Toddler climbing fort?

[Boobycino]

I'm wondering who has one of these type things? I want to buy one for Jasper's 3rd birthday, will he outgrow it too soon though? He LOVES climbing, he climbs the furniture and jumps off the table, climbs on the bench, the back of the couch etc :hair: I want something so I can say 'if you need to climb go outside!'

Also the childcarer in me says... Umm would it be crazy to buy some soft fall pads? Lol. Or is it okay if I just whack it on the grass as I also want something nice and low I can send him too unsupervised from 3y3m because that's when belly baby is due.

Any recommendations and thoughts would be great, and prices. Will toys go on sale again before christmasish? (jaspers birthday is November) I've had a browse of little tykes, I'm thinking $250 is my limit, so it doesn't seem like I can get much for that money.

[bellalika]

I think it is a great idea. Especially since I'm doing something similar for my kids. We have a plastic slide that is just on the grass and they have been fine. For our mini playground we are going to put down some bark. Subscribe to Toys R Us online. They often have good deals on outside toys with free delivery. We got ours 40% off at Myer.

[cashahn]

I would go onto Gumtree and get one, I just picked up one for $40 and the guy is delivering it to me for $20 a bit of sun fade but still plenty of use left in it :)

[MelandBen]

We have one from target, I got some of those rubber mats to go underneath only because ours is on our deck. My dd who is 2 quite often goes out there on her own and climbs and plays.
We haven't had a fall yet- but shes not a daredevil boy.:)

This is ours - http://i281.photobucket.com/albums/kk234/MelanieLockerbie/184beba3.jpg

[Boobycino]

That's so cool Mel. How much was it? It looks awesome.

And I'll go browse gumtree :)

[Boobycino]

Double post

[Little Boys Blue]

We have the same one as MelandBen. We got it for our boys for xmas last year. DS1 is nearly 3 now and he still loves playing with it and DS2 is nearly 1 has recently discovered he can climb it too. Not good for my nerves :freakingout:

We got ours from the Target toy sales for $200.

[Boobycino]

Oh cool lbb. That's sort of what I'd look for. Something like that on sale.

[MelandBen]

Yep for memory it was 199 from target.

It's on sale again at target- http://www.lasoo.com.au/catalogue/target-catalogue-mix-match-for-kids/4npho4arj.html?pid=promotedCatalogue
It's called a young ones maxi climber

There are heaps on sale on gumtree- they tend to go really fast in my area and tend to be expensive because of that- just be careful that they aren't sun damaged as this weakens the plastic causing it to crack when the kids step on it.

[TinyLittleTootsies]

We have the same one, but DD is the same as Jasper and will climb and jump off anything and always has. Lately she is climbing and jumping off her bunk bed! I have locked their room just so she can't, but I don't have a choice not to have the bunk as their room only fits the bunk bed! Anyway, what I was going to say is that the climbing frame shown is ok, but I wouldn't say it is fantastic. DD is 3.5 and she outgrew it a while ago, and yet it isn't that good for younger bubs because the platforms aren't connected and so only a child that can really climb can get up and use the slide, and by that time they are too big and think the little slide is boring! DD only uses it to play shops now and tries to climb our fence instead :hair:

Do you have room for a trampoline, there are ones that are enclosed and small for one kid in Toys R us. They also have this thing called a metal climbing frame, or monkey bars, but it is like a metal dome for kids to climb up and onto.
I think you should buy a gym mat, he would have lots of fun dragging it around to things he can jump off. My DD does gymnastics and since they taught her how to land, she always wants to land like that. I never thought of teaching her how to jump properly lol but now I feel a lot better knowing that she is less likely to break her arm. Could you get him a gym mat and teach him how to land? Then you can keep letting him jump off everything haha.

The other suggestion is a small indoor jumping castle. A friend has one and when she puts it on her girls stay on it for ages.