WWYD - swingset in small garden?

[Zoostations]

My London garden is small - 9 x 10m and on multiple levels. This area includes a patio and a lawn which is 4 steps above the patio, as well as a large bed running the length of one side which is at a lower level than the lawn. This reduces usable space.
my children are 7 and 12 and would really like either a trampoline or a climbing frame set and swing in the garden. I am not a fan of trampolines because they will probably need me to clean it every time they use it after it rains - had this not been the case, I might have considered. The climbing frame they have in mind is expensive but good, and should last them a few years, but will take up most of the current lawn especially if I also install a swing, keeping in mind the clearance I need to give around them. The swing is something I want for myself.

I personally like seeing a neat lawn but have to admit that I am not doing much with it at the moment. We are quite overlooked from all sides but neighbours keep to themselves and no issues so far.

WWYD - get the climbing frame and swing or just let them use the park nearby. The latter entails my having to accompany them and doesn’t happen often. I will still have enough space for a wide bed all around the lawn where I can plant my ambitious list of plants, and I am also thinking of raising the bed to get a level area for the lawn.

Given the lawn is higher than the patio, I may need to think of a way of keeping the kids from falling from the lawn to the patio, but that hasn’t happened so far. Lowering the garden height by about 70cm to sit level with the patio would have been ideal but will probably blow my budget and also limit the sunlight we get (one neighbour has tall trees).

Looking for suggestions, please, I can add a sketch if needed.

Get a climbing frame that incorporates a swing so you don't have to worry so much about extra clearance.

Having fun stuff in the garden is so much easier than traipsing back and forth to a park.

It would help to post the climbing frame you're considering

Why would a trampoline need cleaning?

We discounted climbimg frames as being too small when they were younger.

What cleaning does a trampoline need??? 🤔 As a child/teen we had multiple different trampolines and I don't recall my parents nor myself cleaning it ever!

If your garden is on multiple levels, could it not be sunk into one level so flush with an upper level? So they step off the grass directly onto the trampoline?

Get a trampoline , a 12yo is going to get minimal use of a climbing frame / swing set

Normal swing sets aren't really designed for adults. They fall over if you swing too much.

@Geneticsbunny I would have got one which would take an adult's weight eg one by bravetoys. May need to cement it - don't know yet.

@JDM625 iswym. It would work for a trampoline but to get more use out of the rest of the space would be easier to raise the lower quarter of the lawn to the same level as the rest of it, so the trampoline sits on top of the grass. How did you use the trampoline when it got wet in the rain? Didn't you have to wipe it dry?

The climbing frame would be one from grow monkey. If you google you will see they have different options - I would go for the compact one I think.

PS neither DD into football so they don't need the grassy area for that but they do play some garden games sort of thing occasionally.

Rain on trampolines dries…. Like rain elsewhere. You don’t need to clean it. Why can’t your 12 year old take themselves off to the park? I’d go for trampoline though as I can’t see your older one using a swing set.