Concrete might be used for a coupld of occasions:

• To build a swing set f0undation
• To pour it in under the swing set frame

Anyway, check them out. If you buy or have already bought any of these let me know.

Metal Swing Sets

1. Flexible Flyer Triple Fun II Metal Swing Set for $149
This one is from Wallmart. Allowing up to six children to use it at a time and just $149 – sounds like a good deal. It’s easy to assemble and robust. According to some of the customers it won’t last long though which is usually something you would expect from a metal swing set.

2. Flexible Flyer Brighton 4 Leg Metal Swing Set for $80
Really on budget? Then this 4 legs one might be for you. It’s a small swing good for 1 – 3 kids. Some customers complain about the design and the assembly, but well, it’s $80. Seems to be a decent deal for its price.

3. Kettler Double Swing for around $110
This excellent entry-level metal swing set costs only 69 GBP from the linked UK store. If you live elsewhere you can just look at the same brand and model, they should be available at your location. It’s for kids aged between 3 and 12.

Wooden Swing Sets

4. Alpine Custom Ready-to-Build Swing Set Kit for $132 This is a great price for a wooden swing set from Swing N Slide. It’s very feature rich and allows up to 12 childs to play. All the customer reviews so far has been positive. Unfortunately for me it ships only to the USA. Note that the regular price is $240 so I have no idea whether you’ll get the deal when you are reading this. If you want to save even more check for used items. There were two at about $70 each when I last checked.

5. Deluxe Lower Wooden Clubhouse for Summerville and Stoneybrook Wood Gym Sets for $130
A really good wooden playset. It combines swings with a lodge room, gym set and a slide. A really great deal for this price.

6. Scout Playset – Project 140 for $102 This is another good offer from Swing N Slide. It has two seats and a trapeze bar. The wooden construction uses standard A-frame – simple and stable. However please not that the wood is not included in the package.

7. SunBurst Swingset Hardware Kit for $100
Regular price is $219. I don’t know how long will the current offer be available. This is a wooden swing set kit so you have to build the thing yourself. Looks like fun.

Other Swing Sets

8. Little Tikes Tire Swing for $30
This is a super-budget solution from Wallmart. It can be secured to an existing swing set or just to a tree like a typical tree swing. Allows maximum two kids. One of the customers says it becomes very hot under the sun so you may think about picking a shady place.

9. Child Tree Swing (18″ X 7 .5″) – Natural for $72 This one had no reviews yet but I like the look and the good rope. It’s not as cheap as the tire swing above but holds much higher weight. It’s easily adjustable and hand-crafted.

10. Kettler Baby Swing Seat This is a well priced baby/toddler swing built with security in mind. Some of the reviewers say it’s hard to get the child in and out of the swing seat. It’s one of the few plastic swing sets which fit the “under $200″ category nevertheless it’s a baby one.

More often than not cheap swing sets come as kits. If you don’t want to assemble yourself check carefully before buying!

Whether you choose a metal swing set, a wooden swing set, a plastic swing set, or even a used swing set, here are some tips for making this area as safe as possible:

Tip #1: Fence in your swing set area.

Even if you don’t live near a street, surrounding your sing set area with a fence creates a more private, safe place for your children to play. As an added bonus, having a fenced-in yard gives your pets a great place to play.

Tip #2: Every spring, do a maintenance check on your swing set.

Over the winter, screws and nails can loosen, ice can cause cracks, and other problems may arise. Before your children enjoy time outside on the swing set, go over the play equipment carefully and test all moving parts to ensure it’s ready for little ones to play.

Tip #3: Secure the swing set properly.

Some structures require below-ground concrete or tethering in order to be safe. This is especially important as your children grow and begin to weigh more, as their playing could cause an unstable swing set to become unbalanced and tip over. Use the anchors that come with your swing set if provided.

Tip #4: Surround the area with safe surfacing.

Purchase wood chips, rubber chips, or other safe surfacing to surround the swing set.
That way if your children fall or jump from the swings, you can be sure they land safely.
Use surfacing that is specifically made for play areas.

Tip #5: Cover the swing chains with plastic.

Metal chains can get hot in the sun and the loops can pinch small fingers. Invest in some plastic chain covers made for swing sets if your swing set doesn’t come with them. These will also help preserve the chains so you don’t have to worry about them rusting as quickly.

Remember, make sure your homeowners or renters insurance policy includes liability insurance. That way if any of your children’s friends are injured while using your swing set, you’ll be financially covered.

This guest post is from RentersInsurance.org, where you can learn more about renters insurance policies.

Here is what you need to do for your swing set depending on its type:

The Plastic Swing Set

Here are good news for plastic swing set owners: they don’t need to do much. The quality plastic should survive the low temperatures and snow without much trouble.

If you live in an area where the winter gets very cold the plastic may get broken however. In such case you’d better store the swing set indoor if that’s possible (with these swings usually doing this is not a big problem).

For sure you should not use the plastic swing when the temperature outside is under 32 F / 0 C. Not only that this is unpleasant, but the plastic loses its solidity which can cause the swing to give in.

If you have left the swing set outside for the winter you will need to clean it after it.

Read more about plastic swing sets.

Metal Swing Sets

The metal swing sets can sustain very low temperatures, rain and snow. The only major problem with them is rust – if the metal isn’t well treated or the treatment is wore on some places you risk the metal to rust. This will reduce the swing solidity. To avoid rust, paint and treat any suspicious places especially on the swing set frame.

Another thing to be careful about: it can be very dangerous if there are small holes which can let water leaks inside the frame. In the winter the water may freeze, increase its volume and just break apart even the steel.

Other than that your metal swing will be just fine in the winter. After the season end you’ll need to clean it and eventually grease the paps.

Read more about the metal outdoor swing sets.

The Wooden Swing Sets

They are great, but they are the ones that suffer most in the winter. An unprotected wooden swing set can totally lose shape during this season. The corrosion can dramatically worsen the wood quality and look. Besides treatment and painting, I highly recommend covering your wooden swing set with canvas or polythene. If that’s not possible, see if you can at least cover its top so no snow and water goes directly on it.

The wooden swing set should not be used when it’s covered by snow or ice – this can be very dangerous for obvious reasons. Kids often overlook such dangers so you must warn them.

At the end of the winter your wooden swing will need cleaning, careful checking and eventually painting.

Learn more about the wooden swing sets and about their safety.

There are three main ways to build it, so let’s look at the three of them:

Using Ready-to-assemble Kit

These kits don’t offer you much options for creativity but are easy to build . Such an “average” kit costs between $400 and $800 and takes about a day to be assembled. You can check the experience of this family with ready to assemble kits.

Using Build-it-yourself kit

DIY kits (called also “Ready to build”) can cost less – for example this Pioneer kit
is less than $100 at the moment. Don’t forget however that the accessories are not included. They can quickly add 2-3 times the price of the entire kit depending on what you want to have.
It can be still cheaper though – you can have a wooden swing set for $200 – $300, but prepare to spend several days building it.

Building Entirely From Scratch

I recommend this option only if you are real DIY fan, because it can take weeks. It depends on the complexity of the swing set, the tools you have on hand and your skills. A set of swing set plans can be found for $10-$15 or even for free, but the prices of the materials can vary hugely.

I’ve heard it’s possible to spend only $100 and build a decent wooden swing set, but I have no personal experience to share.

First prepare the vertical joists that will stay on top. It must be long enough to handle the entire swing set(s).

Then you need two triangle frames that will be put on each side of the joist. For each of them you need a pair of beams that will be connected on angle of about 30 degrees. Here the metal plates come in place – use them to support the connection with nails or screws.

The two planks must be cut diagonally and attached to the beams to form something like the letter A. This will add more stability to the construction.

Finally, attach the top joist to the triangle frames, placing it over them and using more screws. The joist can protrude a little bit on both sides.

This is just a quick answer to reader’s question. I will come with an illustrated and more detailed guide soon.