectors used. Screws, nuts and bolts should be installed in such a way so as not to cause cuts, scrapes and scratches. Use only connectors approved for use with children's play equipment.
Determine the area where the play equipment will be located and the amount of space it will take up. For safety, allow six feet of clearance in all directions around the equipment.
For information on playground safety call the CPSC hotline (800) 638-2772. Ortho Books publishes "How to Design & Build Children's Play Equipment" which is an excellent source for anyone considering adding an activity center.
