Kids Climbing Frames

Are the kids climbing frame and the garden ready for winter?

The days are getting colder and darker, leaves are falling from the trees and the rainy clouds gather in the atmosphere. Clear enough, wintertime is upon us. This blog will give you some useful tips to prepare your Jungle Gym and garden for winter.

Jungle Gym maintenance in winter

With the cold and wet conditions in winter, kids play inside the house instead of outside in the garden. When kids do want to play on the Jungle Gym, please be aware and check the garden first to know if it’s a safe play environment. There may be a large amount of packed and slippery leaves or broken branches on the playground equipment that need to be removed first. This will help prevent your kids from tripping over, sliding or falling down.

To ensure your wooden climbing frame and slide will be in a perfect condition next spring, here are some smart preparations to take in autumn and winter:

2. All Jungle Gym materials and coatings have been selected for outdoor use. However, when a storm is expected, especially in combination with frost, we recommend you take extra precautions by bringing the roof tarp inside. This applies to the Jungle Lodge, Villa, Farm, Fort, Castle and the Hut. Would you rather purchase a new roof canopy? Order them in our webshop.

3. Removable accessories such as the swing seats, Jungle Gym flag, StarOscope, PeekOscope, Fun Phone, Bucket etc. are well protected from the weather. Of course they remain new longer when you bring them inside in winter. Expanding your climbing frame with new accessories? Order them in our webshop now.

4. We always recommend using the sandbox cover included with the Sandpit Cover to prevent animals (e.g. cats.) from entering the sandpit and use it for something else. The Sandpit Cover makes it possible for the rain to flush the sand clean, allows moisture to evaporate keeping the sand ventilated, cool and dry without any unpleasant smells. Don’t close the sandbox with a shelf or closed cover because that can cause mold. Did you lose the Sandpit Cover for the Jungle Gym towers? Order it online in our webshop.

5. The children are probably not playing on the climbing frame that often in winter, but when they do, it is always good to know the frame was checked recently. And don’t forget to check the nuts and bolt regularly to make sure they’re still tight, any loose bolts should be tightened immediately. Wood is a natural product and ‘moves’ with changing temperatures and humidity. Read here the tips we listed in an earlier blog regarding the maintenance of your own playground.

Go play outside with the kids during this time of the year

In winter, the days get shorter giving us less sunlight, so less vitamin D. This resistance is deteriorating and colds or flus are coming up. It may sounds contradictory, but in winter you should definitely take your kids outside. Even when it’s winter it should be easy to come up with active games to play in the garden. When wearing a warm coat or jacket plus running around they are less cold. Please be aware of the safety and remove the big amounts of leaves over hidden stones. Inspect the garden if you let the children play here.

Backyard
Playgrounds

Gardening maintenance, 9 tips

1. Removing or raking fallen leaves in autumn. It is important that grass gets enough light. Leaves may be raked to cover up and protect the borders in case of freezing.

2. Some trees, such as birch, nuts, grapes and acers can still be pruned until January.

3. Not all trees and plants can survive the winter. Protect the moisture-sensitive trees and plants with dry leaves, straw or jute pieces.

5. Pots and trays with stand-alone plants, trees or flowers may break by the expansion of water turning into ice. Empty the pots and bowls regularly when they carry a layer of water.

6. The grass can be mowed as long as it’s growing. This process naturally stops in the fall. Try not to walk on the frozen lawn, it may cause damage.

7. Do you have a pond in your garden? In case of frost make sure that there is a “hole in the ice” in order to provide the plants and any fish of oxygen.

8. Want to plant bulbs to see flourish in spring? These may be planted until the beginning of December, in both the ground or in pots.

9. Are you fond of the birds that fly around and settle down in your garden? Make the birdhouse snow-free and give them food. We bet the children will like to help with this project!

Creating a new garden during the winter months

Most people decide to make a change in the garden during spring but you can also do this in winter too. Trees and plants are in the so called ‘winter mode’, in this state they can be easily replanted and will attach properly into new ground or a different place in the garden. Most of the trees and plants can handle this change during the winter months.