A History of Swings | Playground Swing Design and Installation

A short history of swings

Everyone loves to soar through the air on the swings. No matter how old you are, if you see an empty swing, you’re going to sit on it. Adults and children alike love the rush of flying through the air on a swing and will spend a long time inching higher and higher… Plus, with the exciting range of swing games you can play, the fun never stops!

But, have you ever wondered how swings came to be such a playtime favourite? We have, and we thought we’d share a brief history of swings with you. Have a look at their fascinating history and show off when you next visit your public playground.

two girls using a playground swingset

The history of swings

You might be surprised to discover that humans have been enjoying swings since at least the 5th century B.C. Early Ancient Greek vases have been discovered with artist impressions of women and children on swings. Isn’t that fantastic?

It’s easy to believe that swinging goes back even further than the Ancient Greeks in human history too. We can picture our early ancestors grabbing a vine and swinging on trees just to enjoy the simple pleasure it brings.

Over the centuries, the way we’ve made swings has changed, but the basic idea has remained the same. Ancient swings were made of wooden sticks or planks and rope that hung delicately from trees. Now, we fashion sturdier constructions from metal, plastic, treated, manufactured woods and other innovative materials.

Swings for children really grew in popularity in the nineteenth century. As the Victorian era progressed, child labour laws began to take shape. Rather than working, children had much more time to play. Parks and playgrounds were created specifically for them and swings were incredibly popular.

You can learn a little more about Victorian playground games here.

Swing sets continued to develop into the fun, safe playground equipment we all know and love today. With concerns for the safety of our children while they’re at play, swing design has changed to include some really innovative safety features as well as specially designed playground flooring.

And we haven’t stopped there. Have you seen the fantastic basket swing design that allows multiple people to share the swinging experience? We’re sure you’re already familiar with the adapted cradle seat swing design for toddlers too? You can see the full range of Image Playgrounds swings here.

Children playing on playground bucket swing

Get in touch

If you’d like to keep the tradition alive in your play space, get in touch with Image Playgrounds. We’d love to bring this time honoured piece of equipment into your playground.

Image Playgrounds offer playground design services
Free design and consultation

Interested in seeing what our designers can create for you?

Our team have years of experience planning and designing playgrounds. We can help you choose the equipment that best suits your requirements, budget and space.

Why not drop us a line today and get the ball rolling?

01347 878747

info@imageplaygrounds.com

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