Recomendations for Climbing frame/Playhouse

[liamsdaddy]

We are considering buying either a climbing frame or a playhouse to DS, 15 months.

Currently we have an area that is just over 3m x 3m (10ft x 10ft) which currently has a plastic sandpit and a small ball pond.

DS doesn't get to use this that often because our garden is SE facing and a bit of a sun-trap. Although the area is bordered on the S, E and W sides by fences and sheds, it still gets very sunny!

We are looking for something to provide some shade, but also to provide something fun to play on that can ideally grow with DS.

A playhouse might generate more shade, but a climbing frame could be more fun.

I have asked the same question but didn't have any replies!

I've looked at lots of places and one that might suit you is the TP range. They have 2 metal versions that grow with your child by adding on extra height. The official site says suitable from 18 months but there is another sitehere that says from 12 months. Is also cheaper there!

I think this is what I'm going to go for although I ds really wants a climbing wall!

We've got a TP wooden climbing frame and it's been pretty successful, I like the look of it better than the metal ones but they're much more expensive of course. We have 4 dcs ranging from 21 months to 6.7 and they all use it a bit. I like the fact you can add bits as they grow, so you can have a low tower to start with and then add the high one later.
But I wouldn't have said climbing frame great for a 15 month old, my 21 month old twins would probably prefer a playhouse! We bought this for them as well which has been very popular. Although only paid £200 on ebay. My 3yo likes it too.
Maybe think about a sun sail or 2 across the area if you have sheds etc to support it? Neither a playhouse nor climbing frame is going to solve your problem as he'll spend half his time wandering around either and not in them!

I have been looking at the TP frames, the only thing that makes me not sure is that DS hasn't tried climbing frames yet so we don't really know if he would like one or not (most likely he would as he shows some climbing tendencies).

But yes, keeping DS in the shade would be a challenge. Hopefully being something interesting would keep him roughly in the area. We did have a gazebo but that didn't work for us - or mostly, the wind disagreed with it.

I was considering pushing the sandpit into a large playhouse, in the vain hope that he might stop transplanting sand to my borders.

I haven't come across any boys that don't like a climbing frame (and I have 3!) but what I like about tp is that you can add whatever you want - we didn't have the space for a swing arm as you need 3ft either side of it I think, but could add later.
We did get wooden (just because we thought with 4 kids it would stand up to the use, and we'd spent a lot of money landscaping so wanted it to fit in) but next door neighbours have several bits of the metal TP range which is extremely popular with their kids and all the visiting ones.
If you were looking at wooden you could get something like this and then add the high tower later. You can choose which swing you like I think. Or this one has extra sun canopy!