See-Saws & Slides

One of the oldest and most ubiquitous of all playground toys is the seesaw. This low-tech device is basically a fulcrum. A long board is balanced and attached in the center so as to allow a child sitting at one end to push off from the ground and thus lowering the one on the other end. As well as developing strong leg muscles, the seesaw can be a learning experience in weight distribution as a heavier child will have to move in closer to the center to balance a lighter playmate. There are handles built in to hold on to and playground see saws are usually surrounded by a patch of sawdust or other soft materiel to reduce the chance of injury in a fall. Plans for how to build a seesaw are popular projects on many of the do it yourself web-sites. There you can find the plans and photographs of various seesaws as building projects.

The old time see saws were constructed of wood and would have to be replaced as time and weather corrupted the wood. The metal seesaws lasted longer but were less effective as their weight made playing on them more difficult. Seesaws are usually found in public playgrounds in conjunction with swings and slides. The Middleton swingset and see saw combination is a very popular brand.

Playground slides come in a much greater variety. Old school slides were usually constructed of galvanized metal and came in two general sizes. There was the short one for smaller children and had actual steps leading up to the peak and there were the longer ones that went higher and usually were constructed with rungs. All the old school slides were just a straight slope to the bottom.

Modern slides have several variations now. As well as having the option of high impact plastics in their construction, they also offer several shapes. There is the banana curve slide that will curve you 45 to 90 degrees from your starting direction. Some new slides are spiral and may make several complete circles before reaching the bottom. The tube slide is a completely enclosed slide. There are multiple track slides that will have two or three separate sliding ramps for use in playgrounds with lots of kids.

Looking for clearance and discount price outlets for your playground slide may be very necessary. The smallest plastic slides will run nearly one hundred dollars and the larger more complex designs can reach one thousand dollars or more very quickly.