Not sure what’s in a swing set? This graphic should help you. Read the explanations under it for more information:
- The cushion is used to cover the swing set and protect you from sunlight and rain. Not all swings have cushions. It’s used most often in canopy swing sets.
- A top beam is very important for every wooden swing set. It supports the swinging seat and should be very robust and well fixed.
- The swing set on this picture is based on the popular construction called A-Frame. There are other frame types too but most of them are more complex.
- The support brace fixes the A frame and ensures stability of the entire swing set.
- Thick and robust ropes or chains connect the swing seat to the beam at the top.
- The swing seats can be of many types. Some swings have canopies, other just simple wooden or metal bench, or single seats.
- Having armrest is completely ooptional, but most swing seats do have backs for safety.
- Most swing sets are installed right on the ground but if the soil is too soft you may need to build a concrete foundation. Otherwise see how to anchor a swing set.
The picture shows a basic swing set without
accessories. There are many things that you can add to your outdoor swing and many different types of swing set. The anatomy of most should be fairly close to the one on this drawing.
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I thought it would be fitting to interrupt the normal content for a history lesson! Since the buzz around here centers on swing sets in all different forms, it would perhaps be interesting, even enlightening, to learn about where they came from and why we have them at all.
While it is impossible to determine when the first person tied a seat to a rope and swung themselves around like a pendulum (especially since we have images of swings and riders on pottery from Ancient Greece), we can learn a little about their development as America’s most recognized piece of playground equipment. |
We know that by the time of the American Revolution, kids had developed the art of hanging rope and wood plank swings from their trees to get their daily dose of adrenaline. Most agree that the concept of swinging is the natural byproduct of kids having fun on barn ropes and pulleys. These moved out to the swimming hole where a well placed rope in an overhanging tree was enough to keep the kids busy for hours. As families made their way across the American prairies (where trees were sparse), swing sets made of wood became a popular way for frontier children to pass the time. Most agree that the concept of swinging is the natural byproduct of kids having fun on barn ropes and pulleys. These moved out to the swimming hole where a well placed rope in an overhanging tree was enough to keep the kids busy for hours.
The Industrial Revolution of the late 19th and early 20th centuries led to increased urbanization among the working classes and, thus, a loss of extensive personal property. Kids had nowhere to roam and play like they used to. Therefore, the playset was birthed. Kids who had no natural foliage to climb or hills to scale, turned to their industrial imitations. As a result, a new industry was born. In 1912, the University of Virginia sponsored a teachers’ program that brought about the first complete playground and swingset package. The kids loved it, so the university made the plans public for other schools to build their own. By, at least, the late 1940s, companies such as Creative Playthings were mass producing wooden swingsets designed for the average home. Backyard swingsets and other play equipment literally exploded onto the market as returning WWII vets birthed a suburban Boomer generation. Swingsets, along with slides, seesaws, and jungle gyms (or “monkey bars” as they would later be called) became the standard means of childhood expression, and icons for generations of schoolchildren to come.
Author Bio: Ethan S. writes on behalf of Design55, a UK-based designer furniture shop that has plenty of great outdoor furniture sets for kids and parents alike!
