As a little kid, one of the most exciting things about playing outdoors is getting to explore the world around you. When a playset is added to the mix, that excitement is multiplied. Learn how to give your children a playset makeover to keep them playing on your swing set during every season.
Why Should I Give My Playset a Makeover?
Before we jump into how to give your playset a seasonal makeover, you might be asking, why? If you purchase a heavy-duty playset from a company that uses non-splintering vinyl like Swing Kingdom, your playset doesn’t need a makeover.
With that said, please note that the playset makeovers we’ll feature below are strictly for creative and entertainment purposes. If you’re looking for a guide for repairing a weak or faulty playset, this is not the resource you’re looking for.
With that disclaimer out of the way, let’s jump into some exciting and simple playset makeovers that you can use to transform your child’s swing set during every season.
Spring Playset Makeover: Beach Staycation
When you think about playing on the swing set, it’s probably scenes of blue skies and sunshine. So after a cool winter, it makes sense that spring is the most popular season to buy a playset. If you already have one, it might be time for a spring makeover.
The warmer weather will have your children dreaming about summer vacation. Help them destress after school by creating a mini staycation in the backyard. All you need are some inexpensive party decorations to bring the beach to your playset.
Pick up some artificial tropical palm leaves to attach along the outside roof of your swing set. Create the illusion of the ocean by taping a blue plastic tablecloth to the bottom of your playset. Blow up some beach balls to toss around or lay out some beach towels to soak up the sun.
If your playset has a lemonade stand, consider buying some coconut cups to serve water or lemonade in!
Summer Playset Makeover: At-Home Water Park
Prepare for scorching hot days by creating a water park in your backyard. For the simplest playset makeover, all you need is an inflatable pool. (We recommend a rectangular one that’s at least 6 feet in length.) Place one edge of the pool underneath the slide to transform it into a water slide!
Pro tip: inflate the pool AFTER you situate it under the slide. Most slides don’t have much give when trying to lift. Keep things simple by following the steps in this order: place the deflated pool under the slide, inflate the pool, and fill it up with water.
If you’re looking to take your waterpark to the next level, try creating some of these other unique water features:
Splash zone: Create a splash zone on your swing set with a water cannon adaptor! Your children can use the cannon to splash each other as they swing or run around the playset.
Water balloon target practice: Fill up some water balloons and attach them to string to hang from the monkey bars. These will be your targets. Use a ball — or even other water balloons — to throw at the targets.
If the targets are too easy to hit, make it more difficult by filling the water balloons up to be different sizes, hanging them from the monkey bars at different lengths, using a smaller ball to throw at the targets, or increasing the distance you throw from.
Create a game out of it by seeing which child can hit the most balloons. Each child can go through the line and try to hit each balloon. Every hit is one point. The player with the most points at the end of the round gets to remove one of the balloons from the monkey bars.
Repeat this until no balloons remain. Then at the end of the game, the players can use the water balloons they collected during the game for a battle!
Fall Playset Makeover: The Pillow Fort
As temperatures start to drop, your children might be spending less time outside on their playset. But they can still have some fun outside with a cozy pillow fort.
Building a fort is one of the most universal play experiences children have when growing up. It’s fun building something that feels secret and secluded from the rest of the world. Your playset can be the perfect place to build a pillow fort during a warm autumn night!
Here are a few materials you might need for the ultimate pillow fort:
- String lights
- Bed sheets
- Command™ hooks
- Binder clips, safety pins, or clothespins
- Blankets
- Pillows
First you’ll have to decide where you’d like to build your fort. Do you want to create your fort on the platform of the tower or beneath the platform on the ground?
Once you decide, you can start building your fort! Begin by hanging some large bed sheets to cover any openings. These will serve as the walls of your fort. Figuring out a way to hang these is probably the hardest part of this playset makeover.
While tape is surely an option, it’s not the sturdiest. Instead, try using Command™ Hooks, thin rope, and binder clips or safety pins to hang the sheets. Essentially, you’ll be creating a clothesline that your sheet can hang from.
Attach a few Command Hooks along the length of the playset tower. Loop a long piece of rope around the Command Hooks and secure them in place with a knot. Fold the bed sheet over the string and hold it in place with some binder clips, safety pins, or clothespins. Repeat this until all of your “walls” are hung.
Now you can start decorating the inside of your fort with pillows, blankets, stuffed animals – anything that makes your pillow fort cozy. For some added ambiance, string some lights around the playset and inside your fort. As the sun starts setting, your kids can still enjoy their playset pillow fort for a few more hours.
If you have a laptop or an iPad that you don’t mind your children using, your pillow fort can also be the perfect place for an outdoor movie night! Just set up the iPad or laptop with a movie and let your children get a taste of the outdoor cinema.
Winter Playset Makeover: Winter Wonderland
Houses are decorated with Christmas lights over the holidays, who says that playsets can’t be too? Create a mini winter wonderland on your playset by stringing some Christmas lights around your playset — along the roof, monkey bars, or sides of the tower — to get your kids in the holiday spirit.
When it snows, transform your lemonade stand into a hot chocolate stand instead. As they play outside, they can warm up with a cup of hot chocolate in the playset.
If you invest in a custom playset with fun accessories, your children will already have plenty of ways to stay busy on their playset. These are just a few of the many ways you can give your child’s playset a makeover to keep them using it all year long.
