As I type this, there is some doubt about whether the already delayed Tokyo Olympics will be able to take place. But one thing is certain – your family can have your very own Summer Olympics in the back garden. The lawn will be able to host the football and the running – it might take a lot of laps for the marathon. But with a bit of investment in new play equipment or imagination with what you already have, you can support many more events.
Trampolining is always popular, and a trampoline in your garden can provide hours of fun and fitness. Or perhaps gymnastics is the thing – you can attach rings to many climbing frames for those impressive strength moves. Or you could install a children’s balance beam – great for developing balance and coordination. Once they’ve had a good run around, target shooting would be fun. You can set up a target – the climbing frame can be a good place, and use something like a foam dart gun.
Did you know that climbing is an exciting new Olympic event? It’s bound to gain in popularity once people have seen it on TV. It doesn’t even require a mountain – what they’re doing is bouldering, where handholds and footholds are bolted to a climbing wall, and the competition is to get to the top as fast as possible. Many children’s climbing frames can accommodate a climbing wall along with many other attractions. One example for small children is the Plum Climbing Pyramid Wooden Play Centre, which combines a climbing wall with a slide. On a larger scale Jungle Gym have the Shelter Climb, with a tower, climbing wall and swing. Selwood have a variety of climbing wall products to suit children of various ages, ranging from a combination rockwall/step system through to a more challenging wavy rockwall. If you’re installing a custom or semi-custom climbing frame, you could put a climbing wall alongside a ladder on a tower so that children of all ages could enjoy something at a level to suit their abilities – and have the excitement of moving on to more difficult challenges.
You needn’t be limited by the rules of the International Olympics Committee – you could come up with your own events. Perhaps a timed ninja circuit around a range of equipment. Climbing frames can include cargo nets, monkey bars, ropes and fireman’s poles so you can watch your children go far beyond the capabilities of those athletes in Tokyo. The Jungle Gym Shelter Climb is one example of a climbing frame that offers a wide variety of activities, encouraging as they say superhero skills. The Play Crazy Spud offers a similar range of activities, and some of the larger multi-tower climbing frames in the Play Crazy range give scope for endless variations in competition circuits and activities.
If you are planning to install a new climbing frame it’s always a good idea to talk to a professional installer with experience of multiple manufacturers. Tell them what you’re looking for and they can help you select the best solution and then install to professional standards.
