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How to Choose Age-Appropriate Accessories For Your Climbing Frame!
We talk a lot about it in our blogs. Today’s market is flooded with images of climbing frames and swing-sets which, on first glance, can look ‘the same’ as each other. Aside from crucial elements such as safety and size of these playsets, one of the most important things to consider is what options you have to FUTURE PROOF your investment. It is easy to buy an ‘age appropriate’ piece of outdoor play equipment…the problem is…. our little darlings do not stay that ‘age’ for long! You may think that buying a climbing frame for a 2-year-old is a little EXCESSIVE…. when in actual fact, this is the PERFECT age to be considering investing in one!
Buying a wooden climbing frame whilst they are this young means that the more standard accessories such as ladders, rockwalls, slides and swings will be challenging to them for a longer period of time. Also, most people that have parented a two-year-old would quite happily to tell you that their little munchkins went from not being able to climb the stairs – to disappearing upstairs by themselves within a matter of WEEKS. Once a child starts exploring and becoming curious of their surroundings there is little that will phase or stop them…. not even a CLIMBING FRAME!
Buying a wooden climbing frame whilst they are this young means that the more standard accessories such as ladders, rockwalls, slides and swings will be challenging to them for a longer period of time. Also, most people that have parented a two-year-old would quite happily to tell you that their little munchkins went from not being able to climb the stairs – to disappearing upstairs by themselves within a matter of WEEKS. Once a child starts exploring and becoming curious of their surroundings there is little that will phase or stop them…. not even a CLIMBING FRAME!
One of the key benefits of choosing a Rainbow climbing frame is that our entire range has been created with future-proofing at the forefront of the design (along with safety and fun of course!) We offer the widest range of climbing frame accessories available on the market – and we make sure that all of our climbing frames are ADAPTABLE. What you pick can be adapted at the point of order – or can be carefully planned out with growing/extending the set-in mind for the future. Either way, our range of quality wooden climbing frames are the BEST choice to make sure that your hard-earned money remains a sound investment for ten years rather than one (because no one wants to sit and watch an unused, sorry-looking climbing frame rot away in their garden!).
So with this in mind, we think it is important to equip you with the knowledge of which accessories are the most age-appropriate for your children – and which ones make awesome additions for them as they grow!
This all-important futureproofing starts with things as simple as our swings. We have options that are perfect for your teeny tiny little one, right through to a swing for your big kids – and one for you too!
Age Suitable Climbing Frame Accessories
Toddlers 6-23 Months
- Climbing equipment less than 32” high
- Ramps
- Single file step ladders and stairs
- Slides
- Spiral slides with less than a 360° turn
- Sandbox
- Playhouse
- Mirror panel, window panel
- Swings with full bucket seats
Pre-Schoolers 2-5 years
- Some climbing walls eg. rockwalls
- Horizontal ladders less than or equal to 60” high for ages 4 and 5
- Stairs, rung ladders and single file step ladders
- Bubble panels and crawl tunnels
- Tic-tac-toe and chalk boards
- Ships wheel, telescope, periscope
- Slides
- Spiral slides with up to a 360° turn
- Deluxe gliders
- Swings with belted half bucket and full bucket seats for 2–4-year-olds or sling seats for 5-year-olds
- Rotating tire swings
Primary School 5 years +
- Trapeze triangles, chin-up bar
- Crow’s nest
- Ladders – Horizontal, Rung, & Step and chain
- Ramps and rock walls
- Overhead rings, trek trails and monkey bars
- Slides
- Spiral slides with more than one 360° turn
- Sling swings, knotted rope and buoy ball, knotted rope and disc, tyre swings
- Rotating tire swings
- Fireman’s pole and corkscrew climber
As well as being ‘age appropriate’, our range of accessories has been designed with children’s developmental stages in mind. For example, our little ones (under 2 years) are still learning to walk and balance – so bubble panels and mirrors give them access to a safe environment which is exciting and stimulating. Sensory play is also important at this age, so the addition of a sand box gives them a safe place to play with different objects and textures.
Pretend and imaginative play are important areas of development for our slightly older children. This type of ‘play’ is so beneficial to our pre-schoolers as it gives them opportunity to take on different characters in a safe environment, explore actions and consequences and learn more about how they fit into the world. Adding items such as playhouse panels, a lemonade stands, ships wheel, draw bridge or a general store to your playset are a great way of giving your climbing frame an extra dimension of ‘play’. Then they can use it as their stage for creating scenes, playing games and letting their imagination soar!
For our ‘bigger kids’ we have additions such as monkey bars, trek trails, penthouses, spiral slides, chin up bars, punch bags, crawl tunnels and billy goats' bridges to extend the fun factor and keep their active bodies and minds engaged until the sun goes down!
All in all, it is super easy to make sure that your wooden climbing frame services the needs of all your children no matter what age – or ability level they are at. Rainbow Climbing Frames wants you to be just as happy with your investment after 10 years as you were on the day we installed it for you!
For further details or to start planning your dream climbing frame get in touch!
