How to Design and Build Children's Play Equipment/05934 (Ortho library) [Paperback]

Jay Beckwith (Author), Craig Bergquist (Author), Ron Hildebrand (Author)

Book Description

Series: Ortho library | Publication Date: October 1986

You can create play environments that will capture the imagination of your children or grandchildren for years. Four custom-designed play structures, with swings, slides, climbing ropes, nets, fitness equipment, and more, are profusely illustrated by plans, materials lists, and careful, step-by-step instructions make it possible for you to build them yourself.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

Prefaced by a useful analysis of children's activity needs and their different abilities in successive age groups, this book offers plans and detailed instructions for building outdoor play and exercise equipment. Traditional itemsslides, swings and ladderare included, but most projects shown are not commonly found in playgrounds. They are innovative and geometric, calculated to intrigue adults as well as children: triangle towers are scaled by scrambling up lead pipes, slides wriggle through openings in a split-level, A-frame clubhouse, and sack swings, slide-down poles, monkey bars and treehouses are presented with modern designs. Information on materials, tools, construction and safety factors is supplemented by line drawings and color photos.
Copyright 1986 Reed Business Information, Inc.

Product Details

• Paperback: 96 pages
• Publisher: Ortho Books (October 1986)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0897210751
• ISBN-13: 978-0897210751
• Product Dimensions: 10.8 x 8.1 x 0.5 inches
• Shipping Weight: 12 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 3.3 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (3 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #492,845 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

30 of 31 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Dad's project, March 25, 2000

By 

STEVEN GARDNER (New Hampshire) - See all my reviews

This review is from: How to Design and Build Children's Play Equipment/05934 (Ortho library) (Paperback)

I given this book in hopes of helping me build a play area for my son. The book was informative, but it did have limited ideas for play areas. It was a good reference tool, but again iI am looking for another book with more options and building ideas for the weekend builder.

16 of 16 people found the following review helpful:

2.0 out of 5 stars Very Limited, March 20, 2002

By 

microjoe - See all my reviews
(TOP 100 REVIEWER)   

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: How to Design and Build Children's Play Equipment/05934 (Ortho library) (Paperback)

I really hate to give any book a negative review, but this book is very short and limited, showing only 4 play structures to build. They each have big moveable sections which are supposed to be fun for kids to rearrange their play structure. It is a good concept but these pieces are big and a kid could get injured very easily by dropping one on themselves or another child. Contrary to the books description, this does NOT include plans on building a climbing net or a climbing rope (which was the main reason I bought it in the first place).

The first third of its limited pages tells you "why" you should build a play structure. You probably have a reason why you want to build or you would not be trying to read a book on it. What we want to know is "how" to build one. Thankfully I came back to Amazon and found out there are much better books on the subject like the David Stiles books. Now he knows how to build imaginative play structures, play houses, and tree houses. The book on this page mentions in the beginning how great treehouses are, but has no instructions how to build one in the entire book. If you are in doubt borrow it from the library before buying, otherwise I do not reccommend.

5.0 out of 5 stars Have used the play gym plan for twenty years works great, April 17, 2009

By 

Laurie Smith - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: How to Design and Build Children's Play Equipment/05934 (Ortho library) (Paperback)

We used this book and built the play gym back in 1989, we bought a slide and attached it, and swing seats and it worked great. Also later attached a climbing wall, and tire swing. The only issue we had was with the wood screws on the dowels. It has now served well over twenty children (we are foster parents), much bigger than typical play structures, and more durable. It had removable parts but no one has ever been injured as a previous reviewer was concerned over. Great buy for the money, with projects even a novice like me could follow.