Children's outdoor swing

It's hard to find a child who doesn't like spending time on a swing. Experts say that children's outdoor swings are not only a way to kill time and improve mood, but also health benefits. If housing involves the presence of its own backyard territory, you can make kids, and even older family members happy, by equipping a simple swing for adults and children, but for this, you should first understand the topic.

Benefit

For starters, let's make sure the outdoor swing is a real benefit for kids. It should be noted that it was this design, and not some other carousel, that received the maximum approval of specialists, and that's why:

Physical development. If a child has reached at least the age when he is already close to the first trip to school, then on a swing he, most often, sways independently. Therefore, this requires making your own efforts, which helps to strengthen the muscles of the arms and legs.
Brain development... A newborn baby does not really have control of his muscles, his motor skills develop gradually, and a swing is a great way to learn how to use different muscle groups for coordinated work.

In this case, the swinging mechanism may also require asynchronous actions, which additionally develops.

Development of the vestibular apparatus... Self-riding on a swing requires a developed sense of rhythm, the ability to maintain balance - all these skills come in the process of riding. At the same time, the vestibular apparatus gets used to overloading - the child will become better able to withstand motion sickness in transport.
Improving communication skills... A single swing will not help here, but if the design involves the simultaneous rolling of two or more people (not separately, but as in a swing-boat swing), kids will have to learn how to work in a team and communicate.

The opportunity to have fun alone in the fresh air. Parents cannot devote to their children absolutely all the time, because they also have their own concerns, including those related to children. Riding on a swing, a child can occupy himself without distracting his parents, while he does not sit indoors. Such riding is clearly not the worst pastime, especially if the design involves due concern for the safety of children.

Influence of age on choice

Parents usually choose the swing based on the child's age, based solely on the safety needs of the child. In fact, at different stages of life, children have completely different perceptions of this attraction, which is why they give preference to one or another of its varieties. The recommendations below are not axiomatic, but worth listening to:

Up to a year. Even babies have their own version of the swing, namely the electric swing. In essence, this is not so much an attraction as a lullaby with a motor, which frees the mother from the need for manual motion sickness, but the essence, in general terms, is similar. The cradle, of course, provides for the most reliable fixation of the child, and the swinging amplitude is minimal here.

Up to 2 years old. When the child already knows how to sit confidently and begins to walk better, it's time to use a suspended swing made of any materials. They should be designed to resemble a highchair, that is, they should have a backrest, side bolsters and a front stop with a vertical leg divider. Although the baby appears to be securely anchored, the presence of the parents is mandatory for both safety control and rocking.
3-5 years old. Some experts believe that already at this stage, children can confidently do without a front stopper, and even without a backrest. This is partly a fair statement, but the less the degree of fixation, the more the presence of adults is necessary so that the baby does not swing too much.

5-7 years... It is believed that at this stage for children there are practically no restrictions on the types of swings - they are already large enough and trained to successfully cope with any of their varieties.
From 7 years... School-age children often perceive this attraction as a challenge to strength and dexterity, therefore, they either accelerate the usual suspended swing to the maximum, or change to structures that require real skill. A good example is the well-known "tire on a rope", although the tire, of course, can be replaced with anything.

There is no need to be too afraid for the child - by this age he should already be ready for such tests.

Varieties

A swing is often considered only a suspended structure, but in fact, this can be called any attraction that involves swinging. Accordingly, a number of possible options can be identified, each of which has its own characteristics:

Stationary swing on a spring. Such an attraction is quite common in public playgrounds, but is not yet very popular for individual use. His seat is stylized either as a transport (motorcycle, boat, car, plane), or as a "child" animal (duckling, dolphin). It is attached to a large spring, firmly embedded in a concrete or other base, similar in reliability. You can swing in any direction, including up and down, and the help of parents is not needed here - the baby rolls by his own efforts. It is convenient to hold on to the specially mounted handles, the child's legs hang from different sides, which is also useful for fixing.

You won't be able to fly high here, which means that you won't have to fall painfully either.

Pendulum, or balance bar... Children love this design, but it requires the mandatory simultaneous participation of two kids. They sit on opposite ends of a long arm, the middle of which is attached to the base, and take turns raising and lowering each other, pushing off the ground with their feet. This variety requires a lot of space, and is recommended rather for children of approximately the same age (babies of different weight will not be able to swing equally).

It should be noted that without softening under the seats, such entertainment can negatively affect the spine, but with proper assembly, it helps a lot to pump up your legs.

Hanging swing. Actually, the classics are what each person imagines when the word "swing" is mentioned. You can make these yourself, but you can also buy in a store - due to its widest popularity, this attraction is produced by manufacturers and for the needs of private buyers. Most often, single models are produced, but there are also double models. The latter include, first of all, "benches" - with a wide seat and two suspensions, a third suspension in the middle is also possible, so that each child can hold on with two hands. The good news is that they are taught to work in pairs, and if the seat is large enough, a larger number of children rolling at the same time are allowed.
An alternative option is a mirror swing: they have two seats opposite each other, and between them there is a common foot area. Children must set them in motion in turn, which also teaches interaction, but at the same time one child can also ride this variety - if, of course, there is enough strength to swing the massive structure alone.

Materials

Even the material from which the swing is made plays an important role, and you need to pay attention to this when buying or ordering a product:

Plastic. This material is appreciated primarily for its maximum brightness, which will delight the little ones. At the same time, the plastic swing is strong enough for kids (although the frame may require additional reinforcement with a metal base), but for children of at least older preschool age they are hardly suitable. When choosing plastic for a swing, you need to ensure that it is environmentally friendly and resistant to color fading.

In many ways, it is chosen for its ease, which allows dismantling the attraction for the winter (manufacturers often make the structure collapsible).

Wood. A wooden swing is a timeless hit, because this material is suitable for all types of attractions, and is also 100% safe for humans and looks very cozy. In addition, this is almost the only material that allows for independent production of the product, since even if there are no boards on the farm, they can be bought inexpensively anywhere in the country, and almost every man has the skills to work with wood. Another thing is that the wood must be chosen carefully, giving preference to durable species, as well as skillfully selecting safe dyes and varnish to protect against moisture.

Metal... A swing made of metal is an option for centuries. Metal structures can easily withstand extreme loads, therefore, they are designed for a large weight of people who ride or for constant use. The material itself is harmless to humans, but again, you need to pay attention to the used coatings. Iron products are not so afraid of moisture as wooden ones, but they are also capable of rusting and breaking quickly.

Unexpected materials. If you decide to make a swing with your own hands, then theoretically you can use absolutely anything. Actually, this is how the famous "tire on a rope" was invented, which you just need to fasten on one rope or a piece of metal chain. If there are not so many suspension options, then the seat can be made of everything - even ordinary sticks, correctly tied and securely attached to the suspension.

The absolute hit of ingenuity is the old skate used as a seat.

Expert recommendations

It doesn't matter if you choose a swing in a store or make it yourself - some rules should be followed when choosing and installing. We have already considered some of them, but there are several more, formulated more simply:

The higher the frame of the suspended attraction, the better it is. For a baby, this is the possibility of using it, despite its rapid growth (the seat can be pulled up higher), for an older child, height means a good suspension length, and therefore a swinging amplitude.
If there is even a slight chance that the suspension will jump off the seat, then such a swing can no longer be considered safe.

It is generally accepted that only a suspension that can withstand a weight three times the rider's weight is reliable. The child grows, more than one can climb onto the seat - all these parameters must be taken into account, therefore any product must confidently withstand at least a couple of centners.
When choosing a space for installing a swing, give preference to an area with a margin of space. Measure the length of the suspension - at least this length should be on both sides of the frame, because kids can accelerate the ride to the maximum. At the same time, there should be much more space in front, because many children love to jump off the seat at the moment when it goes as far forward as possible.

For information on how to make a garden swing with your own hands, see the next video.