Which playground equipment suits your garden and your child's age?

You want to turn your garden into a place for climbing, swinging, sliding and imaginative play. But which playground equipment suits your space, your child and the way your family likes to play outdoors? A compact playhouse or a play tower with a slide? Wood or metal? And will there still be enough room to move freely?

 

This blog takes you through five steps to explore the choices that really make a difference: space, age, materials, play features and location in your garden. That way, you can choose playground equipment that fits your garden and is ready for plenty of outdoor fun.

Step 1. Measure your garden, including the clear space around the equipment

The overall dimensions do not tell the whole story. Children want to run on after sliding, swing high and move freely around the equipment. So it is not just the size of the playground equipment that matters, but also the clear space around it.

 

Keep these three things in mind:

• For a slide, you need a clear run-out area at the bottom.
• For a swing, allow space in front of and behind the seat, in the direction of the swinging motion.
• For a climbing frame or monkeybar, leave clear space all around, as children climb on and off from different sides.

 

Short on space? Take a look at these models

Even a small garden can be big on outdoor fun. A clever wall-mounted model, compact playhouse or piece of equipment that makes use of height leaves room for adventure. Wall-mounted models such as the Silvi wooden swing wall mount and the GetSet monkeybar MB110 wall mount attach to a sturdy wall, so they take up less ground space. Compact playhouses such as the Hika, Yuki 100 and Panorama 100 also need little space.

Step 2. Choose for your child's age and consider how the equipment can grow with them

Playground equipment is only fun if your child can reach everything they need and still finds it challenging enough. Think about their age now and the years ahead. Always check the age recommendation on the product page before choosing.

 

Toddlers and young children

For young explorers, a low play area that is easy to navigate works best: easy to climb onto, with room to try things for themselves and proudly go down the slide again. The My First series offers lightweight equipment for indoor and outdoor use, such as the My First slide 600 and 900, the My First multiplay and the My First rotating seesaw.

 

Also worth considering for this age group:

• Hika wooden playhouse: suitable from the age of two, with a role play wheel featuring eight themes.
• Silvi wooden swing that grows with you: supplied with two types of seat, from baby to child, and suitable for indoor and outdoor use.
• Metal climbing dome 6.2ft: a climbing dome for those first climbing attempts, which can also be used indoors.

School-age children

Is climbing getting easier and sliding getting faster? Then equipment with several play features is even more fun: first climb up, then whizz down and head straight for the sandpit or swing. A playhouse with a slide and sandpit, such as the Panorama 500, brings climbing, sliding and imaginative play together in one. The Ivy outdoor playsets combine a slide with a play tent and one or two swings.

 

Older children, teenagers and adults

This is where the GetSet series comes in. The GetSet monkeybar MB200 is a play and fitness frame that you can add accessories to. The GetSet monkeybars and powerstations are suitable for exercises such as push-ups, pull-ups and dips. This way, your garden grows with your family: children hang, climb and swing while you can enjoy your own workout too.

 

Not sure which model in this series to choose? Use the GetSet choice guide to find a suitable model in three steps.

 

Equipment that grows with your child gives them more years of play. For example, the Ivy gym bar adjusts to four heights, and GetSet accessories are easy to swap. You will always find the exact age recommendation on the product page.

Step 3. Wood or metal: what is the difference?

The material determines how your playground equipment looks, how much care it needs and how it fits into your garden. EXIT Toys uses both wood and metal, so the choice is not about quality but about what suits you.

 

	Wood	Metal
Materials used by EXIT	PEFC-certified Douglas wood and FSC®-certified cypress wood	Powder-coated galvanised steel and stainless steel gym bars
Appearance	Warm and natural, blending beautifully with the greenery in your garden	Sleek and slim, suited to a modern garden design
Maintenance	Check regularly; maintenance and any treatment depend on the type of wood and model. Follow the manual.	Wipe clean and check the coating for damage
Frame size	Sturdy wooden posts	Thinner tubes, making the frame look less bulky
Examples	Loft, Panorama, Yuki and Hika playhouses	Ivy outdoor playsets, GetSet monkeybars and Metal climbing domes

 

Choose wood if you want the equipment to blend into your garden and prefer a solid, natural look.

 

Choose metal if you want a slim frame that keeps your garden looking uncluttered, or if you like being able to wipe the equipment clean with a cloth. Our powder-coated galvanised steel is made for outdoor use, but various pieces of metal playground equipment can also be used indoors.

 

For both materials, you can order spare parts through our parts service for at least five years after purchase.

Step 4. Decide which play features you want to combine

The more ways there are to play, the more there is to discover. From swinging and sliding to doing flips on a gym bar, making sand pies and starting a secret club: begin by listing what your child enjoys most right now.

• Slide: a firm favourite, found on playhouses such as the Panorama 300 and on the Ivy outdoor playsets.
• Swing or nest swing: as a standalone frame or built into a larger playset.
• Sandpit: tucked underneath the playhouse on models such as the Panorama 500.
• Gym bar and monkeybar: for children who love climbing, hanging and trying out new movements.
• Climbing net, climbing wall, gymnastic rings, trapeze and punching bag: available as accessories for equipment including the GetSet monkeybars.
• Mud kitchen and veranda: give imaginative play more room, for example with the Yuki 350 and Panorama 350.

Not ready to buy everything at once? Check whether you can expand your chosen equipment later with an extension or individual accessories. That way, you can add new ways to play over time. Explore the full range of playground equipment and filter by the features you are looking for.

Step 5. Choose the right location, surface and anchoring

The location affects how safely and how often children play. Run through these points before you start assembly.

• Level ground: playground equipment needs to stand level so that the load is distributed evenly across the structure.
• A view from the house: useful with young children. Panorama playhouses have an open design, helping you keep your child in sight.
• Sun and shade: a spot with shade during the hottest part of the day helps keep seats and slides comfortable.
• A suitable surface: choose a surface suited to the specified fall height and installation instructions for your equipment. Always check the manual.
• Anchoring: equipment secured in the ground according to the manual stays stable even during enthusiastic swinging. Different pieces of equipment have their own systems, such as the ground anchoring for GetSet monkeybars and the anchoring system for the Spinner rotating seesaw.

Checklist: five steps to the right playground equipment

Ready to choose?

Do you know what kind of play area suits your garden? Then it is time to explore the options and make room for plenty of climbing, sliding and swinging adventures. Browse the range of playground equipment and filter by size, material and play features.

 

Go play!