How to Build a Kid Play Set
Having a kid play set in your backyard will make it easy for your children to get plenty of outside play and exercise every day. If you have a flat surface in your yard that is clear of trees and bushes, then you might have the perfect spot for a play set. However, buying a new play set can be expensive. If you have some woodworking and construction skills, you may want to build a kid play set on your own.
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Things You'll Need
- Pre-made swing components as desired
- Wooden beams, boards, and rails as needed for design
- Vertical support posts
- Tape measure
- Shovel
- Concrete
- Level
- Saw
- Pencil
- Drill
- Stainless steel bolts
- Wrench
- Stainless steel screws
- Stainless steel nails
- Hammer
- Screwdriver
- Belt sander
Instructions
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1
Choose what materials you want to use for construction. The most common materials for a play set are pressure-treated wood or cedar wood, which is naturally rot resistant.
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2
Select your pre-made components. They will include plastic and rubber pieces such as swings and slides.
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3
Design your play set. Make sure you follow basic safety regulations: rails on raised areas should be at least 29 inches high for children up to five years old, and 38 inches high for children older than five. Include protective rails on any part of the play set that is higher than 30 inches off the ground (for children up to age 5) or higher than 48 inches off the ground (for children older than 5). Any openings around the protective rails should be smaller than 5.25 inches wide. In addition, you should plan to put sand or a similar soft surface on the ground under your play set.
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4
Measure and mark the locations for support posts.
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5
Install support posts by digging holes at least 4 feet deep, placing the posts in the holes, and filling with concrete. Place a level on the posts to make sure they are evenly inserted into the ground.
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6
Measure horizontal wood pieces for your planned designed and cut as needed. Measure and mark where you will attach horizontal pieces to vertical support posts.
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7
Drill bolt holes in both vertical and horizontal pieces, and attach pieces using bolts and a wrench to tighten.
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8
Measure and cut diagonal support braces for all horizontal pieces. Install using screws and nails.
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9
Build all additional wooden pieces (platforms with rails, climbing areas, etc.) as planned, using screws and nails to attach pieces.
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10
Attach swings, slides, and other pre-made components to horizontal pieces using bolts.
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11
Sand all wood smooth and round all corners using a belt sander.
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12
Cover ground under play set in sand or similar soft material, at least 6 inches thick.
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