Children's outdoor play equipment keeps children safe and busy. Swings, a ladder, a sandbox, a trampolin.
Children like to play outside: they like to run, to get all dirty and muddy, to climb trees, and to build things. Their play can benefit from certain equipment, as well as backyard and parent's peace of mind. My children discovered some old splintery wood planks behind the garage and tried to built themselves a tree-house. After putting the garbage back where it belongs and removing about thirty splinters between the four of us, I'm shopping for some outdoor playground equipment. I'd like a sandbox, not only for a toddler but for his preschool brother and the seven years old sister as well, a rope ladder, training rings and swings, possibly a climbing rope, a hammock... A seesaw? Monkey bars, a trampolin (or is it trampoline?), a zip line, a unicycle? A slide, an actual treehouse? The great wooden structure, or a crappy plastic one? What about playground safety -- should I get a gymnast's mat, or a rubber mat, or some tree mulch?
Well, I cannot have everything. Freestanding playstructures with a slide, swings and ladder cost $400 and up. Plastic or metal structures require elaborate anchoring -- they don't look heavy enough to be stable as they are. Best wooden outdoor equipment is made out of naturally mold- and ants- repelling red cedar, the rest is treated with poisonous fungicides and insecticides. Anyway, it's not an option for us. A zip line, rock climbing walls and a large enclosed trampoline are probably too advanced for my children for couple of years more.
Swings, rope ladders and training rings are often included in freestanding structures. IKEA and some independent sports stores sell them separately for $20 for simple swings -- $200 for training ring. They usually come with screws for installation. The ground under the climbing equipment must be safe. Safety comparisons for different surfaces suggest that 9" of tree mulch provide as much support as 5" of recycled rubber mat for a child falling from 6' height. Used mattress or futon is a temporary option, but nowhere as safe as rubber mats. These mats are installed for municipal playgrounds by companies who don't even list prices on their websites. I assume it's not practical to have one in my backyard.
A sandbox must have a lid, and sand, of course. A bottom is good to have, too, in case you are planning to get rid of the sandbox eventually. Naturally Playful series by Step2, Little Tikes, and other small sandboxes with fitted lids hold up to 200lb of sand and sell for $50 and up, sand thankfully not included. It has enough space for two toddlers. Some people suggested using two wading pools ($7-$10) -- one as a box and another as a lid. Yet someone else used a waterbed frame to built a sandbox. Sand is sold in 50lb sacks for about $10 a sack. Gravel companies sell the sand by trackloads and dump it themself, prices vary. The sand may not be suitable for the sandbox if it contains small particles of silica or asbestos (that, I believe, is eradicated), or just dirty. Some people use small gravel instead of sand. You cannot build castles with gravel, but it is easier to get rid of; it provides different tactile satisfaction then sand.
See also: children.