Playground Swings: Everything You Need to Know

Playground swings rank among the most popular freestanding attractions in both school and community fun zones. Any given recess, kids who aren’t clambering over equipment, playing football on the field, or shooting hoops on the basketball court most commonly entertain themselves by at the swings, hurling back and forth over cushioned surfacing. What’s more, swings are great for occupying more solitary children who prefer solo activity as opposed to immersing themselves in crowds or participating in coordinated activities. As for community playgrounds (the ones found in parks and rec areas), swings allow for great parent-and-child fun time. Parents push their kids forward, hold out their hands for the catch as gravity brings their child back, and then repeat the process.

In short, swing sets are universally appealing, entertaining individual users as well as adult-and-kid combos. What’s great about them is they come in all shapes, sizes, and types. As the nation’s largest equipment contractor, American Playground Company offers a healthy variety of swings to choose from. In this article, we’ll cover some of our most appealing options: swings that every playground owner should consider when designing or updating their property.

What should I consider before buying a swing set?

Before getting into the meat of this article, let’s discuss a few preliminary factors. After all, no two playgrounds are entirely alike. There often exist differences in budget, for one, but also variables in users.

• Age groups. What age demographics is your playground catered toward? Is it a school playground for grades 1-6? A play area designated exclusively for toddlers (who therefore need, for example, bucket seats, as they’re not strong enough to hold onto the cords of a traditional swing seat)? Or do you manage a community fun zone open to people of all ages? Knowing your audience helps you determine the swing type that’s right for you.
• Inclusiveness. Many playgrounds today are inclusive, meaning they’re designed for children of all backgrounds and abilities. As we wrote in a blog earlier this year, inclusiveness promotes social skills, nurtures friendships, and teaches kids (through mutually beneficial playtime) to understand and respect people of all kinds. An inclusive playground must have the right equipment to accommodate kids with physical and mental handicaps.
• Number of users. Obviously, the quantity of people using your playground on a daily basis helps determine how many (and what kind of) swings you need.

With that established, let’s dive into American Playground Company’s most recommended swing sets!

Top 4 Playground Swings

With 14 locations across the American Midwest and a clientele stretching throughout the continental U.S., American Playground Company maintains a healthy itinerary of playground equipment, including swings.

1. Traditional swings. Starting off, you can’t beat the classics! What’s a playground without the good, old-fashioned frame with two side-by-side seats? Our selection includes the Arch Swing Frame, which stands eight feet high and is capable of supporting either tire swings or traditional seats. We also have swing sets designed to shelter kids from the sun. This is especially important for community playgrounds, which entertain people all year round, including in the summer. For these clients, we recommend the Single Post Swing Frame, which is available with and without overhead shade structures.
2. Tire swings. Some children looking for extra dimension in their play experience. For these kids, the tire swing is the ultimate time-tested solution! Users position themselves in the confines of a safe plastic tire and gyrate in all directions. Of course, you need frames capable of supporting these much heavier objects — not to mention the increased force that’s applied when children use them. American Playground Company sells compatible tire swing frames as well as the tire swing itself.
3. Inclusive tire swings. Children of all backgrounds and abilities are attracted to the tire swing due to its more dynamic usage: the way users can swing themselves around at high speeds instead of just back and forth as is the case with traditional swing seats. For this reason, you should consider an inclusive tire swing. This product features a swing lacking a central hole (it bears a stronger resemblance to a pie tin), accommodating a broader demographic of users.
4. See Me swings. We mentioned before how swings allow for parent-child interaction. But sometimes it’s nice to swing right alongside your toddler. Or, as is possible with the See Me swing, right in front of them. This is a combo option featuring a bucket seat for toddlers and a traditional belt seat that sits right in front of it. The belt seat is positioned somewhat lower, so the parent can remain eye to eye with their young one as the duo enjoys mutual fun time!

Top 4 Playground Swing Seats

Now that we’ve covered pre-installation basics and our most recommend playground swings, it’s time to discuss a few additional items to know about when designing and upgrading a play area. What are the best playground swings?

1. Belt seats. Belt seats are the traditional swing seat option, where the user sits and holds on to the attached chords.
2. Bucket seats. Bucket seats are perfect for users aged 24-47 months and for that reason are recommended for preschools. The seat holds their lower torso while their legs dangle through holes in the “bucket.”
3. Inclusive swing seats. A necessary item for playgrounds catering to children of all backgrounds and abilities. Inclusive swings resemble car seats, with a solid green backdrop and a yellow safety brace that folds down in front of the user. These seats come with a steel chain that’s been galvanized for rust resistance. (This, in turn, helps avoid accidental cuts requiring tetanus shots!)
4. High-capacity adaptive swing seat. When it comes to security, sometimes parents and teachers feel best when a child is safely buckled into place. That is accomplished with our high-capacity adaptive swing seat, which features straps designed to go over the child’s shoulders and waist. Available in green and blue.

Playground surfacing for swing sets

No parent, teacher, or babysitter ever wants to imagine it, but the possibility remains of a child falling off the seat mid-swing. In some cases, kids become bold and purposely use the momentum generated on the swing to hurl themselves into the air. For all these reasons, it is crucial to install proper playground surfacing across the entire play area but especially around your swing sets. Here are just a couple of surfacing types we recommend.

• Engineered wood fiber. Due to the fact that kids using tire swings usually dangle their feet close to the ground during use, most playground managers install wood chips beneath these play apparatuses, as they’re easily displaced and then replaced. Here at American Playground Company, we recommend our engineered wood fiber, which contains a minimal amount of bark but no other organic materials. Therefore it lasts longer (saving you money spent on ordering replacement wood chips) and helps conserve natural resources.
• Recycled bonded rubber. Rubber provides cushioning in the event of falls. This particular rubber is recycled from previously used material and resembles ground-up mulch. Despite appearances, it is solid and easily installed: poured in one step. This is a great choice for property managers operating on smaller budgets.
• Poured in place rubber. This surfacing option can be poured in a variety of styles and colors, allowing you to create patterns and images around your swing set area. Poured in place rubber is low-maintenance, soft to the touch, helps cushion falls, and is very affordable.

Buying swing sets for playground involves knowing user ages and their backgrounds and abilities. The ideal playground is suitable for handicapped children, parents, and toddlers. American Playground Company employs whole teams of industry professionals specializing in playground design, installation, service, and repair. Contact us today and learn how we can help with all your playground needs.