If you have small children and a big enough garden, you may be thinking about investing in some permanent play equipment.
One of the most versatile and long-lasting pieces of play equipment on the market is a wooden climbing frame. Good looking, adaptable, and available in different sizes and specifications so they will fit in with most sizes of garden, wood climbing frames will provide your children with many, many hours of entertainment.
According to Early Childhood News, playing outdoors benefits children in several different ways. It not only provides them with essential opportunities to exercise, but also encourages them to invent games and use their imagination.
But which climbing frames are the best, and what do you need to consider when deciding on which type to buy?
What Type of Wood?
Most wooden climbing frames are made out of either pine or cedar wood. Pine is generally cheaper, so your choice will probably be informed partly by your budget, but there are other factors to take into consideration too.
Light-coloured pine can be stained to your own specifications, while cedar can also be stained but is darker in colour.
Out of the two, cedar is naturally more weatherproof, so will probably look better for longer. It also has a tighter knot structure, so is pretty resistant to splintering and splitting – great for building frames which children are going to be crawling all over for years.
Pine, on the other hand, is a softer wood and will require more regular treatment to ensure it retains its strength.
Sawn or Round?
Wooden climbing frames are usually made from either round or sawn wood. Both look great and have their own benefits, although round wooden frames are usually cheaper.
Those made with sawn wood allow more adaptability in their construction.
Allow for Growth
One of the main things buyers require from wood climbing frames such as those available at http://www.niclimbingframes.com/climbing-frames, is that they are able to adapt and change as the children using them grow older.
It therefore makes sense to buy a frame which has plenty of activity choices. Thankfully you can buy everything from a basic frame to one which contains all manner of additions, from climbing walls to swings, slides to Wendy houses.