Would you get a swingset if you had to move every few years?

[lmwbasye]

We are military and so move fairly often. My mom has offered to buy the boys a wooden swingset and we have the space in our new house. For the next 2 years, we are in a neighborhood with no other kiddos and no park playground (we'd have to drive to one). Both boys will be going to school in the fall (L to full day K and G a few hours a week to preschool), so will have chances to play on the playgrounds there. They are both very much outside kiddos and we'd like to keep it that way.

I'd hate to turn down the very generous offer when I know they'd LOVE it, but am not certain we aren't biting off more than we can handle when you consider we'd have to dissassemble and reassemble every 2 or 3 years.

I know it would take time and patience, but am not sure it's worth it to go through all that. FWIW, she is looking at a swingset from Costco or Sam's.

TIA for any input on this.

[sads]

We're in the same situation, although your kids are older! I'm not sure if Army lingo is the same as AF lingo, but doesn't the TMO office do your move for you? So they would be the ones doing the dis/assembling. If so, let them, and let your kids get whatever enjoyment they can from the swingsets! If for some reason ya'll have to take care of it yourselves, I'd say thank your mom for the generous offer and see if she's willing to let you pick out something more portable!

[crl]

DH says that when he was a kid the military paid for disassembly and reassembly as the swing set was considered household goods. So I would check and see if that's still the case. If it is not, I might consider several smaller items, like a sand box, the ikea swings and ladders to hang from trees, a slip n slide, etc.

Catherine

[crl]

Oh I wanted to add though that providing the proper play surface for underneath (mulch, pea gravel, etc) can be as expensive as the structure. So you might want to consider that recurring expense.

Catherine

[khm]

If it's a bolt-together type that will re-assemble nicely (the Sams and Costco ones I've seen totally would be fine), and if the military moved it..... I'd do it. :) We aren't big swing set people, but we do have one.

Our swing sets have always only had grass underneath them as it's always in an area that gets watered and the grass seems to us to be just as soft was a play surface, but that is something to consider if you will go the play surface route.

Our neighbors have a simple wooden swing-only swing set (no fort, no slide) and it's great! It was just a DIY, but the kids love it as they have a sandbox and other stuff nearby. It wasn't expensive at all.

[lmwbasye]

Hmmm...yeah, actually, I believe they could disassemble/reassemble. The weight itself could be an issue, but we could probably figure that out.

Hard to know what to do. I know we'd get a TON of use out of it. My kiddos are out the door at 6:30 in the morning and don't want to come in until lunch time and then back out after naps.

[wellyes]

I would accept the very generous gift. Your LOs will get a TON of use of out of a play structure for those two years. And your older one won't be far from outgrowing it when it's time for you to go anyway.

If you can't move it, you can pass it along to a needy friend, sell on CL or include in the house sale.

[JustMe]

Yes, I think I would. A swingset provides so much enjoyable time for kids. This is just me, but I would probably encougage mom to buy an inexpensive model and If it was easy to dissassemble (or if the military provides that for you) great, if not I would try to resell on craigslist or something similar.

[army_mom]

I have wondered the same thing! I would LOVE for DD to have her own swingset but it seems like such a hassle to take it down and move it every few years, even if they do take down/set up (something is bound to get lost or broken...). Anyone out there actually HAD the moving company take down and put it back up? I have never actually built a swing set myself, but I assume you may need to have some type of handy man skill to put some of the bigger ones up?

[lmwbasye]

Well, we JUST moved...have only been here a week. We own the big Step 2 playstructure that our movers had to disassemble. It's not here yet (long story) but they are *supposed* to reassemble when here. With the Army, we've had movers disassemble and reassemble all sorts of things. I'm not sure in other instances, but I know for military, they are supposed to do this hands-down.

That being said, this mover refused to get our fridge in the house because he would have had to take the doors off. It's his job to do it, but he refused. We had to pay for someone to come do it for us and then the moving company is reimbursing us because the driver was supposed to do it. I believe it would be the same for anything (play structure included).

[crl]

FYI, grass is not considered a safe surface for under play equipment.

http://www.consumerfed.org/pdfs/chcklist.pdf

Catherine