Outdoor Climbing Frames

Playgrounds and outdoor playground equipment can offer your child enjoyment, fresh air, and exercise, but they can also pose some safety hazards. Faulty equipment, improper surfaces, and careless behavior are just a few of the dangers that cause children on playgrounds to visit hospital emergency departments. To ensure that your children have the safest playground environment possible, follow these guidelines.

• In the United States, a child is injured on a playground every 2 1/2 minutes.
• More than 200,000 children each year are treated in emergency departments for playground-related injuries.
• More than 75% of playground injuries occur on a public playground.
• Most playground injuries involve falls, and over half of the time the child’s head and face is hurt.
• Most of these injuries are preventable with proper supervision and safer playground equipment and design.

You can make the playground a place that’s entertaining and safe for your children by checking equipment for potential hazards and following some simple safety guidelines. In addition, teaching your kids how to play safely is important: if they know the rules of the playground, it’s less likely they’ll become injured.

Safety Guidelines

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention funds the National Program for Playground Safety (NPPS), which works to prevent playground-related injuries by establishing detailed guidelines for safe playgrounds. According to the NPPS, the most important factors in evaluating the safety of any playground are surface, design and spacing, equipment installation, and maintenance.

The following types of equipment are not meant for safe playgrounds:

• animal figure swings
• glider swings that hold more than one child at a time
• swinging ropes that can fray, unravel, or form a noose (any kind of rope attached to play equipment poses a strangulation hazard, so never let your child tie jump ropes or leashes onto the equipment)
• exercise rings (as used in gymnastics) and trapeze bars
• Monkey bars: although people use the terms monkey bars, jungle gyms, and climbing equipment interchangeably, actual monkey bars are a specific type of climbing equipment with interior bars onto which a child may fall from a height greater than 18 inches. In the early 1980s, the CPSC stated that monkey bars were unsuitable for playgrounds.
• trampolines: these are never appropriate for safe playgrounds

James Hunt
http://www.articlesbase.com/sports-and-fitness-articles/safe-playground-equipment-guidelines-10101.html

Outdoor Toys at Find-me-a-gift

Tear yourself away from the TV the weather outside is glorious and find-me-a-gift have a great range of outdoor toys that make the perfect gift. From Giant Jenga to water gun games to water slings they have everything you need for some great summer parties. Adults and children alike will love the find-me-a-gift range!

Giant Jenga – Giant Jenga Garden Game is huge version of the much loved and played indoor Jenga. The Giant Jenga Garden Game is a fun game for all the family.

Giant Jenga can be played indoors as well as outdoors. It certainly adds an extra element of fun to BBQ’s, garden and dinner parties. Your guests will be amazed when you suggest a game of Jenga and you bring this Giant Jenga game out of the cupboard.

http://www.find-me-a-gift.co.uk/gift-ideas-for-women/home-kitchen-gifts/giant-jenga-garden-game.html

Sack race – This sack racing game will help you relive school days racing in these specially designed adult sized potato sacks. Choose from five characters and take on your family and friends. Made from jute with double stitching for strength and durability. A fun addition to the outdoor play collection.

http://www.find-me-a-gift.co.uk/gifts-for-men/personal-gift/sack-race.html

Limbo Garden Game – The Limbo Garden Game is a classic for all the family and is a great garden game for all sorts of garden parties and BBQ’s, whether kids are involved or not. The Limbo Garden Games make it easy for the kids to beat the grown ups fairly and squarely, as they are smaller and won’t have to bend half as much. So you can take on your family and friends with this Garden Limbo Game.

http://www.find-me-a-gift.co.uk/gifts-for-men/personal-gift/limbo-garden-games.html

Giant Garden Board Game Set – For kids of all ages! Giant Snakes and Ladders, Giant Ludo and Giant Chess. Find-me-a-gift garden games are ideal for garden parties, party games, pub games, schools, garden fetes, barbeques, business promotions, companies, or those quiet days lazing in the garden. Fantastic value for hours of fun! Classic games that will keep everybody entertained.

http://www.find-me-a-gift.co.uk/gifts-for-men/personal-gift/giant-garden-board-game-set.html

Space Hoppers – 3 Pack of Racing Odd Balls – The Space Hoppers Odd Ball Racing 3 Pack is the most fun grown ups can have in a garden, magically transporting you back to when you where a kid hopping round your parent’s garden in one of those long hot summers. These ADULT SIZE Space Hoppers called Oddballs and are very good quality. Oddballs are made of thicker rubber than the other 3 and 4 packs on the market, which can puncture more easily. These Oddballs are larger than the Space Hopper you used to have and because there are three Space Hoppers in this Odd Ball pack you can have proper grown up races, which are three times the fun!

http://www.find-me-a-gift.co.uk/gifts-for-men/unusual-gadgets/space-hopper-3-pack-of-racing-odd-balls.html

Garden Commando Water Pistol Game – Splashda la vista baby!

Its wet, its wild it’s the ultimate in garden combat! There’s always time for some sharp shooting water pistol action.. Compete with friends and family and see who can get the highest score by shooting the targets on the frame and ultimately trying to soak each other at the same time!. Set-up the targets on the frame and fill you pistol…Its time to get wet!

http://www.find-me-a-gift.co.uk/garden-commando-water-pistol-game.html

Giant Four In A Row – Wooden Garden Connect 4 – Four in a Row brings the magic of Connect 4 to your garden! Who hasn’t spent many a happy hour playing friends and family at this classic game? Take it outside in the sunshine with this giant-size wooden set, ideal for party games on the lawn, patio or balcony.

http://www.find-me-a-gift.co.uk/gifts-for-men/personal-gift/giant-four-in-a-row-wooden-garden-connect-4.html

Giant Ludo – Giant Ludo Garden Game is a fantastic garden game for all the family, the kids will absolutely love it, it’s much more fun than the normal Ludo game and it gets them out of the house and away from the TV.

The Giant Ludo Garden Game can be played as a team game or as individuals and it takes fun to a totally new dimension because you and the kids are actually in the game, you all act as counters.

http://www.find-me-a-gift.co.uk/gift-ideas-for-women/home-kitchen-gifts/giant-ludo-garden-games.html

Garden Skittles Water Slide Game – Ever wondered what it would be like to be a bowling ball?…. can’t say i have but now you can feel like one!

Throw yourself down this water slide into 10 inflatable skittles and see how many you can knock down…Will you get a strike or will you be a gutter ball?

http://www.find-me-a-gift.co.uk/garden-skittles-water-slide-game.html

Wild Sling Solo Water Bomb Launcher – Wild Sling Solo is the new water bomb launcher from the makers of the fantastic Wild Sling. Long gone are the halcyon days of lobbing a water-filled balloon out of the window onto unsuspecting passers by. In those days, the only way to efficiently get decent velocity out of a water balloon was to drop it from a great height. Well, now that’s all changed. Someone with too much time on their hands has invented a startlingly simple and yet supremely effective high-speed delivery system for water balloons.

http://www.find-me-a-gift.co.uk/gifts-for-men/personal-gift/wild-sling-solo-water-bomb-launcher.html

If you have left it a bit late to buy your gifts? Don’t panic find-me-a-gift offer a next working day delivery if you place your order before 3.30pm.

Www.find-me-a-gift has over 1000 gift and present ideas for men, women & children for any occasion. Click below to see the full range

http://www.find-me-a-gift.co.uk/

Find-me-a-gift
http://www.articlesbase.com/technology-articles/outdoor-toys-at-findmeagift-137979.html

Garden buildings have been popular for centuries and were associated with luxury gardens during the Renaissance. The concept of garden buildings then spread north of the Alps and into the United Kingdom, and they are now very much part of the traditional English landscape.

Garden buildings remain popular in today’s garden, such as: garden sheds, summerhouses, or log cabins. They come in variety of shapes of sizes to fit any household need. The size of garden building you opt for isn’t necessarily related to cost, but to how much available space you have in your garden. Ideally you should have a clear space of least 18” wide on all sides of the building to ensure easy access for installation and future maintenance.

Garden buildings are usually made from wood, but metal or heavy moulded plastic is also an option. Wooden garden buildings can blend into the garden or stand out as an attractive addition. The wood will need protecting from the elements, termites, mould and damp, and therefore a good wood finisher needs to be applied once a year to protect the garden building. Plastic garden buildings are durable, will not degrade and hardly need any maintenance. Metal garden buildings often do not come with a floor. Consequently it is advisable to mount metal sheds on foundations to reduce rust problems, insects and ground water seeping into the building.

Small garden buildings, such as sheds, are often used for storage: garden tools, work tools, bicycles, and anything else that can’t find a home in the house. Sheds and men have often been associated together, but the traditional viewpoint has to change: women have recently discovered the joy of ‘shed time’ and subsequently the sale of sheds have increased.

Larger garden buildings, for example: sheds or log cabins, are extremely versatile. No longer are they regarded as just somewhere to store the gardening equipment. A popular option for a larger garden building is a home office. The smallest size for an office is generally 8’ x 10’ and the most popular sizes are 12’ x 8’ and 12’ X 10’. There are companies that specialise in garden buildings for offices and they can advise on such matters as: planning permission, location, foundations, and utilities. Large garden buildings can also be used as a workshop, to house a whirlpool or as children’s playroom/playhouse. There are purpose built garden buildings for children, and manufacturers have let their imagination run riot. There are castle playhouses, mini-home playhouses with four windows at the front, a door in the middle and an upstairs! There are playhouses on top of climbing frames, jungle huts, and playhouses in the shape of a rocket – how fantastic is that! They will keep the children amused for hours.

Garden buildings are ideal for entertaining friends, colleagues or family at home, when space is lacking in the house. Summerhouses make an ideal option, and they are also great to relax in on a warm day while the pesky insects buzz around outside. Summerhouses are attractive and can be tucked away in the corner of the garden if space is limited, or act as focal point for the larger garden. They start from a small and simple design, through to a large, hexagonal summerhouse containing a built in stove, vent and chimney; therefore you could barbeque any time of the day, whatever the weather – and you’ll have the most popular garden in the street!

It is hard to find a garden without a garden building because they are useful, practical and versatile. Furthermore, some garden buildings can increase the value of a property – another reason why a garden shouldn’t be without a garden building.

Sara Lungley

http://www.articlesbase.com/gardening-articles/garden-buildings-a-brief-overview-154657.html

Parents often seek assistance in selecting the right toys at the most ideal stage of their child’s development. Many toys are designed for particular ages based on safety concerns; however, many others are designed to specifically encourage the development of certain abilities in a child.

In this article we will explore the fundamental skills developed by infants at varying ages, and the types of toys that can encourage children to reach their potential.

The Baby’s 1st Year

In the first year of a baby’s life, they begin exploring and experimenting with their most important senses:

Sound & Smell – In the first instance babies begin to match voices with certain faces and facial expressions, mainly from being held, fed and nurtured. Likewise, certain smells can be recognised and associations are gradually made. As they begin to establish these social attachments they become more receptive to different sounds and smells. Toys with sound and music that react to a child’s action are especially good at this stage, and simply letting your baby smell something and then see it can encourage development in this area.

Touch & Sight – As babies begin to take a little control of their hands; touching and feeling things become an important part of an infant’s development. Similarly, as sight becomes clearer, babies become more receptive to visual aids. Toys for this age are designed to enhance and encourage these traits. Toys should be for seeing, hearing and touching – this encourages the child to respond to the sights and sounds they see and hear. Picture books with sound, teddy bears with different textures and pulley toys that respond to a child’s movement are especially beneficial after 6 months old. Toys in bright, monochromic colours can also help to stimulate eyesight in the first year of a child’s life.

Ages 1 to 2

This stage is an important time for developing independence and important social skills that will never be lost. Between the ages of 1 and 2 it is surprising how rapidly a child develops from a tentative toddler saying only 1 or 2 words, to a confident child able to easily run and speak around 50 individual words.

From the age of 1, infants begin taking an interest in the effects of their manipulation, and it is very fun to sit back and watch children at this age. They particularly enjoy throwing toys and building things, so building blocks Duplo, and stickle bricks are fantastic toys at this age for encouraging hand and eye coordination, as well as a sense of balance.

From around 18 months, infants are able to walk very well and can run to an extent. When objects are in the way – running can prove difficult. However, with their newfound freedom, children love to explore and try everything out, without a sense of danger, so toys that encourage active play at this age are well received. Balls, Sit n’ Rides , Activity Stations, toys that speak or make noises and toys of characters they see on TV are advantageous additions to a toy box at this age – they will encourage children to play actively, and it will also help them sleep well at bed time (an added bonus!).

Language progression is also crucial at this age. Children will begin responding when spoken to and chattering away when playing. This makes it important for adults to talk to children in conversations, read stories and sing nursery rhymes whenever possible.

Ages 2 Years +

As a child turns two years old their abilities in counting and speaking becomes clearer, and bodily strength in running and climbing becomes more refined.

At the turn of two years old, toys that have movement and sound and allow the child to throw and drop are ideal, as they will help to refine their physical strengths. Toys that allow the children to push themselves along, such as sit ‘n’ ride toys that allow children to steer are very desirable.

As they approach 3 years old, outdoor toys such as climbing frames and garden swings are great. Children at this age have good spatial awareness, and refined bodily strength. They can move large toys easily, kick balls forcefully and they also have the ability to use pedals on a bike.

An infant’s imagination will develop greatly at this age as well, which is why dressing up and a fascination with make believe is noticeable. Doll sets, action figures, train sets and such toys are favourable at this age and help children express themselves and explore their independence. Children will also start to play with others and learn social skills through play. Cooperation and taking turns are examples of skills that will become extremely important both at a young age and throughout life.

Showing off new skills to family is also a very common trait for children around 3 years and upwards. Toys that mimic adult tasks, such as vacuum cleaners, cookers, shop tills and lawn mowers are especially good for engaging with a child.

While we have focussed on the initial, most advancing years of a child’s life in this article, toys have been proven to encourage creativity, self-confidence and academic skills throughout every stage of childhood.

About the Author

Having once owned the second largest toyshop in the UK, the owners of Toys Direct to Your Door (http://www.toysdirecttoyourdoor.co.uk/) have been in the toy business for over 40 years. Today, they continue to proudly provide quality children’s toys across the globe.

Toys Direct