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Chockstone Forum - General Discussion

General Climbing Discussion

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OT - Rope Playground for Kids

martym

18/04/2011
7:46:00 AM

Got a 10 year old niece's birthday coming up, and we're planning to build a rope playground using some apple and walnut trees in the orchard here (spaced between 8-15m apart)
My ideas so far are a slackline with handline (approx 8m); some looped ladder type stuff; possibly a net-traverse and potentially a flying fox.

Anyone got any advice on types of materials to use (we'll whack some of our climbing gear in there; but want to keep it semi permanent for her to play on)
Gonna hit the hardware stores in search of bargains.
The main concern is how to construct a cheap flying fox & how to prevent the rope melting on the first day!

martym

20/04/2011
5:48:24 AM

Seriously?
No one has any suggestions?
Please... its for a sweet little kid...

brat

20/04/2011
9:14:32 AM

There's a dozen ways to do this, either
$275 for http://www.yardgames.com.au/product_info.php?products_id=999&utm_source=getprice&utm_medium=product_search&utm_campaign=getprice&utm_source=getprice&utm_medium=cpc
which will last for ages or you can go the cheap route (I know you will) and buy some poly rope (I suggest at least 15mm for fat kids/longevity but you can get away with thinner) and a snatch block to suit from some dodgy ex-army/tool shop and have a small tyre tied to the bottom on end to sit/stand on.
I've built cheap swings, tree house etc for our 18 mnth and 30 mnth olds and they love them. Am about to build spiders web (like a pyramid so they fall into it) out of 15mm to get them climbing, keep it low to start and raise/extend it as their confidence/skills allow.
Have fun.

brat

20/04/2011
8:10:22 PM

Alright, I got a bit carried away, maybe 12mm poly, good for 2000kg and ok for small hands, $129 for 220m on ebay!

grangrump

21/04/2011
1:56:50 PM

On 20/04/2011 brat wrote:
>$275 for ... [commercial flying fox]
Or if you've got some old static, you could buy a double pulley
e.g. http://www.climbinganchors.com.au/products/Fixe-Double-Pulley.html

My observation is that the more involved the child is, the better the 'toy'.
Some non-rope options:
$100 of sand dumped in the backyard + hose (in summer).
Or a few wooden crates + saw + hammer + old paint + old clothes + stand back.

widewetandslippery

21/04/2011
2:30:29 PM

1 packet of jelly +1 sheet of rohys= 1 quiet afternoon.

martym

28/04/2011
5:38:08 AM

On 21/04/2011 grangrump wrote:
>My observation is that the more involved the child is, the better the>'toy'.
>Some non-rope options:
>$100 of sand dumped in the backyard + hose (in summer).
>Or a few wooden crates + saw + hammer + old paint + old clothes + stand>back.

This girl is 10, has a mobile phone, goes to scouts every week.
We're pretty certain what she likes, we just want to get it done without spending a fortune.

martym

28/04/2011
5:40:18 AM

On 20/04/2011 brat wrote:
> Am about to build spiders web (like a pyramid so they
>fall into it) out of 15mm to get them climbing, keep it low to start and
>raise/extend it as their confidence/skills allow.

What's the construction plan for the spiders web? - we only really have trees at our disposal.

thanks for all the other tips!

brat

28/04/2011
12:04:34 PM

You can use a solid limb (3 to 4 metres high as necessary) as the centre pick up point for the spiders web, then run a rope from that point back in to higher in the tree(trunk) to give it more strength if needed.

As for the plan, I'm building it like a net, the smallest square a hand width, then making the squares gradually bigger from the centre so that it forms a pyramid. 3 metres high and each side at the base 3 metres long with pegs to hold it's shape, can add or subtract depending on height of tree and the age of the climbers.

There are 9 messages in this topic.