Most every kid loves to play on a swing, and as a result swing sets are among the most popular outdoor toy items sold in the United States every year. Some sets are as simple as a couple of flat swings and a slide while others include monkey bars, teeter-totters and other specialty play sections.
When I was a little girl our family didn’t own a swing set. My dad simply fashioned a swing from an oak board and a couple of ropes and then attached it to a limb on the huge maple tree that stood in our back yard.
It’s hard to tell just how many “kid hours” my sister and I spent pushing each other on that wonderful home-made swing, but every single one of them was a thrill. Even so, we always dreamed of having a “store-bought swing set” like the one the kids across the street had.