Is buying a swingset worth it?

amother

Magenta

Thu, Jul 12 2018, 6:08 pm

amother wrote:

So you bought a swingset, your kids enjoy it and yet you cant figure out if it was worth it? Was there something else you expected it to deliver that it didnt?

There are tons of things my kids would enjoy.

So - if I could spend $50 on a couple tire swings vs $1000 on a swingset was it really 'worth it' for me to spend $1000 on a swingset?

My kids would really enjoy a bouncy castle. If these things were measurable - I'd say they'd enjoy a bouncy castle more than a swing set - If I kept one of those inflated in my backyard all summer it would eat up probably my entire paycheck - but they would enjoy it... so it is worth it?

If I took my kids to Disney and they had THE TIME OF THEIR LIVES (to date) - but it took me saving for 10 years to get us there - Is it worth it?

My point is - if your kids are bored and need an activity - and that is going to cost you money because there are no free options - compare a bunch of things that can entertain them - and project how many years it will entertain them, and then figure which one of those costs the least overall. Thats getting your money's worth.

amother

Blue

Thu, Jul 12 2018, 6:33 pm

(BTW you can get bounce house for relatively cheap on line and then keep in basement and inflate and deflate when you want to use it. I have 2 SILs who have done this and its a great outlet for their kids.
One year I bought a huge inflatable water slide with a pool on sale for about $200 (and there are cheaper options) - we used it every week in the summer for 3 years until I couldn't repair it anymore. The only pain is cleanup.
A bounce house inside is easier to maintain)

amother

White

Thu, Jul 12 2018, 6:44 pm

amother wrote:

If I bought a swingset hoping my kids would enjoy it and they did, to me it would be worth it.

To each his own.

amother

Magenta

Thu, Jul 12 2018, 6:45 pm

amother wrote:

Thanks. I was thinking of one that a friend borrowed for her kids birthday party - and it required a generator on at all times. I guess they aren't all like that.

I'm seeing walmart has some interesting inflatables - like you described - that don't require a generator. To consider for next summer. This year we have an inflatable pool - and thats a big hit.

The point of my post is basically to say that just because a child enjoys something doesn't automatically mean it was 'worth it'.

amother

Magenta

Thu, Jul 12 2018, 6:47 pm

amother wrote:

If I bought a swingset hoping my kids would enjoy it and they did, to me it would be worth it.

To each his own.

yes - it seems your Dh has a say in the finances - he's seeing things, perhaps differently than you do.

Your best bet is to buy the swingset knowing that they will enjoy it - because they've played on them at a friends house.

Give all the options (using materials that you are comfortable with) how do you decide which is going to be the right one? Is there a point where spending more doesn't add value?

amother

Blush

Thu, Jul 12 2018, 6:49 pm

We used to have a cheap swingset which I think got a bit of use. Eventually it fell apart. Now we have parachute silk hammocks (very cheap - like $20 from amazon and they last for a few years and are very easy to remove and store inside in winter) which we are lucky enough to have trees to hang from, because hammock stands are not very cheap. My kids love these and so do the adults. My husband also built a treehouse out of wood pallets he got for free which includes a tire swing hanging from the same tree. If you have good trees you can hang your own swings for very little money.

Oh, and we have a trampoline which gets a lot of use.

Love the zipline idea!

amother

White

Thu, Jul 12 2018, 7:00 pm

amother wrote:

I appreciate the input but forget about the title, my question was simply if your kids enjoy it. I'm glad to hear yours do. Smile

Bh, money is not tight. I just want to know if ppls swingsets are sitting empty in their yards or the kids are enjoying it. If they are, it's an easy decision (for me). It's worth it. Dh will go along with whatever I decide.

amother

Mint

Thu, Jul 12 2018, 7:28 pm

We bought our swing set off of the previous owners of the house so we got a nice wood set for half the price - my kids were already somewhat older when we got it but they all used it a ton!(and still do). Even my teenagers sit on the swings and shmooze with their friends in shabbos afternoon there.

mommyhood

Thu, Jul 12 2018, 8:04 pm

My kids love ours. It was well worth the investment for me and I'm happy I spent the money to get one with more options. My younger ones love the slide and the regular swings. My older ones will just sit on the platform or on the glider and shmooze.

amother

Magenta

Thu, Jul 12 2018, 8:47 pm

amother wrote:

I appreciate the input but forget about the title, my question was simply if your kids enjoy it. I'm glad to hear yours do. Smile

Title forgotten. I'm clearly a crank when it come the phrase "worth it" - I'll step back on my soap box time time it comes up here on ima.

I hope you got the answers you needed. Swingsets have been around for decades - the trend wouldn't have lasted if kids didn't like 'em.

shofar

Thu, Jul 12 2018, 9:04 pm

It's pretty hot here so the kids don't want to go outside. If they do it's to bike ride. I'm hoping when it's cooler it will get more use. We just bought it on overstock. I opted for a metal one instead of wood since the wood ones need maintenance. We spent about 1000 plus 400 for installation

amother

Cerulean

Thu, Jul 12 2018, 9:22 pm

We bought a nice vinyl swingset for around $3000 about a year ago. My kids and neighbors use it all the time, but not necessarily every day. I love that my little ones can go out on their own and I can check on them from inside. Surprisingly, they used it a lot in the winter. The days they needed to get their energy out, I sent them to the swings.

amother

Mauve

Thu, Jul 12 2018, 9:59 pm

I actually live down the block from a park, but I bought a swing set, as well. My kids (6 and under) really do like it and use it. The thing that makes it the most worth it is that I have a fenced-in yard. So if it's hot and I don't feel like sitting outside, or if one of my kids is napping and we can't leave the house, I can still send my kids out to play. They'll probably outgrow it at a certain point, but for now I can say it's been worth it.

amother

Burgundy

Thu, Jul 12 2018, 11:09 pm

If you want a free one, people give them away all the time on Craigslist. You'd still have to pay for a service to dismantle it, transport to your backyard and re-build it.

amother

Navy

Fri, Jul 13 2018, 12:26 am

We got ours on Craigslist. Paid a little more than $800 for a $3000 Rainbow playset.

It gets tons of use. Definitely worth it.

I also have a baby swing attached to a tree nearby. That's probably the most worth it of all. That and a $20 plastic pool from Target and we're set for the summer. Come play!

amother

Smokey

Fri, Jul 13 2018, 12:37 am

I and 2 other neighbors put in swingsets. I put in a 100 inexpensive type, one put in the plastic little tykes and one a few thousand dollar one. Don't ask how or why but my cheap one is the favorite and gets the most use. The girls use it longer than the boys do. Was it worth it? Like any other 100 dollar toy, after its use maxes out, out it goes. It will be enjoyed for a time, like anything else, then it will just take up space.