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How to Make Playground Equipment for Toddlers

A playground can be a safe and fun place for a child to explore and engage the world. Finding the appropriate playground equipment for your toddler can be easy, and building your own can help you ensure that your child is playing safely. The specifications for toddler playgrounds are much different from those for older children. Certain playground features that older children often enjoy, such as spiral slides and seesaws, are not appropriate for toddler-aged children. The equipment should meet the appropriate safety standards and should be easily accessible and appropriate for lower motor functions and smaller size.

Things You'll Need

One bag of Quickcrete
Six 12-foot long 4x4 pressure-treated wood posts
One 12-foot long 4x6 pressure-treated wood post
One 4-inch by 6-inch by 2-inch block of wood
Four metal post brackets for swing set
Four toddler swings
Four sets of swing set chains
Hardware for swing set post brackets
Cordless drill with battery and magnetic screw tip
Drill bits
Level
Tape measure
Post hole digger
Power miter box
Power router
Safety glasses
Socket set
Shovel
Twine
Landscape fabric
Four 8-foot lengths of 1-inch by 6-inch cedar
Four 7-foot 9-inch lengths of 1-inch by 6-inch cedar
Eight 10-inch lengths of 1-inch by 3-inch cedar
Twelve 20-inch lengths of 1-inch by 3-inch cedar
Wood clamps
Construction adhesive
1¼-inch galvanized screws
Wood sealer
64 bags of play sand

Instructions

Toddler Swing Set
- 1
  Make sure you have plenty of space in your yard to have enough clearance for the swings; the whole set should not be longer than 10 feet or you will run the risk of it sagging.
- 2
  Mark the ends of four of the 4-inch by 4-inch wood posts with lines and cut notches to accept the 4-inch by 6-inch rail that will go across the top. Make sure that the saw is set at a 12 degree angle to allow the rail to fit into the notches. The easiest way to mark the lines is to use a 4-inch by 6-inch by 2-inch block of wood. Set the block onto the end of a 4 by 4 at a 12 degree angle so that the 4-inch side is flat against the 4 by 4 and the top corner of the block is at the top corner of the 4 by 4. Trace the L-shaped notch onto the 4 by 4 with a pencil.
- 3
  Assemble the A-frames--there will be three. Cut a brace for the A-frame using the saw and nail it in place about where the two sides of the A come together. The ends of the brace should be cut on a 12 degree angle. Place another brace about 10 inches down from the bottom of the first. The cross braces should not be low enough for a child to reach and climb.
- 4
  Mark and drill out the holes in the top rail for the swings--follow the safety instructions included with the swings for proper placement and clearance. For toddlers it is recommended that the swings be set a minimum of 20-inches apart from each other and from the sides.
- 5
  Dig a hole for each post that measures 12 inches in diameter by 18 inches deep using the post-hole digger. You can figure the proper distance by using one of the completed A-Frames--one will be at the center and the other two will be at a distance of five-feet from the center. The top post should overhang by about six inches on either side.
- 6
  Fill the holes with Quickcrete.
- 7
  Set the posts into the concrete-filled holes and allow time for the concrete to set.
- 8
  Hook the swings to the set between 14 and 28 inches off the ground and your toddler is ready to play.
Toddler Sandbox
- 9
  Cut a five-inch point onto the end of each of the twelve 20-inch cedar pieces to create stakes.
- 10
  Mark the area for the sandbox--use the stakes and twine to create straight lines. Make it four feet square.
- 11
  Dig out the area for the sandbox about three inches into the ground. Level the area if necessary and then remove the stakes and twine.
- 12
  Cover the bottom with landscape fabric. Do not use plastic. This will allow proper drainage and prevent weeds.
- 13
  Edge glue and clamp two sets of two eight-foot boards and two sets of two seven-foot nine-inch boards, side-by-side. This will create two eight-foot long walls that are 12-inches high and two walls that are seven-feet nine-inches long by 12-inches high. Allow the glue to cure according to the label instructions.
- 14
  Secure one of the eight 10-inch pieces to each of the walls' inside faces--one inch from the ends and flush with the top of the walls--using the 1¼-inch galvanized screws. These pieces will come short of the bottom edge of the walls by two inches.
- 15
  Sand the pieces lightly to prevent splinters and finish all of the pieces with wood finish.
- 16
  Stand one eight-foot wall on its edge and butt one seven-foot nine-inch wall piece to its inside support perpendicular to the eight-foot wall to form a 90 degree angle. Secure it by screwing three 1¼-inch galvanized screws through the eight-foot piece and into the seven-foot nine-inch piece. Do the same to the opposite end of the eight-foot piece remembering to keep all supports on the inside.
- 17
  Secure the other eight-foot wall piece to the other ends of the seven-foot nine-inch wall pieces in the same fashion, completing the square. Make sure it is square and the edges are flush to prevent sand from leaking out.
- 18
  Lay the box into the sandbox area and drive three stakes into the ground on each side. The stakes should be on the outside of the box and come flush with the top--one in the center, and the other two two-feet from the center stake on each side. Secure these with 1¼-inch galvanized screws.
- 19
  Fill the sandbox with the 64 bags of play sand--this will fill it about halfway.

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