Tween/teen-friendly backyards: swingsets and/or other things they'll enjoy?
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Anonymous
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Up to what age did your kids use a swing set/play set (alone or with friends) and which features were the ones they used the longest? (And how tall was it-- will they grow out of it early if the swing bar is only 6 or 7 feet high?) Trying to figure out something for our yard that will hopefully last us at least through the tween and ideally into the teen years.
And what other outdoor features/equipment have kept your tweens and teens (and their friends) enjoying your yard as they grow? Pool, trampoline, or anything involving pavement (like a basketball/tennis court) are out for us, but interested in other ideas! |
Anonymous
| Rebounder for lax gets a lot of use here. |
Anonymous
| A hammock |
Anonymous
This has been used for many years by one of my kids, but she’s into sports. It’s the only outdoor thing that has. We see trampolines from the past in our neighbors yards. Some use basketball hoops forever if the kids like basketball. Ours didnt. |
Anonymous
| Tweens and teens don’t use swingsets |
Anonymous
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Somewhat depends boys or girls (I have both) but not swingsets. Mine use:
-trampoline -basketball hoop -skateboards/bikes/scooters -balls (football, soccer ball) -wiffle ball stuff -some cheap orange cones and rubber bases sometimes -other stuff we have lying around sometimes (jump ropes etc) As mine have gotten to be older teens they mostly just use the trampoline and basketball hoop. And maybe DS and friends will throw the football around. |
Anonymous
We don’t have a hammock or big swing but my kids enjoy the ones at friends’ houses. A couple of friends have those giant circular net swings that hang from the trees and they seem to get a lot of use even with older kids and teens |
Anonymous
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One of the lax rebounder posters and I’m thinking about my other kid. He mostly threw around footballs or other random balls with friends, went on skateboards or bikes until they were old enough to drive. Then they didn’t hang out at the house much.
I wouldn’t buy any permanent equipment with the hope it will be used into the teen years unless you know your kid is into a specific sport. |
Anonymous
| When did your kids stop using swings? 10? 11? 12? |
Anonymous
6 |
Anonymous
| Mine is 11 and still uses it on playdates. |
Anonymous
Tweens do |
Anonymous
| Ping pong table |
Anonymous
| Ours still get some use, but we converted it to a ninja type course with some obstacles. My chatty tweens will still sit on the swings with friends and just talk while lightly swinging, too. |
Anonymous
| My son is 15 and the only thing he does outside in our yard is spikeball. He's not super into basketball, but if others he knows want to play, they go to a local park where there is a full court. |