Does this look boring for young kids?

[Yebbie]

Been trying to find a climbing frame for toddler, wanted the pirate ship off Wickey but I'm reading reviews for Wickey that they just send you piles of wood, none it pre drilled or marked so you've got to measure and cut parts yourself and they don't offer an assembly service so it just seems risky

This is the best other option I can find and they will come out and install it all for us. I added a sandpit kit to make the underneath of the tower into a sand pit with a lid, and I added binoculars, steering wheel etc? It'll be for 2 kids, one currently unborn and one 2.5. I ordered it, with an extra wooden roof for the other tower and the other bits I mentioned including installation for £1200. Dh is now saying to cancel it as it's boring compared to the pirate ship and that's too much money for a boring climbing frame!

Is he right? I know it's a bit more simple than the pirate ship (second pic) but it does sound a lot simpler to be installed?

Both of your pictures are great. We got a Wickey set a bit like your first picture but without the wobbly bridge. We had a couple of quality issues with the wood, which needed some fixing and replacing which we did ourselves because it was cheaper and quicker than asking Wickey to resend bits. But once it was built and up it's been very robust and our two have played with it loads, and continue to do so at aged 5 and 9.

We did pay a lot less than £1200 but obviously we had to build it ourselves. It was actually fairly easy to do, just took a few weekends worth of work. If you're happy to pay the money and have someone else build it, then go for it. Your DH is being unnecessarily pessimistic about the set you've ordered.

My toddler would love this! Yes the pirate ship may look more exciting but that's becaue you've seen both.. the toddler hasn't and will have no clue what else is on the market. The one you've ordered is fab!

We have one like pic 1 without the bridge end so swings, tower slide and monkey bars. Got it during lockdown when we couldn't go to the park, and kids have played with it regularly for nearly 2 yrs now. They certainly have periods where they use it more than others but it has def been worth the money. Mine was less than half what you are paying but obv smaller. I did have to assemble it myself.

My kids are 7 and 10 now and not too big for it yet. I even swing on it myself though sadly my hips are too wide for the slide. We put the hose at the top of the slide in the summer and paddling pool at the bottom for an impromptu water slide.

Have you looked at quadro? It’s a bit more hassle but if you have space you can construct indoors. You can change the layout and make boats, forts, cars etc.
It’s worth buying the larger set, plus slide, plus wheels.

Having the frame increases the play potential of a rather small lawn a huge amount ime.

Our fairly quickly grew out of the climbing aspect. After 5 or 6 there was nothing we could have fitted in the garden which gave them much of a challenge. At home the climbing frame was used much more for imaginative play. It has been the base for many dens (a couple of old sheets and some clothes pegs).

The sand pit was a big hit, but as someone else said, seperate is good for giving siblings space to do their own thing.

We had an odd shaped garden, so had a few separate bits of equipment. In the long run I think that was better as it meant we could pass on the bits which were outgrown and bring in something new without having to keep a whole big play structure when only a small part was being used.

I think your kids are really lucky to have that in the garden, it’s awesome x

I think it looks brilliant. We’ve got one similar that is smaller. Mine would both love a bridge. The only note of caution I would say is don’t worry so much about your older one but think through what it will be like when your new baby wants to climb it at 1 (which they will because they’ll want to be like the older one).

Ours is used all the time and it is a godsend. Children were out in the garden today on it and once it gets warmer will spend loads of time on it.

quadroplay.co.uk/product/universal-curved-slide-combo/
It’s just under £600. Then I would buy a swing, sandpit and basic climbing frame with a high den for outdoors. Maybe like this www.tptoys.com/products/explorer-black-metal-climbing-frame-swing-arm-jungle-run-basketball-hoop?pr_prod_strat=description&pr_rec_pid=7405873103013&pr_ref_pid=6565982830757&pr_seq=uniform

We had three aged 6 and under over lockdown and quadro was great. We built boats, cafes, dens, etc. Didn’t get bored. They help build it and learn to follow the instructions. They can make their own creations too. Plus if you have space indoors it’s fine in awful weather! But no rickety bridge!

@HappiestHippo123

Have you looked at quadro? It’s a bit more hassle but if you have space you can construct indoors. You can change the layout and make boats, forts, cars etc. It’s worth buying the larger set, plus slide, plus wheels.

What?! that looks super cool!!!! Where was this when we bought ours??!!!!

Honestly, I wouldn't do it.

We got one at almost exactly same stage as you. It was a pain in the arse because toddler was far to small to go alone and it was, quite honestly dangerous and hard work. Then despite it being concreted in Storm arwen took it away.

Little tikes eight in one I got from market place. A play kitchen, and a sand pit. All of which are much easier watched and played with at those ages.

Yes when older I will probably look at another like that but not till maybe school age.

Oh and you have to varnish them every year to maintain warranty etc

The first one is great and I'm sure many happy hours will be spent on it. They won't be disappointed not to have the pirate ship, as you can't miss what you've never seen (hopefully you haven't been daft enough to show your 2yo the 'options'...!). I'm with you OP, that it will be a lifesaver with a newborn. If you have the spare cash (and it sounds like you do!), then maybe think about one of those comfy adult swing seats with a canopy so you can feed/rest with the baby in the shade whilst keeping half an eye on the older DC.
My DCs are 5 and 7yo. They would still play on this at their current ages, but less so and it would need to be cemented in/fully fixed down for the 7yo to be swinging on it. Their prime years for it would have been 2 - 5yo I suspect, and we swapped out our giant plastic Little Tikes monstrosity last spring for this reason.

LOL-ing at the PP who thought you could get a local chippy to construct a custom version including the materials for less than £1200... You might just about get the raw materials for that or the labour, but not both. There are reasons why Ikea (or any other company that sell mass produced flat packs) is cheaper than bespoke.

Messaged a local carpenter who said no chance could he source all of it for cheaper but he can build the Wickey frame for me, add an extra piece of timber across the bridge, add a sandpit with a wooden lid underneath and anchor it all into the ground for £250. So the pirate ship is perhaps an option after all. Wickey has a 10 year guarantee on the wood too, whereas the one I have ordered only has 12 months.

I have a toddler who won't use the toddler sections at the park and soft play, he's always on the big kids bit so if I'm going to spend I want it to last so hesitant to go for anything aimed at younger ones. It would be in a wood chipped area and he will be supervised so I like to think he won't be able to break himself too easily!

I'd go for the pirate ship then, he'll love it

God people can be so obtuse!

Both options look good @Yebbie. We spent £1200 last year on a similar set up, we were v constricted because we don't have a massive space for it (it was going on a bit of a raised area). This is our one

Looks amazing. Ours had a much, much simpler wooden frame that was used most days for a good few years. The activities the children will do with it will grow as the children grow. A very worthwhile investment.

@Yebbie

Messaged a local carpenter who said no chance could he source all of it for cheaper but he can build the Wickey frame for me, add an extra piece of timber across the bridge, add a sandpit with a wooden lid underneath and anchor it all into the ground for £250. So the pirate ship is perhaps an option after all. Wickey has a 10 year guarantee on the wood too, whereas the one I have ordered only has 12 months.

I have a toddler who won't use the toddler sections at the park and soft play, he's always on the big kids bit so if I'm going to spend I want it to last so hesitant to go for anything aimed at younger ones. It would be in a wood chipped area and he will be supervised so I like to think he won't be able to break himself too easily!

We had one like the photo a bit bigger, it was great they played with it for a decade and I sold it on for about £300, so over all it was less than £75 per year. We had pirate parties and a pool at the bottom in the hot summer days. They had a brilliant time with it, it's an investment and a magnet to get them playing out

LOL-ing at the PP who thought you could get a local chippy to construct a custom version including the materials for less than £1200... You might just about get the raw materials for that or the labour, but not both.

I said where I live it’s possible because I have had one very similar built thanks! But I said where I live because its generally a cheap area for things like this.

Op you seem to have your heart set on the pirate ship so if you can make it work financially, go for that one. I’m sure the kids would love either option.

@Tinkywinkydinkydoo

LOL-ing at the PP who thought you could get a local chippy to construct a custom version including the materials for less than £1200... You might just about get the raw materials for that or the labour, but not both.

I said where I live it’s possible because I have had one very similar built thanks! But I said where I live because its generally a cheap area for things like this.

Op you seem to have your heart set on the pirate ship so if you can make it work financially, go for that one. I’m sure the kids would love either option.

Built recently? Bespoke? Please give me the number of your builders merchant as I am clearly being robbed blind by mine. I am a chippy, so pretty well placed to do a quick 'back of a fag packet' calculation on this. Timber prices are high ATM, then you need to add the costs of the fixings and moulded sections (slide, swings, rock climbing grips etc). If it is a bespoke build with no borrowed plans on which to base the design, everything must be carefully worked out, measured, cut and fitted from scratch. This is a fair number of days work to do, and you have double lucked out (after your bargainous timber purchase) to find a chippy for less that £160/day, although £200 is more usual IME. At current rates, I'd say £2.5k would be the minimum I'd expect to pay for a custom built equivalent to the climbing frames OP has shared.