How to Build a Kid's Swing Set

There are few playground toys that children love as much as a swing set. Flying through the air on a swing is one of the simple joys of childhood.  Swing sets are also great outdoor exercise, combining motor skills with coordination. Building a swing set is an easy task that will offer years of enjoyment.

Required Materials and Tools

• Swings and other swing set toys.  


•  Hardware to connect the swings and toys to the top rail.


• Seven four-inch-by-four-inch pressure-treated boards that are 12 feet long. Six of these boards will be the legs, or frames, of the swing set, and one board will be used to creating bracing pieces.


• One four-inch-by-six-inch pressure-treated board that is 12 feet long. The swings and swing set toys will hang from this top rail board.


• Six frame brackets. These connect the frame of the swing set to the top rail. They can be purchased where ever swing set parts and accessories are sold.


• Eight frame braces. These provide extra support between the frames and top rail of the swing set.


• Heavy-duty wood screws to connect the brackets and braces to the frames and top rail.


• Power saw, such a circular saw or reciprocating saw.


• Power drill and screwdriver.


• Measuring tape.


• Marker.


• Ladder.


• Post-hole digger or shovel.


• Level.


• Quick-set concrete for six holes.

1. Check the manufacturer’s recommendations for the spacing between each swing or toy, but this swing set should be able to accommodate three to four toddler or regular swings and two small swing set toys, such as climbing ropes or riding discs, at each end of the swing set. The swings and toys are interchangeable, so you may swap accessories as your child grows.


2. Lay two four-inch-by-four-inch boards together in a V-shape so that the tops are just touching. This will be the first of three frames for the swing set.


3. Use the frame bracket to align the boards to the correct angle for the A-shape frames.


4. Make a mark at the top of the bracket on the four-inch-by-four-inch boards with a marker.


5. Mark the holes of the bracket on the boards with the marker.


6. Cut the boards with a saw at your marker line so that there is a flat surface created at the top when the boards come together.


7. Drill the holes for the bracket. Drilling holes before sinking the screws will keep the boards from splitting.


8. Attach the bracket to the boards using screws and a power drill.


9. Attach a bracket to the other side of the boards. You should have a V-shape created by the boards with a bracket on each side, and at the top, of the boards.


10. Complete steps one through eight with the other four-inch-by-four-inch boards. This will give you three sets of frames.


11. Measure the distance between the boards at 2 feet down from the top of the brackets. This is where your bracing boards will attach to the frames.


12. Cut three bracing pieces from the extra four-inch-by-four-inch board from your measurements in step ten. Cut the ends at a 12-degree angle so the bracing boards will fit tightly between each set of four-inch-by-four-inch frames.


13. Screw the bracing pieces to each four-inch-by-four-inch set to create an A-frame shape.


14. Layout the three four-inch-by-four-inch A-frames with the four-inch-by-six-inch top rail board to mark where the A-frames will connect. The top rail will connect with one A-frame right in the middle of the top rail, and the other two A-frames will connect 2 feet in from each end of the top rail.


15. Mark the positions of the A-frames on the top rail with the marker.


16. Mark the position of the holes in the brackets that will connect the top rail to the A-frames. Mark the holes on the top rail with a marker.


17. Drill the holes for the bracket to connect to the top rail.


18. Mark the position of the swings and swing set toys.


19. Drill holes for the eye-screws for the ropes or chains of the swings and swing set toys.


20. Measure for the six holes in the ground where the three A-frames will sit. The A-frames are spaced with 4 feet between them.


21. Dig six holes for the ends of the A-frames that are 18 inches deep and 12 inches in diameter. Make sure the holes line up.


22. Place the A-frames in the holes.


23. Place the top rail on the A-frames so that your holes and marks line up. This will require two people.


24. Use a level to make sure the swing set sits levelly in the ground.


25. Attach the top rail to each A-frame with screws, adjusting the frames as you go so the swing set is as straight and level as possible.


26. Attach the frame braces to the A-frames and the top rail. Attach two frame braces to each end A-frame, placing one on each side of the swing set. Attach four frame braces at the center A-frame, placing two on each side of the swing set. 


27. Apply quick-set cement to the holes of the A-frames.


28. Allow the cement to dry to the manufacturer’s specifications.


29. Hang the swings and swing set toys to the manufacturer’s directions.