How to Build a Children's Swing, Slide, Roundabout and Toboggan for the Garden - An Illustrated Guide

OUTDOOR PLAY AIDS

THERE are few things which give children greater pleasure than outdoor play aids, and for the home mechanic many of these are quite simple to make and will provide plenty of amusement for the young ones.

In the following chapter are given detailed instructions for constructing a garden swing, a helter-skelter, a roundabout and a toboggan. Of these, the swing is the simplest to make and the children will derive many hours of enjoyment from it.

For the larger family the roundabout and helter-skelter are ideal, the former seating either two or four children, whilst any number can play on the helter-skelter.

The last outdoor play aid to be described is the toboggan and from the directions given it will be seen that this is very easy to make, needing only the minimum of materials for its construction, whilst giving the maximum amount of fun for the children during the winter months.

A GARDEN SWING

It seems hardly necessary to say that strength is an essential feature of a swing. It is not merely that it has to withstand severe strains and all kinds of weather, but that any weakness is actually dangerous. The accompanying diagram gives particulars of a reliable swing calculated to give good service and to be thoroughly safe.

From the sketch of the completed structure it will be seen that a heavy strut arrangement is sunk into the ground to give stability. This is really essential, because the movement of the swing itself tends to pull the posts back and forth, and, unless they are firmly established, they are liable to become loose in the earth, with unfortunate consequences.