The "Swing Monkey" was designed by Playground Ideas intern Tyler Sall. It was inspired by a childhood memory. In an email, Tyler writes, "the original idea was meant to be like the palm fronds my brother and I used to swing on when we were little (in Panama) they'd hang down off of really tall coconut trees but not be so weak that they couldn't support a 6 yr old or two."
To create the same effect on a playground element, he borrowed the structure of a traditional maypole.The "Swing Monkey" is similar to a maypole, but much lower to the ground with strong chains to hold a child or two in flight.
Did you know Playground Ideas has a fantastic team of interns like Tyler? They are hard at work in their own corners of the world designing new elements and working on various projects that keep the organization running and creating new resources. We couldn't do it without them. Interested in becoming a PI intern? Do you have a skill to offer that you think the organization could benefit from?Get in touch and let us know.We'd love for you join our international team of playground enthusiasts.
Follow the link to get the step-by-step instructions for building your own “Swing Monkey."(Note: must create a free user account to see full instructions.)
Got an idea for a playground element?Join our community and submit your designs here.
