Directions for Making a Playground Seesaw

Cut four pieces of 4-by-4 lumber to 44 inches long to make the vertical legs of the seesaw frame. Drill three holes in each leg. The holes need to be the size of your lag bolts. Measure up from the bottom of each leg to 29 1/2 inches and drill the first of the three holes. Measure down from the top 1 1/2 inch for the second hole and another 1 1/2 inch below that for the third hole. Make sure the holes are lined up on all four legs.

Place the 13 1/2 inch 2-by-4 spacer bar horizontally between the legs of your frame so two legs sandwich one end of the spacer and two legs sandwich the other end of the spacer. Line the holes up and mark the spacer so you can drill through the spacer at the right location. Drill your holes into the spacer and bolt the spacer bar to the four legs using lag bolts.

Decide where you want your seesaw to be placed. Remove any grass or debris in that area with a shovel. Dig holes to accommodate the seesaw legs. Make the holes 3 feet deep. Add a foot of concrete to the holes and let it set up overnight. Insert the frame so the bottom 2 feet of the legs are underground and fill the holes with concrete. Use a carpenter's square to make sure frame is level and even. Adjust as needed and let the concrete dry overnight to secure the frame in place.

Measure your 10-foot, 2-by-8 plank and mark the precise middle of the plank. Use a square to make sure the line is truly straight. Draw two additional lines, one on each side of the middle line. The distance between the center line and the outside lines needs to be the same as the outside diameter of your water pipe.

Hammer a nail partway into the plank, at each end of one outside line. Hammer an additional nail partway into the plank, at the middle of the other outside line, creating a triangle of nails. Lay your water pipe in between the nails. The nails will prevent the pipe from rolling or moving off center.

Position the water pipe so the amount of pipe hanging off of each end of the plank is precisely the same. Secure the water pipe in place using pipe saddle clips. Use at least two pipe saddle clips to secure the pipe to the plank.

Insert lag bolts into the two bottom holes on the seesaw frame. Turn the plank over so the pipe is below the seating plank and slide the seating plank in place so the pipe is sandwiched in between the legs and the pipe is resting on the lag bolts. Leave the top holes empty so you can adjust the height of the seesaw for taller children.

Cut away the lawn and remove any debris from the area surrounding the seesaw, making the area level. Make the area approximately 2 feet beyond the seesaw on all four sides. Dig down far enough to place landscape edging around the excavated area. Fill the excavated area with rubber play mulch to protect the children playing on the seesaw.