An Olympic Sized Event

I have been counting down to the 2012 Summer Olympics since the 2008 Games ended. I absolutely love watching the world's best athletes competing in some of the most exciting events. You can bet that tonight I will be glued to the TV watching the opening ceremonies!

While all of this excitement goes on, try having your own Olympic Games! Take the kids outside and challenge them to a race around the block. Give out a medal to the winner! It is always great to pretend you are an Olympic athlete and it gives the kids a chance to get outside and run around in between watching the events on TV.

I can remember pretending to be a gymnast when I was younger and the gymnastics events are still my favorite to watch. It is important to still stay active, of course! But with the Olympics on TV it may be a little harder to get the youngsters outside. So create a few of your own events and medals and have a great time!

New Products Coming Soon!

I am pleased to announce that we will be adding new products to our site! It is always exciting to add new products. Bringing you a variety of great items is what we are striving for. We are going to be adding some indoor residential items such as tunnel cubes, crawl thru caterpillars, indoor playhouses, tumbling mats, and sand and water tables.

Keep checking back to see these great new products!

A sneak peek at a few of these items:

Crawl Thru Caterpillar

44 Piece Tunnel Cube Set

Monkey Bars

Monkey Bars have always been a favorite among parks and playgrounds. I can remember crossing monkey bars when I was younger and pretending I was going over something dangerous, like hot lava, so that I wouldn't let go until I got to the other side. However, I didn't know anyone that had monkey bars in their backyard. I only got to play on them at school or a city park.

Monkey Bars Kit

Now you can get monkey bars for your backyard play system! There is a Monkey Bars Kit that is a great add-on for your play set. This kit is easy to install and offers another element to your child's playground. Another great use for the Monkey Bars Kit is to install them to create a vertical ladder, rather than the horizontal one. Both ways help build upper body strength and stamina.

I sure wish I had my own monkey bars when I was a kid. I would have been kept busy for a long time!

Playhouse Playsets

When I was younger my dad and grandpa built my brother and I a play house over our sand box. It was so awesome! So when I saw the Sycamore Play Set by Swing-N-Slide I fell in love with it. It combines a play house and a swing set with two slides and a climbing incline.

This play set is absolutely everything I would have wanted as a kid. I miss playing in the play house my dad and grandpa made for me, but I know it is making another little girl just as happy as I was.

The Sycamore Play Set is definitely a play set that will bring hours of fun to your kids!

Sycamore Play Set

Why to Choose Wooden Swing Sets?

Kids love being on the swing. It cannot be described in words how it feels to be on the swing sets. Even if a kid is on any other playground equipment, his eyes are always set on swing set, so that he can be the first one to reach the swing when somebody else leaves it. Wouldn't it be great if you install a swing sets in your backyard? Your kids would definitely love to see their personal swing set in the home backyard.

Backyard swing sets are made of metal, plastic and wood. Mostly parents prefer to install wooden swing sets in their backyard. These swing sets are made of redwood, which is naturally resistant to decay and insects. Also, wooden swing sets are more durable and dimensionally strong as compared to metal and plastic sets.

Unlike metal and plastic swing sets, wooden backyard swing sets can easily withstand extreme weather conditions. Wooden swing sets are generally available in two options, which are A frame base and flat base. You would have to consider the surface level of your backyard beforehand to select any one of them. Note that, in flat base swing sets you would need to install extender beams to make it stand firmly on the ground.

Before selecting the wooden swing sets for your backyard, make sure it is constructed in adherence with safety measures and quality standards.

Why You Should Install Wooden Swing Set in your Backyard?

Kids love playing in the playground. Imagine their delight if you build a playground filled with play sets in your backyard. This would be the best surprise for them. They can play in their private playground till the time they want. You can also keep a check on them while they are busy swinging or riding a slide in backyard.

McKinley Play Set

There are many play sets that you can install in the backyard. These play sets are made of aluminum, plastic, metal and wood. Wood swing sets certainly have an edge over other play sets made of metal and plastic. These are considered as the most durable playsets. It is a well-balanced entertainment for the kids. These play sets not only keep your kids active and fit but also increase their flexibility.

Wood playing sets are constructed with redwood, timber and cedar. These are pressure-treated, weather-resilient and are resistant to rot & decay, therefore, it does not decay after some time like plastic play sets. Kids' hand does not slip in wooden swing sets as it happens in plastic play sets.

Unlike metal play sets, wood swing sets do not get warm in the bright sunlight. These play sets come in flat base and A frame base, you can select the one as per the surface level of your backyard. Playgrounds.net offers commercial grade wooden swing sets that meets the defined quality standards.

Gorilla Playsets - the Market Leader in Playground Equipment

Gorilla Playsets is counted among the top most brands of playground equipment. They have been serving the customers with ready to assemble play sets since 1992. Their play sets meet the safety measures and defined standards, therefore, families choose to install Gorilla Playsets equipment in their backyard. These play sets keep the children active and fit.

Congo Greenscape Play Set

The company specializes in offering ready to install play sets. These are supplied with 3-D illustrated instructions, which are easy to follow. You can assemble the equipment in just a few minutes with the help of basic household tools. They design their play sets and its accessories in accordance with American Society for Testing and Materials (ASTM) standards and specifications. Gorilla Playsets equipment is coated with maintenance-free Timber Shield protective poly coating and does not get faded under the sun.

Besides, the company makes use of heavy duty hardware like electro-galvanized 5/16" and 3/8" diameter hardware for enhancing the strength and stability of their play sets. For non-structural components, they use electro-galvanized wood screws instead of nails to improve its durability. This brand provides one-piece injection molded swing sets accessories to the customers. These accessories contain UV inhibitors, therefore, it does not fade or heat up in the direct sunlight. Besides, they are always ready to lend a helping hand to the customers, whenever required.

You can also buy Gorilla Playsets' outdoor playsets from Playgrounds.net at reasonable prices.

Enjoying Independence Day

It is just about time for one of the best holidays! Tomorrow we ring in another year of celebrating our nation's independence. What do you do for this summer holiday?

My family spends as much time outside as possible. Playing games, grilling out, and of course enjoying fireworks.

One memorable 4th of July happened the summer after my freshman year of high school. It was a super hot day, like the weather we are having now, but that didn't stop us from lighting the fire pit to start grilling for dinner. Just as we were putting the chicken on to cook the sky started darkening. The wind picked up and eventually rain began to sprinkle down. Luckily my dad, uncles, and grandpa got all of the chicken loaded up and taken to the porch where they could finish grilling it under the awning. Just in time too, the rain cut loose not long after.

The party got moved inside to wait out the rain. And while the yard was big enough for everyone, the inside of the house was just a little cramped. But we made the best of it and ate inside while we waited and waited. The rain finally let up and we were able to start shooting off fireworks later that night. Part way through our fireworks show it started to rain again and we retreated back into the house to wait for the rain to stop.

But it didn't stop. It rained and stormed all night. It got so bad out that my grandma called my dad in the middle of the night to tell him their basement had began to flood and he rushed in to help. We were leaving for Kings Island the next day and on our drive we saw the aftermath of the storms. Roads washed out, trees down, flooding everywhere.

While we didn't get to finish our fireworks on the 4th of July, we did get to finish them that New Years Eve. It was a mild evening, probably in the 50s, and after dinner we headed outside and lit up the sky like it was the 4th of July.

I'll never forget those two holidays.

Festive toenails

Have a safe and happy 4th of July!

Having Fun at an Indoor Playground

A child can miss his meal but he can never miss his playing time at the playground. Every kid loves to explore different play sets and enjoy with his friends. But bad weather hampers their fun time in the park. Parents usually do not allow kids to go out and play in bad weather conditions and they hate being stuck at home.

What you can do in such a situation is to take them to an indoor playground and bring the smile back on their faces. Most of the cities have indoor playgrounds. These parks install wide variety of play sets for the children. Your child can easily find his or her favorite play set be it see saw, dome climber swing. The owners of these parks ensure that the children get the same fun of the outdoor park in it.

Monkey Bars Kit

Before taking the kids to indoor playgrounds, make sure they have been designed with due safety consideration. A few items to check include surface. It should be properly covered with rubber or absorbent thick carpets that can prevent any injury from falls. Coming to the playground equipment, these should be placed well away from one another so that kids can get the enough space to run. Also, check that the play sets installed in this playground for kids, meet all the required safety and quality standards.

For different types of commercial grade equipment, many indoor park owners prefer Playgrounds.net. They supply the equipment that is designed by Gorilla Playsets and Swing-N-Slide, for whom quality is the top most priority.