What’s the Deal with Our Recommended Ages?

You probably noticed the recommended ages on each of our swing sets. But how did we arrive at those ages? Is it a bad swing set for them because your child is not in that rage?

Let’s get the obvious elephant in the room out of the way first. If your children enjoy swing sets, they will use the set far past the recommended age. If they don’t enjoy swinging, sliding, and climbing, there isn’t much to do about that.

Let’s look at two of our most popular sets as examples; the Captain’s Castle and the Chateau, recommended ages 2-12 and 4-12.

Captain’s Castle

We recommend the Captain’s castle for 2-year-olds because it has a lower 5’ deck height with a waterfall slide. It’s easily accessible with the ladder, and a 5’ tall tower is an excellent height.

But why up to 12-year-olds? The 7’ deck height with the massive rock wall in the back is a great challenge for even bigger kids, and if you change the monkey bar swing beam to a high swing beam, you have great swings for older children.

The Chateau

Another set to consider is the Chateau. Why do we say 4 to 12 instead of 2 to 12?

The Chateau’s towers are all at a 7’ deck height, and the only access points are a rock wall and a ladder. This can be a challenge for younger children. Also, 2 and 3-year-olds who are not great on their feet yet should not have a wobbly bridge at a 7’ deck height.

In general, swing sets with a 5’ deck height, easy access like ramps and staircases, and little-kid-friendly slides such as the super spiral, waterfall, and avalanche slides are perfect for younger children. The 8’ standard swing beam or monkey bar swing beam are excellent choices for small children.

Swing sets geared for older children soar up to 7’ tall, which allows the use of 7’ tall rock walls or cargo nets. Tube slides and 10’ high swing beams are great additions for older kids.

This explanation clarifies why double-deck towers are so popular. These swing sets have shorter 5’ deck heights for younger kids and 7’ deck heights for older children. This allows a family with a wide age range to enjoy the swing set, or it provides more challenging activities for the kids to grow into.