–By Charles Broadway

When you’re shopping for a wooden swing set, it’s easy to compare companies by looking at the size of the playset, the number of swings, the length of the slide, or the price.

Those things are important, but there’s another question I think families should ask:

How much thought is actually going into designing this playset for your family and your backyard?

That’s where I believe there is a big difference between buying a swing set and having a playset professionally designed.

At Backyard Fun Factory, we don’t believe every family should have the same playset. Your kids aren’t the same as the family down the street, and your backyard probably isn’t either.

That’s why we approach every project as a custom design.

What Does “Premium Design” Really Mean?

There are several well-known wooden swing set companies throughout the United States, and there are certainly a lot of good products available.

But in my experience as a designer, a premium playset isn’t necessarily the biggest one or the one with the most accessories.

Premium design is about creating something that makes sense for your family, your space, your children, and your budget.

Sometimes that means a large, elaborate playset with lots of activities.

Sometimes it means a smaller design that makes better use of a difficult space.

And sometimes the best design is one that starts with a completely different idea than the family originally had.

That’s one of the things I enjoy most about being a designer with Backyard Fun Factory.

We’re a Texas Company Building Custom Playsets

Backyard Fun Factory is a family-owned Texas company, and our playsets are manufactured here in Texas.

Our playsets aren’t mass-produced and sitting in a warehouse waiting for someone to buy them.

They’re built after they’re ordered.

That gives us the opportunity to customize the design around the customer instead of asking the customer to choose from a limited number of pre-built configurations.

When I work with a family, I want to know about the kids, how old they are, what they enjoy doing, what they want in their backyard, how much space we have to work with, and what kind of budget they’re comfortable with.

All of those things help determine the right design.

Your Backyard Doesn’t Have to Be Perfect

One of my favorite parts of being a designer is figuring out how to make a playset work when the backyard isn’t straightforward.

Not every backyard has a big, perfectly flat area where you can simply drop a playset.

We’ve worked with yards that have:

• Slopes
• Trees
• Pools
• Fences
• Tight spaces
• Irregular layouts
• Landscaping
• Other obstacles that make a standard playset difficult

A challenging backyard doesn’t automatically mean you can’t have the playset you’ve been imagining.

It just means we may need to think a little more creatively.

That’s where the design process really becomes valuable.

We Can Design Around Your Backyard

We’ve had families come to us with ideas that aren’t something you would find sitting on a showroom floor.

Maybe they have a beautiful tree they want incorporated into the design or they want a custom tree deck.

Maybe they’re trying to make use of an awkward or sloped section of their yard.

Or, perhaps,  they have a pool and want a playset designed around it, including a slide that can enter the pool.

Those are the types of projects where having a designer involved can make a huge difference.

Instead of asking, “Which standard playset fits here?”

We’re asking:

“What can we create that works here?”

That’s a very different approach.

Designing for Your Kids—Not Just Their Age Today

Another thing I always encourage families to think about is how their children will use the playset a few years from now.

Kids grow quickly.

The features that excite a four-year-old may not be nearly as exciting to a nine-year-old.

That’s why we look at the ages of the children, their interests, and how we can create a playset that gives them something to grow into.

A good playset shouldn’t feel like your kids have outgrown it a couple of years after you purchase it.

We can design with different ages and interests in mind, and we can also leave room for future additions.

Your Playset Can Grow With Your Family

One of the things I really like about the Backyard Fun Factory design philosophy is that you don’t necessarily have to do everything at once.

Maybe there are features your kids would love today, while there are other things you’d like to add down the road.

We can help you prioritize.

You can start with the features that provide the most play value right now and add additional accessories or components later as your family grows and your needs change.

That can also be a great way to make the most of your budget.

Rather than trying to put everything into the initial purchase, we can look at what makes the most sense today while keeping future possibilities in mind.

We Use Premium Materials

Of course, good design only goes so far if the playset isn’t built with quality materials.

Backyard Fun Factory uses 100% California Redwood made in the USA.

We also use galvanized hardware and an oil-based semi-transparent stain to help protect the wood while allowing the natural character of the redwood to show through.

We’re building something that’s going to live outside and become part of your family’s backyard, so the materials matter.

Start With a Yard Visit

For certain projects, one of the best things we can do is actually come to your home and look at the space with you.

Backyard Fun Factory offers Yard Visits with our Head Designer, Jarrod.

Seeing the yard in person can change the entire conversation.

We can look at:

• Where the playset should go
• Which direction it should face
• Available clearances
• Slopes and elevation changes
• Trees and landscaping
• Pool placement
• Fences and property limitations
• Potential access issues
• Ideas for future additions

Sometimes a family has an idea of where they want the playset, and once we see the property, we can come up with an even better solution.

That’s one of the benefits of having an experienced designer involved before anything is built.

Custom Doesn’t Have to Mean “Whatever It Costs”

I think this is an important point because “custom” can sometimes make people assume they’re going to spend significantly more.

That’s not how we approach it.

We understand that every family has a budget.

Our job is to help you get the most play value possible within that budget.

Perhaps that means choosing a different fort size.

Maybe it’s prioritizing a feature your kids will use constantly rather than adding several features they’ll rarely use.

Maybe it’s starting with a core design and planning additions for later.

There are a lot of ways to approach a playset, and that’s why we don’t believe in simply showing someone the most expensive option and calling it a day.

We’re Designers, Not Just Salespeople

This is probably the biggest difference between what we do and what people sometimes expect when they walk into a swing-set showroom.

I don’t want a customer to feel like I’m simply trying to sell them a playset.

I want them to feel like we’re working on the project together.

You know your family and your kids.

You know what they’re going to enjoy and what you want your backyard to look and feel like.

My job as a designer is to take all of that information and help turn it into something that works.

Sometimes I’ll recommend something a customer hadn’t thought about.

Sometimes I’ll tell a customer that I don’t think a particular feature is worth spending the extra money on for their situation.

And, sometimes, we’ll completely change the original idea after looking at the space.

That’s what a design consultant should do.

Listen first. Design second.

What Should You Look for When Comparing Swing Set Companies?

If you’re comparing wooden swing set companies, I’d encourage you to look beyond the price tag.

Ask:

Is the playset custom-designed or are you choosing from a few standard configurations?

Where is it manufactured?

What type of wood and hardware are being used?

Does the company work with difficult yards?

Can the design accommodate different ages?

Can you add to it later?

Will someone actually help you design the placement and orientation?

Does the company install the playset professionally?

And perhaps most importantly:

Are you working with someone who is trying to sell you a product, or someone who is actually helping you design something for your family?

Why Backyard Fun Factory Is Different

There are plenty of companies selling wooden swing sets in the United States.

We’re not trying to be the company that sells everyone the same playset.

We are the company that helps you create the right playset for your family.

We’re a Texas-based, family-owned company.

We use 100% California Redwood made in the USA.

Our playsets are custom-designed and built after they’re ordered.

Our designers work with families throughout the process.

We can work with difficult spaces, slopes, trees, pools, and unusual layouts.

We can design for children of different ages and we can build designs that grow with your family.

And we work with your budget to maximize the play value of what you’re investing.

Most importantly, we listen.

Because when you invest in a wooden playset, we don’t think you’re simply buying a piece of outdoor equipment.

You’re creating a place where your kids will play, where friends will gather, where birthday parties will happen, and where your family will make memories.

That’s why we don’t just sell playsets.

We design them.

And we’d love the opportunity to hear what you’re envisioning for your backyard and see what we can create together.

Visit a showroom today to have a designer create a custom playset for your family.

Frisco Showroom – 301 King Rd, Frisco, TX  

Fort Worth Showroom – 7600 White Settlement Rd, White Settlement, TX 

Hours: Tuesday through Saturday 9am to 4pm

Phone: 469-210-6706