A Woodlawn swing set will undoubtedly provide a wonderful place for your children to play. What child doesn’t like to have a place to climb, swing, have picnics, and play in a sandbox? What parent wouldn’t smile at the sheer joy and laughter that a swing set will bring?

However, fun and laughter is just the tip of the iceberg. There are many other benefits to having a wooden swing set in your backyard. That’s why we’ve invested our lives in making Woodlawn swing sets for children all across the North America and Europe to enjoy. Not only is it an investment in your child, we view it as an investment in families as well.

Physical development: When climbing a rope or learning to “pump” their own swing, your child will be building strength, coordination and agility. You will marvel over the course of a single summer as you mark their development and growth. Watch over time, as they go from standing on your shoulders trying to do the monkey bars to flying across all by themselves!

Social development: Side-by-side is the key to teaching children how to share, take turns and collaborate. Not only fun, play is the way children can experience success, try on different roles, practice being in charge of their own activities and interact with others. Sharing a swing for example, helps a child learn patience and to be considerate of others’ feelings.

Cognitive development: When your child plays in a sandbox, they not only learn to exercise their imagination, but they also learn the concepts of size, shape, volume, empty and full. Climbing up and going down the slide is the perfect lesson in gravity. Play is your child’s work, teaching them in ways you might never have thought about.

Togetherness: Having a wooden swing set right in your backyard will lead to magic moments when you least expect it. You’ll watch in amazement as your child learns a new skill or asks you to join them at an imaginary tea party. Most importantly, a Woodlawn swing set will provide the opportunity for your child to build lasting friendships, and for you to play with your children and other families and their children right in your own yard.

Independent learning: When a group of children have decided that their "game" involves swinging across the monkey bars, climbing up a ladder and then sliding down a slide, they have established a clear objective: To follow in sequence a set of prescribed activities. They are exercising their thinking, social, verbal and physical skills, as well as their creativity within the meaningful context of inventing a game — all without being taught by an adult. (From Dimensions of Early Childhood, article by Kathryn Castle and Elaine Wilson)

Safety: Your children will play in your backyard, not at a park up the street where you can’t see or protect them. Friends will congregate. You'll know with whom your children are playing. You'll observe how they get along with others. And you can supervise them while, at the same time, giving them the opportunity to play on their own, learning independence in a protected environment and having a great time.

Longevity: From pushing your child in the toddler swing, to watching him or her swap stories in the playhouse with friends – a wooden swing set will engage them for years. Woodlawn swing sets are designed to grow with your children as they grow and their skills improve. It’s not like the “hot” toy that sits gathering dust a few weeks after your child receives it. A Woodlawn swing set will be used season after season after season. You'll wonder why you didn’t get one sooner.

Next: The Importance of Wood Type