Time to play? Choose wisely

Determine what your child's wants and needs are before buying a play set.
MCCLATCHEY NEWSPAPERS
Patty Seyburn wanted her three young children to enjoy their backyard as much as she enjoyed her yard when she was a child.
"I remember growing up and always playing in our back yard in Detroit," she said wistfully. "I wanted my kids to be able to do that in our yard and have the flexibility to change things as they got a little older."
Seyburn chose an extensive modular play set with a "fort," climbing ladders and many other features kids like. Although all pieces of the set are connected, different types of equipment can be added or substituted in future years.
"Kids spend so much time indoors these days looking at TV and playing video games," Seyburn said, "I'm hoping the play set will encourage them to spend more time outdoors."
Seyburn's new play set is made of redwood, by far the most popular wood now used in play equipment. That's because redwood weathers better than such woods as pine, and is sturdy enough to take wear and tear from active children. Though you'll find play sets large and small made of other materials, such as metal and even plastic, redwood is still a favorite.
How they've changed
"When we started selling play sets 22 years ago, almost all of them were made of pine," said Gordy Gordon, owner of Swings n' Things in Mission Viejo, Calif. He sold the set to Seyburn. "Play sets not only have gotten bigger in all those years, they're much better and much safer."
They've gotten more expensive, too.
Twenty years ago, a good play set might have cost $200. Now it's not unusual to pay $900 for a top-quality set, and the high-end models can cost up to $10,000. An average set Gordon might sell could go for around $2,500 to $4,000.
If you shop smart, what you get for the money is a lot more extensive and safer than what was available 20 years ago.
What does an "average" play set include?
"You might buy a fort, a slide, ramps and a gangplank. You can add such things as a 'porch' around the fort, enclose the top and bottom of the fort, even have a rock wall as part of the fort," Gordon said.
Figuring it out
With so many options, how does someone decide what they want and need?
"We usually start out by counseling the family," Gordon said. "We want to find out how many kids they have, what their ages are, the size of their backyard, and some idea of their price range."
It's important to determine whether there is enough room between the planned play equipment and anything in the yard that would create a hazard.
After all, you don't want your swinging child to launch herself into your neighbor's yard.
All of these considerations are important, but so, too, is what the homeowner wants the playground equipment to provide.
"We try to help people decide what's best for their child's development," said Craig Mizer, operations manager for Rainbow Play Systems. "This includes such things as which muscles to develop at certain ages, things like that."
For instance, some children may develop at their own pace with such equipment as a play fort and a slide. Others may try tougher physical challenges such as a rock-climbing wall.
"It's all a matter of fitting the right set for the child," Mizer said.
Gordon said it was also important to have kids try the play equipment to see what they like best.
"That's why it's important to have the kids try the play equipment before it's purchased," he said.
"After all, if they don't like it, you haven't helped them by buying it, no matter what your objective is."