Climbing frames for just 22 cents a day!

May 3rd, 2012

Expensive days out, DVDs, XBOX games – they all add up. What about a play park in your own garden for just 18p a day? A recent survey carried out for food manufacturer Arla’s Kids Closer to Nature campaign revealed that 44% more children are now playing outdoors than they were years ago. This makes sense when you think of the expense of the endless stream of electronic games, games consoles, DVD’s and electronic toys which have a very short shelf life.

Investing in a climbing frame is the best way to ensure your children are kept entertained and active without breaking the bank. One of our best-selling climbing frames, the Woodchester, is currently 649 €. If you buy the frame when your children are 2 and have it until they are 10, it will be used for 8 years. So…

365 (days in a year) x 8 (Amount of years) = 2920 (days in total)
(cost of climbing frame) 649 € / (days) 2920 = 0.22 € per day
If you have 2 children that is just 11 cents per child, per day!

What else can you get for 22 cents per day? A DVD like the new Puss in Boots film is 15.98 € and might get watched once, maybe twice. If you were to play a new DVD every day, you would be spending a whopping 4666.16 € a year! Even if you played a new DVD every weekend that would still cost 830 € a year for just a couple of hours entertainment at a time.
How about a trip to the local soft play centre? That’s about 5 € per child. If you have 2 children that would cost 10 €, plus lunch which is another 4 € per child. A total of 18 € minimum (without the petrol money or any treats for Mum and Dad). 18 € every weekend is 936 € a year!

A climbing frame in your garden means no petrol, no expensive lunches out and lots of money saved. Our climbing frames are guaranteed against rot and decay for 10 years so can be used by several siblings over a large period of time – reducing the cost even further. Even after 8 years the climbing frame may well still have a decent second-hand value.
Of course the fact that they are exercising and enjoying the fresh air is priceless.

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Essential Tools for your Climbing Frame Build

April 20th, 2012

Our climbing frames come with fully illustrated manuals making the build as easy as possible. We never pretend our frames are a complete breeze but we promise that they are completely do-able, by professionals and novices alike. All Selwood climbing frames are designed for home build.

As with most things in life preparation is key. Make sure you have all the tools you need before you start. We can promise you there is nothing worse than getting a piece exactly in place to turn around and realise you don’t have a hammer or a spirit level.

The Assembly Manual does inform you on the tools needed but we have done our own easy-to-read picture version. We cannot stress enough how import an electric drill is. We have had customers tell us horror stories of them trying to build their frames with screwdrivers and we would not recommend it. Our climbing frames are large structures and require the appropriate tools. From first hand experience of building the frames ourselves we can tell you an electric drill is nothing short of a God send.

The below image shows you some essentials that you will need before you get started:

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Help with your Climbing Frame build

April 12th, 2012

One of our major climbing frame manufacturers, Selwood Products, have done a fantastic blog over on their website. We often get asked why the climbing frames parts aren’t labelled and the post explains exactly why. It also gives some really helpful hints and tips on how to sort the parts and how to save yourself a lot of time and effort.

Click here to read their blog.

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The Relaxation of Swingsets

March 2nd, 2012

There is something very relaxing and freeing about jumping on a swing. Climbing frames are action packed and full of adventure where as swinging is a time for reflection. On scouring the internet for great climbing frame and swing set images we came across some really fun ones that captured exactly that feeling.

Our climbing frames feature swings designed specifically for little ones. They are made of a soft flexible plastic that grip children’s hips and keep them in place. Swings are a childhood essential and as the images show they bring a lot of joy.

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Happy Climbing Frame Customers

February 24th, 2012

Of course we think our climbing frames are beyond super dooper. We could talk until the cows come home about our gorgeous wooden playhouses, our huge range of playset features and our fantastic prices. But the real proof is in the pudding and in the feedback we get from our customers. Often we have customers send us in pictures of their children having a huge amount of fun on their brand new climbing frames and we thought it would be great to share these with all of you so you can get a real idea of how our playsets look in their natural habitat.

We love the last image. Made us smile.

Climbing frames are a great way to keep children active and healthy as well as occupied. Visit our climbing frame page here

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Our Own Climbing Frames IE Potty List

January 20th, 2012

As climbing frame and outdoor play equipment experts we like to think we deal in the business of fun. After spying a ‘potty list’ flying around the internet detailing all the things a child should do before they reach the ripe old age of 3, we decided there were a few important milestones missing.

The list was made up of fun and naughty suggestions like singing loudly in public and wearing knickers on your head. We noticed there was no mention of technology based activity and instead good old fashioned fun triumphed.

Here is our very own climbing frame and outdoor play equipment potty list of things to do before you reach 10.

1. Learn how to swing all on your own.

2. Go up the slide the wrong way despite being told not to.

3. Swing so high you think you might go over the swing beam.

4. Attempt a somersault on a trampoline.

5. Create your very own den.

6. Swing higher than your brother/sister/friend.

7. Race to the top deck of your climbing frame and declare you are king of the castle.

8. Make it across the monkey bars…Solo.

9. Hang upside down on a trapeze bar.

10. Make a mud pie (we kept that one in, it’s essential)

 

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Outdoor play helps children sleep better

January 11th, 2012

Climbing frames and outdoor play equipment may not just be all fun and games. The National Wildlife Federation have released a new parent guide which explains that increasing children’s outdoor play could help them sleep better.

Children in the U.S are currently spending an average of 7 hours and 38 minutes glued to screens and plugged into technology, which must be something similar to the time our own children spend on electronic toys. This leaves little to no time to be spending outdoors. The NWF voice concerns that children today are experiencing an indoor childhood which may contribute to sleeping problems. They estimate that children are losing approximately 10 hours of sleep a week.

Time spent running, climbing, sliding and swinging on their climbing frame is time spent outdoors in natural light. Exposure to natural light, especially in the morning, has the ability to set our body clock as well as keep us alert and awake throughout the day making for an earlier and more restful sleep. Nature also has a wonderfully soothing effect on children. In fact children with Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder have experienced significant relief from their symptoms after time spent outdoors.

Whilst indoor exercise does go some way to keeping children fit and healthy it can’t compare to the freedom of outdoor exercise. In the outdoors there are far less boundaries and children can really let loose and go wild. All this exercise is proven to release endorphins, happy hormones, as well as melatonin. This can help your children fall into a carefree sleep. Of course all this exercising does great things for muscle flexibility and strength.

Here is the recommended sleep guidelines from the report

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Climbing Frames – Christmas Offers

December 8th, 2011

It’s almost Christmas and we’re feeling rather generous here at Climbing Frames. As well as the super low prices on our wooden playsets and climbing frames we are also offering free gifts with selected frames.

Both the Highlander and Skyfort climbing frames come with the beautiful Bayberry wooden playhouse completely free of charge. The Bayberry comes complete with cute white picket fence, window boxes and even a weather vane. Other freebies include the sand pit and picnic table. These have all been carefully chosen to go along with your climbing frame order and will look fabulous as a pair or on their own.

To take full advantage of these offers and ensure your climbing frame is delivered in time for Christmas order before December 14th 2011. Click here to view our wooden playsets 

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Columbia Climbing Frame

November 5th, 2010

Columbia Climbing Frame

The Columbia Climbing Frame is a beautiful wooden playset, designed to be built at home. The set comes flat packed (ikea style) in two boxes including all wood, hardware and accessories (swing, slide, 2-child glider).

The Columbia Climbing Frame is manufactured from Cedar wood and is pre-stained before leaving the factory. Cedar is naturally resistant to rot and insect infestation so unlike Pine it does not need pressure treating with chemicals to ensure it lasts when outside. The wooden parts also come labelled (all main parts) and pre-drilled and cut where necessary to ensure home-build is as easy as possible. All you’ll need is some power tools and a few hours to spare!

The Cloumbia Climbing Frame features some great accessories including an 8ft (2.4m) wave slide, 2 belt style swing seats and a 2-child back-to-back glider, although one child can use this on their own if desired. There’s also a flat step ladder and a rockwall on the opposite side of the fort structure to the picnic table. The picnic table can seat four children comfortably.

The set features a large green tarp roof with a matching picnic table roof. The slide, swings and metal brackets are all matching green. The slide bed is yellow, as are the grab handles at the top of the rockwall ladder.

You can view a 3D rotating image of the Columbia Climbing Frame HERE or you can view the current stock availability and price HERE.

We hope you find our review of the Columbia Climbing Frame useful, and would be very happy to have you submit your comments below if you purchased this item and would be willing to submit an owners point of view.

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Pathfinder Climbing Frame

July 15th, 2010

Pathfinder Climbing Frame

The PathfinderPathfinder Climbing Frame has been around for several seasons, which shows how popular it has been in a market where climbing frame designes are normally changed annually or bi-annually! A great sturdy design and attractive colour scheme make this wooden play system a great buy.

The Pathfinder Climbing Frame is manufactured from cedar wood which is treated with a water based, factory applied redwood colour stain. The wood is pre-cut and pre-drilled so when it is delivered to your door by our helpful delivery drivers it is ready-to-build. The pack consists of two boxes which contain all wood, hardware and accessories.

The swing beam has two belt swings and a 2-child back-to-back glider, although this can also be used by one child if required.

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