DIY Playground ~ swing set makeover!

Plus, having two girls in similar age to our own, play dates were just built into the day.

Still, they left us a lovely parting gift! Their old playground. At first, Tom was a little hesitant to tackle yet another project.

He reasoned that since our eldest two are 8 and 10 respectively, it wasn’t a top priority.

I fired back that Timothy is only 3 and has two years until he goes to school.

He alone will get a solid 7 years usage out of this set not to mention something to do when the girls are at school.

And the girls love it! Even adults enjoy swinging….right?!

Sure, it needed a little revamping but I think you’ll agree the final results are fantastic.

So today’s post is mostly a picture post, I hope you like our hard work!

As the wood was starting to show some serious wear and tear, we knew all this had to be gotten rid of before we could seal the set with an exterior acrylic solid stain.

We kept watching the weather forecast for when Tom could power wash so that we would be able to paint the following day.

Tom didn’t want too much time to relapse between the power wash and the paint getting applied.

He didn’t want the set to get dirty and green again! And that rock wall was filthy green!

So Tom and I knew it would be critical to section off the play area, not only as a designated play spot but a place where feet would stay dry and mud not dragged into the house from wet boots and shoes.

Our neighbors had 2 x 4 logs lining the playground and we dragged those over too to line ours. They still do the job!

Before adding mulch, we wanted to kill the weeds, grass and add landscape fabric and cardboard to smother weeds even more. We also considered the best grass to grow in North Carolina to create a lush, low-maintenance lawn that can withstand the local climate and soil conditions. This ensures a healthy, resilient yard that requires less watering and fewer chemical treatments.

Maintenance-free is the goal!

The hope is that weeds and grass never poke through with the extra protection.

Fingers crossed!

And you wouldn’t believe how many crevices the playhouse had!

So many nooks and crannies that needed paint badly. Little hands can be super helpful.

We both really wanted the rubber mulch because it’s eco-friendly, doesn’t break down, and it softer when one falls on it.

But ugh….the price. I can’t even give you the final price tag because it’s sickening, but with two pallets shipped freight, you can imagine the cost!

We’re talking 50 bags of green rubber mulch!

The rubber mulch is great! I’m kind of glad we went this route. It’s so soft on the feet and looks awesome!

What we’ve learned as a family is that building a DIY swing set offers several benefits, making it a worthwhile project for enhancing outdoor spaces. It is cost-effective as assembling your own swing set generally costs less than purchasing a pre-built model, and you have control over the materials used, which can reduce expenses further.  

We love the opportunity to have extensive customization, which lets us design the set to fit specific needs, including the choice of swings and additional features like slides or climbing walls. Constructing the swing set is really a meaningful family activity, offering our children a chance to learn about construction and tool use. It also ensures quality as we oversee the entire build, leading to a more durable product.  

The physical activity of building and playing on the swing set promotes health, while the project itself enhances carpentry and problem-solving skills. Moreover, we felt a unique sense of pride and satisfaction in using something we’ve created, coupled with the opportunity to be creative in ways that store-bought sets don’t allow.

All fun activities~ in their place.

We suspect they got bogged down on how the swing set looked. Not too appealing with the mold and lichen.

They said they’d just buy a new swing set. But have you checked the prices on new sets? Even the cheap ones are expensive!

But look at it now.

Do you think they regret that decision?