<p>A friend of mine posted on FB yesterday that her H was spending the day trying to revitialize their 24 year old swing set/play structure that was built for their first child (24 years ago) in preparation for their first grandchild to be able to use next spring. </p>
<p>Made me think - how many of us still have the perpetual swing set/play structure in our yards though perhaps no one is using it? A casual survey on my neighborhood walk last night shows that indeed, to take down the playset may be an indication of forfeiting childhood in our homes. True or not true? </p>
<p>Our kids range in age from 16 to 24. We have a side yard that was the play yard - fenced in, H built a set in concrete swing structure with three swings and then a separate tree house/long slide which housed a sandbox underneath. It still looks great (although we finally dumped the Fisher Price red-blue-yellow sandbox a few years ago because it had faded so much) and I even “caught” S 21 reading in the tree house once this summer </p>
<p>While walking through the neighborhood I spied one house with kids college age and above who still had a Little Tikes climbing/slide thingy in the back yard. Several with swing sets. A couple tree houses. Two “play houses” built from scratch- to resemble a real house. </p>
<p>I don’t think I could ever remove these structures myself. We have talked about removing the swings and putting a bench swing on the large swing set. The area is very peaceful and shady so a good place to read. </p>
<p>So, just wondering. Does your yard still show any signs of playing children from days gone by? Why do you keep it up or does it still get used in some way??? </p>
<p>Am I right that still having it is “us” hanging onto those playful, carefree years? Or are we just too lazy to take it down (HAHA)???</p>
<p>We got rid of the swing set soon after my kid stopped using it. Probably when he was about 9 or 10 years old - though it might have been even earlier.</p>
<p>Mine didn’t stop using it for some purpose until they moved out. We only recently took it down. Would have kept it for grandchildren but not sure it was still safe. I remember when we bought it the salesman tried to get us to buy an “upgrade” saying it would last 40 years instead of only 20. Who needs a play structure to last 40 years?</p>
<p>My sandbox, a birthday present from my grandparents when I turned 2, is still sitting behind my house. I don’t think my mother would mind getting rid of it. She’s simply not sentimental about material objects, to the point that she even got rid of her wedding dress. My father says he’s not getting rid of it because I won’t let him. It’s true that I would protest (and have protested), but I think he likes it too.</p>
<p>I’ve still got a very old wooden swing set in my yard, since it very occasionally gets use when my nieces visit. However, they are now outgrowing the swing set age, so I should probably get rid of it. </p>
<p>A couple of years ago I got rid of a very old huge wooden fort by placing an ad in the Free section Craig’s List, posting a picture and saying it was free to anyone who could remove it. I was shocked to get more than 10 requests within minutes, and quickly removed the ad. I picked one of the responses, based upon what he said I had the confidence that he was actually up to the job of removing the fort. And a few days later a nice man came and spend all day disassembling it and loading it into a pickup truck and taking it away.</p>
<p>I used to stain the fort and the swingset every few years whenever I would stain the deck, so they remained in reasonable shape. The swingset would be much easier to move than the fort was, so I assume I’ll have no trouble finding someone to take it off my hands when I decide that I don’t want it anymore.</p>
<p>We sold our very nice swing set (we paid too much for it and it wasn’t used much) to a younger neighbor when our kids were about 10 and 12. We then got a enclosed trampoline to go in it’s place and kept that for about 4 years. Our yard is now just grass and trees!</p>
<p>Our swingset is now a clothesline. The jungle gym is a bird feeder holder with many vines planted to surround the feeders. The built in sandbox is my compost - I put chicken wire around it to contain it and keep dogs out. The wooden fort was re-made into a wood holder for firewood. If we ever get grandkids, I guess we’ll teach them to hang laundry, compost food and appreciate the birds! Will probably wait a few years for chopping wood lessons…</p>
<p>We moved just as the kids were abandoning the swingset–it was a nice wooden structure with a climbing tower, and the new owners were happy to have it. But unless OP’s friend’s H is an engineer, I’d be leery about trying to “revitalize” a 24-year-old set. Safety regulations and recommendations have changed over the years, and units can lose structural integrity over time (from moisture and insects) in ways that can’t necessarily be seen.</p>
<p>We removed it when last kid was about 13. She wasn’t very happy about it, but she wasn’t using it either. We kept the end section with the double swing thing in the garden for a year to pacify her. We also took down the wooden fort about the same time. We had bought it used, sawed it down and burnt it. It was old and dry and I didn’t want to bother with waiting on someone to take it down and then question its safety.</p>
<p>Took trampoline down about the same time. I miss looking at the swingsets on their fresh mulch each spring. Just seems so sad I miss the days when all 3 were on those and in the pool all day. It died last winter after 14 years.</p>
<p>I rank swingsets up there with ShopVacs for most cost effective and Best Things Ever. I’ll put another one up when I get grandkids.</p>
<p>We “sold” our swing set (gave it away to whomever could haul it) when we sold our house umpteen years ago. I wouldn’t ever try to “revitalize” a 24 year old set–I’d be feeding it to the termites/bugs/fire pit/garbage pail and buying a new one for sure.</p>
<p>We moved during that time of the kids lives. The one thing hubby couldn’t wait to get away from was the trampoline. He always hated it because he was afraid someone would break their neck. My sis had one on her yard and the insurance company came by to do an inspection and told her she had to remove it or face increased rates.</p>
<p>One thing that we’ve had to deal with here are carpenter bees in the play sets. We had a lacrosse backboard and the bees got to it so badly it fell apart.</p>
<p>We had the most wonderful experience with our monster of a swing set. Although we weren’t planning on removing it, the kids, after age 12 or so, really were not on it that much. It was getting a little moldy and grimy. Lo and behold, one night, a huge storm kicked up and a giant oak crashed onto the swing set, destroying it. A few weeks later, we received a $5000 replacement check form the insurance company. :)</p>
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I miss the days when all 3 were on those and in the pool all day. It died last winter after 14 years.</p>