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Playhouses/Tree House Type of Play Equipment Ideas
Posted on 2/12/26 at 9:34 am
Posted on 2/12/26 at 9:34 am
We have a 2 year old little girl, thats about to turn 3. She loves to climb and be outside playing. The wife wants to get some sort of playhouse/swing set.. What are yall's suggestions?
7
Posted on 2/12/26 at 10:27 am to b-rab2
Posted on 2/12/26 at 11:00 am to b-rab2
Eastern Jungle Gym has kits you can buy and build what you want. I’m not talking about the full playhouses for $8k, but brackets to make your own swing set.
Bought some of the brackets that use 4x4s for the posts and 4x6s for the beam. I got a slide and made my own platform from scratch.
Bought some of the brackets that use 4x4s for the posts and 4x6s for the beam. I got a slide and made my own platform from scratch.
Posted on 2/12/26 at 11:01 am to b-rab2
~$1500
Gorilla Playsets has other prefab options.
If you're handy you can buy all the handles, slides, swings off Amazon and build the fort, swing set support, etc on your own and save some dough.
One touch I added was getting left over hardie cement board, painting it with chalk board paint, and securing it to the back underside of the fort.
Posted on 2/12/26 at 11:02 am to Dale3
Thanks Dale
Posted on 2/12/26 at 11:15 am to b-rab2
I found plans online and built one myself for around $1,000.
Two floors tall with a swing and a slide.
Treated 4x12 beam for the swings, heavy wood all around.
That thing lasted almost 14 years while the $2,000 kit playsets in the neighborhood fell apart in less than 5 years.
I found a used plastic slide on FB Marketplace.
Bought all the other parts on Amazon - Swings, galvanized hardware, etc.
Posted on 2/12/26 at 11:34 am to Shexter
Depending on how much time I have, This might be the route I go.. I am quite handy with woodworking.
Posted on 2/12/26 at 11:35 am to b-rab2
As another poster said, the problem with the kits is that they don't last. I'm on my 2nd one. The first disappeared during Laura in 2020 (completely gone except for 3/5 of the boards bolted to ground anchors). I don't really fault it for that but it was deteriorating before and was purchased at the end of 2018.
The current one I bought at the end of 2021 is on its last leg. Within the next year I'll likely tear it down, cann the slide and rock wall, and build one from scratch that will last until my soon to be 5th kid wants nothing to do with it anymore.
If you plan on having more kids, and even half-way know your way around a tape measurer, I'd highly recommend you find plans and build it yourself. You could even do it in phases. Start with a swing set and slide, then a simple playhouse, eventually add a 2nd level, etc.
The current one I bought at the end of 2021 is on its last leg. Within the next year I'll likely tear it down, cann the slide and rock wall, and build one from scratch that will last until my soon to be 5th kid wants nothing to do with it anymore.
If you plan on having more kids, and even half-way know your way around a tape measurer, I'd highly recommend you find plans and build it yourself. You could even do it in phases. Start with a swing set and slide, then a simple playhouse, eventually add a 2nd level, etc.
Posted on 2/12/26 at 11:41 am to b-rab2
The Gorilla brand recommended below is a good one, but we went with Little Tykes. They use Chinese cedar, and that "orange" will fade pretty quick on you. We've had ours for 3-4 years now, and I plan is to replace a few boards that were beat up from the weed eater and when we had a racoon problem (solved that by buying a trap, haven't seen the bastard since).
I would recommend you put some time and thoughts into your setup. I made sure the area was leveled (was raising the yard anyway), but if I could do it again, I would have gone down with a couple inches of concrete, then fake grass or mulch in the areas that are under the landing pads. We get too many weeds, it's a PITA to maintain the grass, wasps & spiders love the area which terrifies the kids.
It's very similar to this, but it also has a balance beam to another covered landing
I would recommend you put some time and thoughts into your setup. I made sure the area was leveled (was raising the yard anyway), but if I could do it again, I would have gone down with a couple inches of concrete, then fake grass or mulch in the areas that are under the landing pads. We get too many weeds, it's a PITA to maintain the grass, wasps & spiders love the area which terrifies the kids.
It's very similar to this, but it also has a balance beam to another covered landing
Posted on 2/12/26 at 11:54 am to b-rab2
quote:
I am quite handy with woodworking.
Make it yourself. You can knock it out in a weekend if you've got your mind right. As others have mentioned it will last longer. It will also allow you to customize the set up to fit your space and add the things you think you're kids will enjoy.
I built one during covid when lumber prices were high, but I still beat the price of the prefab kit and it's still standing and in good shape. I was crazy enough to build it all in my shop, disassemble it, and then reassemble on Christmas Eve.
Posted on 2/12/26 at 12:10 pm to b-rab2
We got our girls the Lifetime brand metal set. It had a clubhouse, monkey bars, etc. Was a little more expensive. But we sold it to a local church when it was like 5 years old and all we had to do was spray it off and replace the plastic "rocks" on the rock climbing wall. Highly recommend.
Posted on 2/12/26 at 1:21 pm to b-rab2
quote:do the treehouse!! she'll love you forever and still use it when she's an angsty teenager. you do it right and it will last until she leaves the house.
Depending on how much time I have, This might be the route I go.. I am quite handy with woodworking.
a playset has a limited lifespan and you'll end up spending almost as much for a good quality wood version as a diy treehouse.
add a tire swing or slide to her treehouse and call it a day!
have daddy/daughter campouts in it!
let her help you build it; add tools and drinks to a bucket on a rope and pull it up into it.
you can't replace those memories with a prefab swingset.
This post was edited on 2/12/26 at 1:23 pm
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