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Swing Sets
Swing Sets
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Resources & Guides
- How to Choose the Best Wooden Swing Set for Your Backyard
- Top Outdoor Play Equipment to Keep Kids Active and Engaged
- Why All-in-One Swing Sets Are the Ultimate Outdoor Play Solution for Kids
- Why a Swing Set with Monkey Bars is Perfect for your Backyard
- What is the Ideal Swing Set for Toddlers?
- Australian Safety Standards for Playgrounds Explained
- Swing Sets vs Slides: Which One is Right for Your Backyard?
- How to Set Up the Perfect Playset for Your Backyard
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Cubby Houses
Cubby Houses 2024
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- Featured
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Resources & Guides
- What to Look for When Buying a Cubby House with a Slide
- Australian Safety Standards for Playgrounds Explained
- Plastic vs Wooden Cubby Houses, which one should you choose?
- Protecting Your Play Equipment: Essential Tips for Winter
- Building Memories: Why Every Kid Needs a Cubby House
- 5 Reasons why Indoor Cubby Houses are Perfect for Your Child
- Incorporating Learning and Play: Educational Activities with Cubby Houses
- 5 Tips for Maintaining your Cubby House
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Climbing Frames
Climbing Frames 2024
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Resources & Guides
- Timber vs. Metal: Which Material is Best for Your Kids’ Monkey Bars?
- Reaching for the Stars: Why Kids Love to Climb
- 5 Tips for Maintaining Your Monkey Bars
- Overcoming Fears and Building Confidence on Monkey Bars
- Safety Tips for Using Monkey Bars
- Creative Climbing Dome Activities to Enhance Playtime
- Dome Climbers vs. Traditional Play Structures: Which is Better for Your Child?
- Climbing Ropes and Motor Skills: Enhancing Balance, Coordination, and Strength
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Slides
Slides 2024
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Resources & Guides
- Why a 3.0m Slide is Perfect for Older Kids: Safety, Fun and Adventure
- Australian Safety Standards for Playgrounds Explained
- Safety Tips for Using Slides
- Swing Sets vs Slides: Which One is Right for Your Backyard?
- How to Set Up the Perfect Playset for Your Backyard
- Protecting Your Play Equipment: Essential Tips for Winter
- Our Top 5 Activities To Keep Kids Active
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Trampolines
Trampolines 2024
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Resources & Guides
- How to Secure Your Trampoline Properly
- Trampolines vs Inflatables: Which is Best for Your Backyard?
- Transform Your Trampoline into a Learning Tool for Kids
- Protecting Your Play Equipment: Essential Tips for Winter
- How Trampolines Can Improve Balance and Coordination in Kids
- The Benefits of Bouncing: 5 Reasons Why trampolines are great for kids
- Choosing the Perfect Kids' Play Equipment as a Christmas Gift
- 5 Tips for Maintaining your Trampoline
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Sandpits & Outdoor Play
Sandpits & Outdoor Play 2024
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Resources & Guides
- 5 Reasons to Choose a Retractable Sandpit for Your Backyard
- Why Timber Picnic Tables are Perfect for Outdoor Spaces
- How Flying Foxes Help Build Confidence and Coordination in Children
- Choosing the Best Kitchen Playset for Your Child’s Pretend Play
- Australian Safety Standards for Playgrounds Explained
- Fun Water and Sand Play Activities to Try in the Backyard
- Hands-On Happiness: Fun with Sensory Play
- Building Teamwork: Cooperative Play in the Kids' Sandpit
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Jumping Castles
Jumping Castles 2024
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Resources & Guides
- Why Animal-Themed Jumping Castles Are Great for Your Kid's Next Party
- How to Secure Your Trampoline Properly
- Trampolines vs Inflatables: Which is Best for Your Backyard?
- Jumping for Joy! The Ultimate Guide to Kids Inflatables
- Inflatable Olympics: Organising Friendly Competitions for Kids
- 5 Tips for Maintaining Your Inflatables
- How to Keep the Kids Entertained this Summer
- Our Favourite Outdoor Kids Toys This Summer
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Indoor Toys
Indoor Toys 2024
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- Type
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Resources & Guides
- Safety Tips for Setting Up Indoor Play Equipment at Home
- The Benefits of Wooden Toys in Children's Cognitive Development
- Keeping Kids Active Indoors: The Best Play Equipment for Small Spaces
- Build Your Child’s Dream Space: Ways to Personalise Your Kid's Bedroom
- Creative Play with Arts and Craft
- 5 Reasons why Indoor Cubby Houses are Perfect for Your Child
- Choosing the Perfect Early Development Toys for your Child
- How to Keep the Kids Entertained during the Spring School Holidays
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Kids Bikes
Kids Bikes 2024
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Resources & Guides
- How to Properly Fit a Bike Helmet for Maximum Safety
- 5 Reasons Why a Balance Bike is the Best First Bike for Toddlers
- What Age Can Kids Ride a Bike? A Guide for Parents
- Bike Safety for Kids
- Wooden vs. Plastic Toys: Which Is Better for Your Child’s Growth?
- Family Adventures on Two Wheels: Planning Bike Rides with Kids
- Choosing the Perfect Kids' Play Equipment as a Christmas Gift
- How to Keep the Kids Entertained during the Spring School Holidays
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Assembly
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- Old Natural Timber
Old Natural Timber
Fir
Fir is a fast growing, light weight, naturally decay and insect resistance timber that makes it great for outdoor furniture & products. It’s extremely versatile, can be cut and sawn into different wood profiles, making it perfect for all equipment from a small sand-pit to a large cubby house.
You’ll find Fir on our popular Large Sandpit, Cooper Climb and Slide or Warrigal Cubby House.
Sustainable Timber
Lifespan Kids believes in protecting the environment for the future generations, by sourcing from sustainable timber sources.
Look for the Sourced from Sustainable Forests badge on our products and support for the fight for renewable forests.
Timber Treatment
High Temperature Treatment & Stained Timber
For most of our products built with Fir, our timber is high temperature treated and stained with an all-purpose water-based coating for water resistance, UV-Protection, and just gives it a great colour and timber look. We recommend painting over a protective surface or stain over time to help pro-long the protective layer.
Our warranty will only cover regular insect damage and will not cover damage caused by termite infestation.
ACQ Treatment
Alkaline Copper Quaternary (ACQ) is a water based wood preservative method, used to protect our products against decay, rot and insect attack, without the use of arsenic and chromium. This helps ensure that the timber used in your children’s play sets, will last much longer than normal untreated timber, whilst still maintaining that earthy green look.
Certain products have ACQ Treatment, please look for the ACQ logo in the product features if you are after ACQ treatment
Why ACQ?
Alkaline Copper Quaternary (ACQ) is one of the safest forms of wood treatment available today. In comparison the alternative; Chromated Copper Arsenate (CCA) contains the toxic compound arsenic and is the cheaper option. CCA treated timber can leak arsenic which, although harmless in small quantities can quickly add up and is not the preferred option especially for equipment designed for kids. ACQ is completely arsenic free and provides the benefits of stained wood, while remaining completely safe for children.
Additionally, ACQ is a greener preservative and a more sustainable option. Meaning that there is less waste and overall environmental damage from this process.
Timber Checks/Cracks
While natural timber products are extremely sturdy and durable, timber products are organic and can be influenced by its surroundings. This means that temperature changes and moisture levels changes can be cause natural splits and checks in the timber as it shrinks and dries over time.
What causes wood to shrink & how does it affect quality?
All woods are hygroscopic, that is, it will absorb or discharge moisture to attain equilibrium with the surrounding atmosphere. Typically, in the Australian climate, it is common to experience a loss of moisture. The loss of moisture content from the wood, results in the shrinkage of wood due to the loss of water. This can be interpreted by some that it weakens the overall quality of wood. However, in reality, the opposite occurs. In fact, seasoned timber (dried timber) contains properties that make it superior to wet timber. Listed below are some of the advantages:
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Strength The drying of timber results in increased strength, bending strength and stiffness -
Hardness As the plant cells become more compressed, it results in a structure that is harder and more resistant to bumps and other damage.
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Weight The decreased water content considerable reduces the weight of timber
How long does it take for timber to dry?
Most of our timber pieces are kiln-dried to speed up this process before we pack and ship out our products to you. However, dried timber will still retain a small % of moisture and will continue to dry when being built and used. Timber dries from the outside to the centre, this is a lengthy process which can take up to 6 years to reach its equilibrium moisture content (EMC).
What causes wood cracks?
When our timber is first sourced from New Zealand and other sources around the world, much like the human body, it is composed of a considerable amount of water, this can range anywhere from 40% to 400% of the log, in other words some timber logs can hold up to 4 times its weight in water! During this manufacturing process the timber is further air dried, stained and treated to ensure that our swing sets are safe and secure for creating our play sets. However, whilst this process drastically reduces the water content of our timber, it is not completely removed.
As a result, the wood drying process continues well after being installed in your backyard. The drying process generally results in the shrinkage of wood, as the wood shrinks, checks may begin to form in the exterior of the timber. This is recognised and accounted for by timber framers and engineers as a process which doesn’t compromise the integrity of the wood.
Is this unsafe?
Lifespan Kids is all about providing safe equipment for children to use. We understand it can be a cause for concern for the quality of timber, however, we assure all customers that all products have set tolerances so that the structural integrity is not compromised when natural occurrences such as timber cracks takes place. We do this by sourcing the correct diameter and size timber pieces to allow for any eventual timber drying cracks.
When should wood cracks be a concern?
Most of the wood splits will never become large enough to affect the reliability and strength of our products, however, there can be rare cases where splits can occur. This happens when a crack develops past the halfway point from the timber, splitting it into two separate pieces.
Feel free to contact us with detailed pictures of your product so we can assess and ensure that your playground remains safe.
Maintenance
Timber products will require care and maintenance as it weathers over time. We recommend to:
Check
Check over the product every season.
Sand
Sand away any sharp points or splinters.
Protect
Coat or Re-coat the timber with an appropriate layer of surface protection such as a stain or paint finish.
Follow
Follow the recommendations provided in the instruction manual.
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