Play Structure Will Provide Hours Of Fun For Your Kids

Here’s an outdoor play structure with something for everyone. For kids, it’s a treehouse, clubhouse, fort, hide-out and jungle gym all rolled into one. For parents, it’s a sturdy playhouse with a safety-conscious design and a clean, unobtrusive look.

The beauty of this project lies in its simple and functional post-and-platform construction. The structure overall stands a little more than 10 feet tall and is 6 feet square (not including the ladder or slide). The floor is about 4.5 feet off the ground.

In addition to the smooth hardboard slide and gently inclined ladder, the play structure features two sandboxes (one underneath and one at the end of the slide for soft landings) and a gable roof with a weatherproof canvas top.

It’s a pretty big job, but it calls only for standard lumber - mostly 4-by-4’s, 1-by-8’s and 1-by-6’s of fir or redwood - and basic tools. Lumber prices vary, but the materials used in the project shown here cost a little more than $400. Similar play structures can cost up to $2,500 in stores, so do-it-yourselfers willing to put in a few weekends’ worth of work can save a bundle.

The Play Structure plan, No. 839, is $7.95 and includes complete step-by-step directions with 15 photos, traceable patterns, exploded diagrams and a shopping list and cutting schedule.

A collection of four plans for playhouses and play structures, No. C104, is $19.95 and includes plans for this project, two playhouses and a covered sandbox. A catalog picturing hundreds of do-it-yourself projects is $3.95. Prices include postage and handling. Please allow 3-4 weeks for delivery (for first-class mail, add $1 per item up to $3 maximum).

MEMO: To order by mail, clip this article and send it with a check or money order to U-Bild Features, c/o The Spokesman-Review, PO Box 2383, Van Nuys, CA 91409-2383; (800) 828-2453. Please specify plan numbers.