our situation:

Zip lines are well loved by adults and kids alike. They attract a lot of attention, (ie, the neighborhood kids ) sometime even more than a trampoline, which is saying a lot.

They (ziplines) do not provide the same type of physical challenges that monkey bars do , so if your daughter and or son is going onto gymnastics later on in their teens this may give you a little direction in your choice.

Sandbox- In my experience they are highly usable elements. Often times it does not matter whether the box is filled with pea gravel or sand. It is simply the fun of digging.
You can pick up an inexpensive 5 foot diameter plastic pool and fill it with play sand or safely bolt four 2x6 cedar boards together with a double bonded weed barrier cloth at the bottom.

I do not like pea gravel as a safe flooring material under play sets as a personal choice, but it is accepted by the U.S. consumer safety commission.
It has a very low safety rating plus it can become a lethal weapon if tempers flare up.

An excerpt from a Kidspace Book :

Choose A Safe Protective Play Surface

Install a shock absorbing surface area under and around your play equipment .
The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission ( www.cpsc.gov) suggests that a loose filled material such as cedar wood chips , engineered wood fiber ( EWF) or shredded recycled rubber mulch should be installed to a minimum maintained depth of 9 inches for areas that will support play equipment that is 8 feet high.
For equipment that is 5 feet in height or less , 9 inches depth of sand or rounded pea gravel is suggested.

Because of eventual settling , compaction and displacement it is suggested that the loose mulch surface material should be originally applied at 12 inches thick .

Grass, artificial turf, and dirt are not considered protective surfacing and do not have the shock absorption integrity as a thick bed of chipped bark mulch.
Carpeting and thin rubber mats are also not adequate protective surfacing.
High density commercial rubber mats designed specifically for playgrounds are safe but should be fully researched and evaluated before using. Check their safety report information via the internet.

Ground level equipment such as sandboxes , playhouses and other equipment that do not have any elevated play surface areas do not require any protective surfacing by code compliance , but play it safe and provide a safe cushioned surface for your loved ones.

Edging- I would never recommend cobble stone. Kids are bound to fly off the swings and or run and fall.
I often specify Trex ( plastic wood board ) or rubber bricks ( higher end ). Or if I am using rubber mats I don't use any border at all.

Favorite type of mulch - play ground fiber. - call your local landscape supply store .

thanks again for the wealth of information!

Pea gravel is a pain, always getting kicked into the grass, very hard to fall on, not recommended.

$3000 for swingset seems like overkill, surely you can find something that costs less and is just as fun.

re: the $3000 swingset... have you shopped for swingsets recently? the prices are staggering ... your money doesn't go very far. I was looking at demo models at 50% off at backyard adventures and was still looking at $5K. I shopped really hard for what I got and believe me it was a deal at $3K. I wasn't going to get something really tiny though as I have a 6 year old.

thanks again.

He placed the box on a relatively level spot in the yard. We went to the local gravel yard with my 1981 Chevette hatchback....back seat down covered in a tarp. Got a load of "washed builders sand." Coarser than "play sand". Less expensive than play sand--and it still has a little clay in it so it "sticks together" for the building of piles and roads and such.

He made a two part lid with a sheet of plywood, with handles on it. I had to open the box for the kids when they were really little, and closed it for them. The lid is crucial...keeps the local cats from using it as...well... a sandbox. When the kids were older they could handle the lid themselves.

Ours was under a couple of big oaks, so it was shady. They played with it until we moved when Elder Son was in middle school and The Boy had just finished 3rd grade.

The swings were the most used part of our swing set. (Wood Play--it came with the "new" house.) Even after they were "too old" the kids used to sit down on the swing set and talk with their friends.

If I get really ambitious I'll attempt to find pics of our sandbox and scan them...and I'll post them for you. I have to go to work at the Garden Center this afternoon...but I'll see what I can come up with.

melanie

Rosie, Sugar Hill, GA

I'm with you that $3K is totally reasonable for a playset. One of my clients spent $22K on theirs, which... must be nice.