playsets for 2 girls
My daughters are age 1 and 3 (almost) and we just moved into a new house with nothing in the backyard, it's just a blank slate. We want to make a great backyard for ourselves and the girls but we're having a hard time trying to decide on what to get for them.
We could get them a 2 level playset with swings, a slide and a climbing structure with a sandbox underneath and picnic table. There are TONS to choose from! We'd have to get something with a little play area down low for my youngest since she wouldn't be able to really use it for a while.
The other option is to buy a smaller swing set with an attached slide and get a playhouse separate. They both love to swing, at least right now they do.
We already have a sandbox and water table so we just need to round out the bigger pieces to complete the yard.
What would they really use when they get to be older though? At age 7-10 are they still going to want to climb on the larger play set or would the smaller separate pieces be a better option? We want to buy something that will get used through the years and not just end up taking up space after only a couple years.
What have you guys purchased for your kids? What did they really love to play with?
THX
Re: playsets for 2 girls
We had a similar decision to make when my kids were smaller, but the dilemma was ended when my dad surprised us with a wooden swingset from Sam's Club. It has turned out to be a great swingset that has lasted for 7 years and is still going strong! My dad paid $1000 for it.
It is a pretty typical swingset + playhouse on top/sandbox on bottom with a slide down from the playhouse. The playhouse can be reached by a fairly do-able ladder or by more challenging climbing wall. Ours has room for 3 swings, which can be switched out and changed. We've had a baby swing, normal swings, a trapeze, and a bouncy swing over the years. Our swingset has turned out to be great, and it has lasted for a lot longer than friends' more expensive swingsets. The playhouse has a solid plastic roof instead of fabric. I have heard from many other parents that fabric roofs are usually the first part to get damaged by wind, ice, or snow.
Keep in mind that your girls will be "big kids" for a lot longer than they'll be toddlers. So for a big ticket item like a swingset/playset, you will probably want something they can grow into and that will meet their needs as they are older. I would not invest a ton of money on a large playset that was geared toward toddlers. If you're not ready to buy a bigger swingset, stick with a few inexpensive backyard toys (small playhouse, baby pool, sandbox) that won't be hard to toss when you do decide to invest in the bigger unit.
FWIW, we got ours when my DD was 4 and my DS was a baby. DS was climbing up the steps before he could walk. Now my DD is 10 and in 5th grade. She and her friends still play out there: sometimes playing pretend, sometimes just using the swings as a place to hang out and chatter. My DS is 6, and the swingset is always a BIG hit with his friends. It's usually the center of their outside pretend play and has been a fort, a castle, a spaceship, a submarine, and all kinds of stuff.
We bought one of those Rainbow Play Systems when my son(first born) was 18 months. He loved it even at that age and was even able to climb up the bars to get to the club house(with assistance of course). Now my kids are 7 & 10 years old and they still play on it in the summer. We have gotten many years out of it.
Ours is one of the smaller ones with 2 swings, a rope with the disc at the end of it, straight slide, trapeze bar, chain link and bars on each side of the club house at the top.
https://www.rainbowplay.com/
Our Costco currently has an incredible set for 1K but they don't have the exact one online so I tried to pick something close. What I love about the one in store is it has two levels of "treehouse" and that area has a wooden roof instead of the fabric you usually see.
I would buy these two things $799
Costco contracts each summer with Kidcraft to produce a playhouse just for them and the one for this summer is waaaay more than this pic. One side has a bay window and the back portion has 3 large sliding windows. I'm 90% sure the price was $259. You can't find the playhouse anywhere near the price of Costco and the non Costco versions are usually much plainer. We got ours last summer (boys were 1.25 and 2.5) and they were obsessed then and still are. It's a massive hit.
We have regular playdates with two sisters, 6.5 and 5 and they adore the playhouse. It's held up perfectly for this first year and it's a quality piece so I know that when it's been outgrown I'll be able to put it on Craiglist and re-coop a good chunk of the price.
I'd say that with playscapes, get something that you can add onto or change out as they get older. Right now you don't need a climbing wall but as they get older that is something you definitely want to be able to add and increase the difficulty each year. Most of them you can switch out the slide fairly easily too to help keep them interested.