Having already done the post covering “Top 10 Strange and Unusual Playgrounds” I felt after the post Unusual Playground Seesaws it was time to take a look at some rather unusual playground swings. Swings really can come in a variety of sizes and shapes to suit everyone’s tastes, even the daredevils amongst us…
10 – The First
This photo of playground swings history was taken in 1923 is widely thought to show the first ever mass-produced playground swing set! Dangerous doesn’t even come close to what they used to do back then, and strangely in most the pictures you will see that people stand up, not sit down. Just by showing this image, somewhere in the world I have made a playground safety officer have a heart attack.
9 – Loop
Looking more like a roller-coaster loop comes these playground swings for toddlers. It really goes to show that a lot of designers are used to make various pieces of playground equipment all over the world, and you only need to pop down to your newest local park for evidence of this.
8 – Swing and Splash
I can do no better than to quote the website here: “Riders pass through openings in a waterfall created by precisely monitoring their path via axel-housed encoders, creating the thrill of narrowly escaping obstacles.” so there you go. Words alone can’t tell you how much I would love to go on this in a warm summers day.
7 – For all
Landscape Structures have been making playground and sensory equipment for a number of years now and as you can see their playground swings for disabled children are some of the best in the world. Those moulded bucket seats look amazing and are very secure indeed.
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6 – Drop Zone
Having a tree house swing is not that unusual, but this is no playground swings for babies, this is the highest swing in the world with a drop of 8,350 Feet Above Sea Level! I wonder if those vintage gentlemen we saw in the first image would do this one standing up!?
5 – Up and Under
Some people are lucky enough to have a swing in the garden, some are lucky to have one in a local park near them, and some even have them under the house. But to be fair when you have a stunning overhanging house like this one designed by MVRDV and Mole Architects you have the room for playground swings and slides under it. This one I really like because you can go on the swing even in the rain!
4 – Adults Only
It is 10-meters high that can accommodate up to two adult riders, and you can reach up to 40MPH depending on the height you are released. Why can’t all playground swings for schools be like this? Health and Safety! Are they a new rock band I haven’t heard of?
3 – Bus Stop Swing
Made by Artist Bruno Taylor the idea behind installing a swing at a bus stop was to try and bring play back into public space. As long as there is no-one walking behind you I think it is a great idea as it can be rather boring waiting for a bus.
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2 –Sky High
Looking just as dangerous as the first one we saw comes this billboard swing by Didier Faustino. It probably comes with a load of boring marking playground swings quotes about “advertising is child’s play” or something like that. But who cares, it looks amazing and it makes for a simply stunning photo.
1 – Fun for all
I have been to many, many different kids homes and special needs schools and never seen anything like this before in my life. Maybe it is all down to lack of funds, but I think every care home should have one of these. Playground swings for wheelchairs might sound like a simple idea, but yet an award-winning one as well.