Wood or plastic outdoor playsets?

Question

I'm shopping for an outdoor playset for my 2 year old son. I noticed that there are the wood playsets and plastic ones like little tikes. I have a couple of questions and I'll appreciate the advice of other parents.
1. Wood playsets tend to be pricier such as the Rainbow.. but there are affordable sets at toysrus , target and walmart. Any idea about the quality?
2.When will my child outgrow the plastic playsets?
3. Are wood playsets actually safe for kids who are 2? I would like to get him playhouse or a hut, but is it safe for him?
Thanks for answering :D

Answer 1

I love the wood sets they have they are much more durable/easier to maintain and have sturdier play items included such as ladder, swing, tire swing, slide. If you want something tall it's the only way to go. My two yr old does fine on the tall wooden play sets . Kids will outgrow the plastic.

Answer 2

Plastic Outdoor Playsets

Answer 3

1

Answer 4

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RE:
Wood or plastic outdoor playsets?
I'm shopping for an outdoor playset for my 2 year old son. I noticed that there are the wood playsets and plastic ones like little tikes. I have a couple of questions and I'll appreciate the advice of other parents.
1. Wood playsets tend to be pricier such as the Rainbow.. but there are...

Answer 5

I would say it depends on how much of an investment you want to make. Do you want something that will last two- three years? Then get one that is not pricey. We purchased one from Wal-Mart about 3 years ago for my then 3 year old daughter. It's big, has the fort and all- made of wood. It needed to be assembled and it took my husband about 4-5 hours to get it all together. At this point, the playset looks a bit weathered and I've noticed splinters here and there. I say it's probably got one more good year to go.

The Rainbow ones are gorgeous, but yes very pricey. Good thing about those though, they will last for years and years and no fear of splinters.

Your son will probably love it no matter which one you choose. But if you get one with ladders or a fort he will need your close supervision. Good luck with whatever you choose!

Answer 6

I say wood. Plastic is no good. Will ruin too quickly. I just found an article posted by this company today talking about this same thing - it's comparing the differences between wood, vinyl and .. metal I think. We are going to go with wood. They look better and hold up longer. We've been shopping for over a month and this company has the cheapest prices of everyone i've found. I think we're going to buy the atlantis or the prairie ridge. They're only like $700 bucks and that includes the shipping. It's like $400 cheaper than Costco for the same thing. oh their website is www.backyardimagination.com - if that's not right just google their company. That link to the blog on facebook is http://backyardimagination.wordpress.com/2014/05/08/backyard-imagination-how-to-choose-the-right-swing-set-for-your-children/

Answer 7

Yes it will kill the grass like everyone else on here has said. However, the grass will come back. I wouldn't worry about it too much. As far as the wood chips idea, that is a pretty good idea. The problem that I've seen in the past is that you don't know what is in that wood. It may contain termites or other bugs of some sort. I would go to Lowes or Home Depot and purchase wood chips if you want to do that. They also sell "play-set" bedding which is a rubber type of material. Expensive though. Just put it on the grass and be done with it. When your kids are done playing on it in a few years, move it and let the grass grow back.

Answer 8

Pros and cons to both types, but a couple things to consider:

1- depending where you live (i.e. climate conditions) one might weather better than the other. In hot, arid climates, wood tends to dry out and needs repainting/staining every year at least. Plastic, on the other hand, will deteriorate if exposed to direct sun, but lasts for years in the shade.

2- wood is easier to repair. If you have a broken section, its not that difficult to replace it with a new piece that you fabricate yourself, and paint to match. Can't do that with plastic.

3- wood stuff seems to have a better resale value when the kids outgrow it

4- most of the wood sets have add-ons to expand the set as the kids get older, plastic sets typically don't

5- plastic is a lot easier to clean. You can just store it outside for the winter under a tarp or in the garden shed, then wash it down with soap and a hose in the spring.

Answer 9

Plastic Outdoor Playhouse

Answer 10

We got a wooden set at toysrus for our then 5 year old. We now also have 2 year old and she loves it. It depends on the 2 year old. My daughter is great at climbing and has good balance. Some of her friends do not do as well on the ladders. We bought a baby swing with seatbelt also. She can climb up and slide. It depends on the features of the playset. She'll outgrow the plastic one in a couple of years. My now 7 year old still loves the wooden one. The plastic ones seem safer. But my neighbor has one and her 3 year old was able to climb over the top of it and accidentally flipped herself over the top. Any playset is dangerous if parents are not supervising. You will definitely have to watch him closely at first on a wooden one until he gets the hang of it.

Answer 11

Agree with the possibility of splinters with wood but watch out for the metal ones also as they can get too hot in the sun. Especially the slide. A kid can easily be burned as they don't normally think to check it first so I would recommend the plastic but shop around for a thick quality plastic set. Keep in mind that a set for a two year old might not entertain an 8 year old so buy with the idea that you may want to replace the set in five or six years. Also remember, that you can take him/her to the park for a larger metal set.