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Building the Outdoor Play-set / Jungle Gym of your Child’s Dreams… on a Budget!

As life in the suburbs has gone to bigger and better things.. from square footage to yard space… children’s play sets have grown up and gone in the direction of bigger is better as well. It wasn’t so long ago that if your friend down the street had a simple swing set – they were the envy of the neighborhood. Now the envy of the neighborhood child is the friend who’s family has graced them with the newest “Play – System.”

The terms Play-systems, Jungle Gyms, Forts and Swing Sets are pretty much interchangable. At many stores selling outdoor play equipment calling a swing set a “Play System” simply means they’ve added a few extra dollars in the cost of the product. And while the sticker shock of such systems will remind many of us of how much we paid for our first car… it simply doesn’t have to be this expensive.

With some very basic carpentry skill matched with time and a little effort, a Do-It-Yourself Swing Set or Fort is easily achievable. D.I.Y. swing set kits today are basic and easy to understand.

These kits come with fully illustrated step-by-step manual taking you through the entire process from lumber purchase, cutting, drilling, and assembling to adding the finishing touches.

You could even make it a Christmas gift… one that will undoubtedly seed great anticipation for spring, but that would allow for proper planning and budgeting of the system.

Play set

First a quick run-down of some typical questions asked when planning for a Do-It-Yourself swing set:

What's my budget?

Some smaller D.I.Y. Play Sets run as little as 295$. ** BUDGET SAVER** Many play sets have to charge a hefty fee for shipping the slide. That is because this is the only item that has to be boxed and freight shipped. A good way to save money is to buy your slide locally. Check with your local big-box hardware store first.

Lumber, bought by you locally, for smaller jungle gym plans is approx. $175 = A total price for a nice play set would run $470. On average (including your lumber costs) a basic set can be built for under $600, medium sized under $900, largest models $1,200. (That is cost including the slide)

How much time do I have available to work on this project?

Most of medium sized D.I.Y. swing set, fort kit and jungle gym plans with swing beams can be completed in a weekend (12-16 hours).

Good swing set kit plans help by avoiding pre-drilling and angle cuts when possible. In addition, they keep the design of their frames and swing beams simple without comporomising strength.

Do I have the required tools?

All D.I.Y. jungle gym plans will include a 'required tool list'. Believe it or not.. 90% of the plans available require 3 “power tools” a 'circular saw' and 'electric or cordless drill'. Only commonly found tools and basic carpentry skills are required to assemble these kits. The swing set plans, swings, accessories, hardware, etc. is all included with the kit. Lumber is purchased by you locally and consists of 2x4's, 2x6's, 5/2x6's and 4x4's.

Here is a quick guide to an easy and budgeted play system.

1. Research! Start by determining the system you desire **Determine if a slide for your kit is available locally. This will save you close to 100$ on the cost of shipping a slide as freight from the manufacturer!** Kits (without the slide) typicaly includes: brackets / bolts / swing seats / chains / tarp roof (if included) and blue prints. Make note of what tools are required.

2. Purchase your swing kit. A standard kit for a 5’ x 5’ Fort and three swing beam system costs around $300 (Not including freight shipped slide)

3. Once you have your kit, determine and budget for the lumber purchase. A way to save a few extra dollars is to price the lumber by contacting local lumber stores. Don’t always assume that your local big-box hardware store has the cheapest wood available. Taking the time to price your lumber sheet can save you as much as 25% on the total cost of your system. The lumber cost for a system like the one mentioned about should run around $250

4. The final step before building is to determine if you want to prep the ground area. Will you want to use a tiller / dig the area out and add mulch or padding of any type? While this will add to the final cost of the project it may save you possible bumps and bruises in the future.

Finished. Now with a little sweat equity you have built a $1,400 play system for nearly half the price. Keep in mind that the above is assuming you are looking at a basic Fort / Slide / and Swing Set. The designs of play systems available get much more dynamic for not much more in cost.

To view a variety of do-it-yourself play systems available on-line go to www.PatioandPlay.com/swing-set-plans-and-kits. These playsets can be delivered to your door for no additional cost. You can accessorize your play set with swings and toys based on your child's age and interests and update them as your children grow. For a selection of accessories go to: www.PatioandPlay.com/swing-accessories

About the Author

Kari Smith is a freelance writer based out of historical Charleston, SC.

Tagged as: home, kids, play, playground, swing, swingset, toys