Need Help with Swing Set Decision

I bought Step2 big climber with swing set extension when my oldest daughter was about 18 mo old and now almost four years later, the swing set look like new with little fading. Since it is plastic and the color is natural we never need to paint it or do anything. I never worry about my daughter falling too far because it's just the right size, not too big or too small where you need to replace in a year. Now she is five yr old and still loves playing on it.

I have 6 mostly grown kids and I have had 3 swingsets in 30 years.When our oldest daughter was 2, we bought a metal swing set with the tall slide, glide ride, teeter totter and swinging monkey bar and 2 swings. We were planning a large family. The swinngset was fine for 3 kids. We had to replace it after less than 5 years because the slide broke. The next time I picked out a heavier duty metal one. That one lasted forever! It had larger metal bars. When my grandson came along, I bought the Step 2 swing set because it was so nice for small children. My then 6 and 8 yr old could play on it too. We would still have it but a tree landed on it. If I only had 1 small child, I would buy the Step 2 one again in a heartbeat! If you want more room, still go with the plastic style--Step2 or Little Tikes. The wood ones are either WAY too expensive or the wood changes and at least looks old. Our Step 2 one was 8 years old and still looked like new. Sorry for the long post but I am enthusiastic about the subject!

I have to recommend the Rainbow system (showroom in Utica at M-59 & Van Dyke) although what some would consider pricey, there are a lot of options to choose from. We bought ours the summer of 2003 when my daughter was 18 months. It has held up beautifully. In the past five years, we have only needed to stain it once (using Rainbows stain) the stain protects the wood and keeps it looking like new. It has also been taken completely apart and moved to our new house. Still sturdy and strong - kids can swing like crazy - even adults can swing on it and it won't "lift" like some of those metal sets can. We chose on that had the slide,picnic table and space for a glider and 2 swings plus a fort (which the wood roof is tall enough for me to stand straight up in and I am 5'5) I feel that I spent a lot of money on it, but find it to be worth it, my kids enjoy it and it is "safe". They will be 7 and 4 this summer and I see them using it for quite a few more years. Good luck with your purchase:)

March is the time to get them if you have a place to store the boxes-the sales are great because nobody can put them up yet. We bought a wood one from Toys R Us 3 years ago and it has held up great. Yes the color weathers, but that is to be expected. The one we purchased came with a swing, glider and handle bars, we purchased an extra swing because we new she would have friends over and the handle bars were just to young for her at the time. She loves to play dolls in the fort with her nieghbor. The kids are always in our sand box and love the wrap around slide. It retailed for 1000 but we got it for 700 because of the sale.

We bought a Rainbow system when our boy was young. It has held up wonderfully. In fact, we will be planning to sell it in the spring! It is wooden and has a wonderful slide, swing and ball to climb on. It also has a "fort" on top that the neighborhood kids loved. I highly recommend these sets, but they are expensive new.

S.

we have a rainbow 3 years old. It is staying pretty good i think if not this year next year it may need a new coat of stain. But its is awesome the kids love climbing the rock wall to go down the slide or the stairs. Thw swings are awesome and one reason why we got the swing set was because it could hol me and my husband. So we can swing the kids too. So now we fight over who gets to swing. But it came with a baby swing and stuff. Later when the kids get older we can change the swing area to a glider.