Make your garden the best place to be: just add a climbing frame

All kids deserve a special place where they can have fun and let their imagination run wild. Exercise is essential, but you also want somewhere you can keep an eye on them as they play.

This is where the addition of a climbing frame can really be an asset to your children and your lifestyle, giving them a place to be free and providing great exercise at the same time. Having a huge back garden for the kids to run around is one thing, but it’s a space that can be used much more efficiently, and this is where play equipment really comes into its own. A well-constructed wooden climbing frame certainly won’t be an eyesore, provided you find the right place, and it’ll add that much depth to your child’s playtime.

Your options aren’t just limited to a simply climbing frame either, as there are all kinds of similar structures to suit every back garden; treehouses, adult climbing frames, swing sets, slides and much more.

The Basics

The basic climbing frame is the simplest climbing frame option when it comes to adding play equipment to your property, and it will most likely be the type found in a play park. However, a wooden climbing frame will mesh beautifully with a leafy garden setting, therefore there shouldn’t be any danger of tarnishing the landscape.

The placement of the equipment depends on how much you want to get involved. If playtime is a family business, or you simply want to keep an eye on your kids, you can have it closer to the house in plain view. Their climbing frame can be situated further away to let them be free to play without so much adult intervention, making it more of a hideout. Both of these have the potential for childhood development, as family playtime will help you to bond with your child, and letting them go off on their own will develop healthy independence and exercise their imagination. The garden will be a better place to spend time either way and could add value to your house for a later time.

The Treehouse

A proper wooden treehouse is always an option if you wanted to opt for something more elaborate than a simple climbing frame. A well-built treehouse can add an amazing touch to your back garden, and are great for kids to use as a hideaway. They can be combined with a climbing frame, so that exercise is still a factor, and don’t even require a sturdy tree, acting as more or less an elevated playhouse. They might not be a common sight in the UK- a proper treehouse in the heart of Southampton might almost seem out of place, for example- but the idea is gaining traction.

The reason many kids dream of owning a treehouse is the potential for making it their own, as well as it being their personal space. That doesn’t mean that adults aren’t allowed (depending on your child’s rules, of course); in fact, there’s no reason it can’t become part of family play.

As for the design of the treehouse, this is up to your imagination. Safety is a must, but other than this there are no rules; ideas may include bridges, tables and chairs, other types of wooden furniture, ladders and slides, amongst others. Shape the structure according to a theme if you have one in mind, or make it a place the whole family can enjoy. Keep things simple, or turn the whole thing into a miniature wooden castle. Treehouses offer a great deal of versatility, and you’re sure to find the perfect design that will suit both your child and your garden.

The Place to Be

Whether it’s a climbing frame, swing set, treehouse or some combination of all three, this is a project that will benefit your home in more than just aesthetics. The time your child spends out in the garden, getting proper exercise and developing their imagination, is priceless, and their own space to play is a huge advantage that will benefit the whole family.