“Let’s go to swings!” is a phrase often heard coming from the preschool children. As a favorite of many, the swings in preschool yard provide the children with multiple opportunities to explore, build strength, and more. The swings development and design was created by founder, Harlan Bartram (Bart). Bart had a vision of providing an outdoor gross motor challenge; one in which the children thoroughly enjoyed.
Swings consists of a large wooden structure, with various ropes connecting from point A to point B, and sometimes to a point C. The ropes are long, short, low, and high. With each differing rope challenge, children are working on balance, agility, coordination, as well as demonstrating a curiosity for how things work and why things happen. Because of the variation, there is a challenge for any age and/or size of a preschooler. The possibilities at swings are endless. Children are continuously discovering new ways and routes to achieve their personal goal. Children may receive one “getting started” push on the largest rope, but it is ultimately up to them to build and gain their own strength and confidence to successfully meet their own challenge.