We’ve heard of musical chairs, but now there’s musical swings!

February 19th, 2013

Yes, you have read that correctly – musical swings!

In Montreal, 21 interactive swings have been installed in the Quartier des Spectacles. Each swing produces unique notes and then some melodies can only be produced when people cooperate with one another by swinging in harmony. This installation aims to give people a new perspective on cooperation and that more can be achieved as a group than as an individual. The 21 Swings installation is by a design house called Daily Tous Les Jours who are well known for many public installations.


Musical Swings in Montreal Musical Swings in Montreal

Different instruments have been programmed so swings will emit notes from pianos and xylophones to name a couple and there is even a “secret mode” for when all 21 swings are in use in one go. We really love the idea of these swings bringing strangers together by making music together!

They say that listening to music can be very relaxing and therefore reduce stress, aid health problems and encourage physical performance – so taking time out in a bustling city to play music whilst swinging is a fantastic idea.

Currently this is only in Montreal but they are looking into bringing a travelling installation that could come to various cities across the world! Wouldn’t that be cool? If you’re as intrigued as we were when we heard about these amazing swings, check out the video below!

We don’t sell musical swings, unfortunately (wouldn’t it be amazing if we did?) but we do sell beautiful wooden climbing frames complete with swings that would look great in your garden ready for this summer!

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A History of Climbing Frames

February 12th, 2013

It is very surprising to discover that the original climbing frame or swing dates far back to the 5th Century BC, which is quite something! There are vases from Ancient Greece that show images of women and their children playing on a swing. The Climbing Frames that we know today, however, date back to the beginning of the 20th Century in the United States.

Ancient Greek Vase

In urban areas the minimum age that children could work was on the rise and therefore many children suddenly had plenty of spare time on their hands but nowhere to play. Designated play areas were created for them and play equipment was brought in for them to play on.

Swing in New York

The jungle gym was patented by Sebastian Hinton in the 1920s and the first playground safety regulations were issued. These playgrounds that were funded by the American government were immensely popular during the Great Depression, but this was short lived unfortunately due to World War II. During the war there was a large decrease in playground goods being manufactured and this lead to many existing play areas being neglected.

Young Girls and Glider

After the war, playgrounds were revamped to contend with all the children from the Baby Boom during the 1950s. In the 1960s many imaginative designs came about as well as the idea of an “Adventure Playground”. These designs were for steel swingsets and as a result injuries radically increased. The Consumer Product Safety Commission introduced additional safety standards during the 1980s and 1990s. Wood was becoming an increasingly popular material for climbing frames (like cedar) and that is how they started to resemble the climbing frames that we know today.

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Three climbing frames for under €450 at Climbing Frames IE

February 1st, 2013

Here at Climbing Frames Ireland we regularly have bargain prices on our wooden climbing frames, and we have something to suit every budget and garden size. Currently we have three climbing frames suitable for smaller gardens all for under €450 which is an absolute bargain!

3 climbing frames for under €450

Andorra Climbing Frame

Andorra Climbing Frame

 The Andorra Climbing Frame is one of our most popular climbing frames as it is ideal for really little ones. Featuring two flexible belt swings for your little ones to swing on to their hearts content – our flexible swings offer maximum support to your children while in use by moulding to their hips. The Andorra has a fort to the right of the swings with a 1m deck height which can be accessed by the rockwall ladder at the front. When your little one is on the deck, they can use the chalkwall to draw masterpieces and to get back down they can use the wavy slide for a quick descent. The Andorra also has a colourful green and yellow tarpaulin roof which is UV-resistant which means it won’t fade and compliments the swings beautifully.

Belfort Prestige Climbing Frame

Belfort Prestige Climbing Frame

 The Belfort Prestige Climbing Frame is a beautiful climbing frame and is brightly coloured. It features two belt swings which are flexible to offer maximum support to your child, as well as a trapeze bar for budding gymnasts in the family. To the left of the swings, there is a fort with a 1.2m deck heigh which is accessible at the back with a rockwall ladder. To descend back to the ground your little ones can use the green and yellow wavy slide which will certainly provide an entertaining ride. The Belfort Prestige has something a little extra compared to the other two climbing frames featured today – a little picnic table, so when your little ones are hungry they won’t have to come indoors for lunch, they can stay in the garden!

Meadowvale Climbing Frame

Meadowvale Climbing Frame

 The Meadowvale Climbing Frame is another one of our popular climbing frames with two flexible belt swings and a colourful trapeze bar to keep your children occupied. The Meadowvale is unique in the fact that the trapeze bar is actually on the other side of the tower to the swings. With a deck height of 1.2m, it can be accessed by either the rockwall ladder at the front, or the rope ladder at the back. Incidentally, the Meadowvale is the only climbing frame that we sell that has a rope ladder. To get back down there is a 2.2m wavy slide for an exciting trip back to the ground. The fort itself has a colourful tarp roof which is reversible, you can choose between a yellow or green roof. It’s down to personal preference!

All three climbing frames are in stock and available straight away with delivery taking between 7 and 14 working days!

Disclaimer: Prices valid at the time of publication.

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One climbing frame – three slides

January 30th, 2013

Here at Climbing Frames Ireland we currently have five ranges of wooden climbing frames for sale, one of which is called the Infinity Series which is comprised of the Roseberry, Roseberry Deluxe, Clevedon, Clevedon Deluxe, Sandpoint and Sandpoint Deluxe climbing frames. All of these climbing frames consist of the same wooden base climbing frame but have different slides to suit different preferences and garden sizes.

Slides are the icing on the cake for our climbing frames as all slides are popular among children, and keep them entertained for extended periods. They are the perfect get away exit and make for a quick and safe descent back down to the ground. Our infinity range feature an open curved slight, a straight slide and an enclosed tube slide. These slides all vary in size and are only suitable for the infinity range as they have a 1.5m deck height.

All the slides are made from durable plastic and they are high sided to add an extra safety element during your childs descent.

Straight Slide

Roseberry Climbing Frame Roseberry Deluxe Climbing Frame

The straight slide we offer on our Roseberry and Roseberry Deluxe climbing frames is called a Super Speedy Slide and is 3m in length. This slide is sure to provide an exciting descent down to the ground. It has waves along the length of the slide which adds to the excitement of zooming down the slide. Featuring high rails on either side this ensures that they are safe and gives them something to hold onto when getting up after landing. The super speedy slide is reinforced to make sure it is extra hard wearing and is made from durable green plastic.

Curved Slide

Clevedon Climbing Frame Clevedon Deluxe Climbing Frame

The curved slide on the Clevedon and Clevedon Deluxe climbing frames is slightly longer than it’s straight counterpart. This is down to the way the curved slide is designed with the fixed bend in the middle meaning that it curves round to the front of the climbing frame. This gives children a marginly longer ride and also looks great on the climbing frame itself. Like our straight slide counterpart the curved slide has high rails to ensure safety. It is made from durable injection moulded HDPE. This slide is 3.65m in length and is supported by wooden uprights to make sure it stays in place and offers maximum support.

Tube Slide

Sandpoint Climbing Frame Sandpoint Deluxe Climbing Frame

The Sandpoint and Sandpoint Deluxe climbing frames feature the extremely popular enclosed tube slide. It offers an enclosed descent from the 1.5m deck and has a really modern twist to the climbing frame. Not only is the tube slide extremely popular with children, it is beneficial for those who are slightly limited in space as this is the most compact slide of the three we offer in our Infinity range. The slide turns in on itself in a spiral and flattens at the bottom so that your children will land on their feet and not their bottom. The tube slide offers a 3.65m slide in length and is made from injection moulded HPDE to ensure it’s strength.

The Infinity range is a truly impressive range of climbing frames, and with 6 different variations you may feel a little overwhelmed with so much choice. Should you have any questions about any of our climbing frames our customer service team is available Monday – Friday 9am – 5:30pm to help!

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