Swing set help

[bg18539]

I am almost officially registered, I just need training and a fire safety inspection! However, during my regular inspection I was told I need to add 9" of mulch under the swing set in the yard. Any ideas how to do this without spending too much? I can get the mulch for free, but do I need to have a border so it doesn't get all over the back yard? I want to buy a new swing set down the road, maybe around the summer, do you think I should just hold off on the mulch till then? I was told that as long as I submit a letter saying children will not use the set until mulch is added it will not keep me from getting registered.

thanks
Doa

[melskids]

Hello..and welcome!!!

I am in NY too!

We were able to get our mulch free too (thankfully!) We did buy 1x10's to enclose the mulch. It was a little over $100...I think. I'd have to ask my husband.

Here's a pic of what it looked like while we were putting it in....it doesnt look so great, as we were just coming out of mud season, and we had to take the fence down to be able to back the truck up to unload the mulch...lol


014.jpg

[bg18539]

Thanks for the response, can you let me know how you installed it? I think I have a smaller area to cover, but the cost was getting crazy when I tried to check it out on my own. Looks like you have the best way to set this up. I am just curious as to the way you are keeping them up.

Thanks again

[melskids]

there are stakes in the ground on the outside holding the wood up, (see pic....in front of the dog.) then we nailed stakes on the inside too, in each place where two boards meet.

I'm not sure if its the best way to do it, but its working, and it keeps licensing happy.

[mac60]

The very reason I don't have a swing set. The liability and the the ridiculous regulations are cost prohibitive.

[melskids]

Originally Posted by mac60

The very reason I don't have a swing set. The liability and the the ridiculous regulations are cost prohibitive.

I'm honestly thinking about taking the swingset down. The little ones walk in front of it all the time, and I am constantly on the SA about how rough they are on it. It's definetely been a liability. I'd like to keep the climbers, so I will still need to keep the mulch anyway.

[Blackcat31]

Originally Posted by melskids

I'm honestly thinking about taking the swingset down. The little ones walk in front of it all the time, and I am constantly on the SA about how rough they are on it. It's definetely been a liability. I'd like to keep the climbers, so I will still need to keep the mulch anyway.

We took ours down in the fall of 2010 with the intention of putting up a new one this last summer (2011) and due to some other unexpected costs, just haven't put a new one up yet. I have to say though, I am pleasantly surprised at how much more the kids are benefitting from outdoor time now that we don't have a swing set.

Like you said, the littles just walk in front of it and my preschoolers mostly just sat on one and swayed a bit, not actually swinging. Then we would go inside and they wanted to run!

Now without swings, they run outside and play more in other areas of the yard that they didn't really migrate to before. For a while the swings were really coveted and I think some of my dck's would take one simply because they knew others wanted them and so they took it just for the sake of having one but probably didn't really want to swing in the first place. kwim?

I am seriously thinking of just forgetting the swing set all together.

[countrymom]

I have peastones (I think this year I'm going to add some more too it) but in that are I have a swing set and only the little kids are allowed. Now I have have a huge play area for the older kids, the littles are not allowed near it, and I have another swing set but it has monkey bars and a teeter totter swing on it (and a slide) so everyone can use that one. My swings are used all time, I can't believe the games the kids play with them.