Here is what you need to do for your swing set depending on its type:

The Plastic Swing Set

Here are good news for plastic swing set owners: they don’t need to do much. The quality plastic should survive the low temperatures and snow without much trouble.

If you live in an area where the winter gets very cold the plastic may get broken however. In such case you’d better store the swing set indoor if that’s possible (with these swings usually doing this is not a big problem).

For sure you should not use the plastic swing when the temperature outside is under 32 F / 0 C. Not only that this is unpleasant, but the plastic loses its solidity which can cause the swing to give in.

If you have left the swing set outside for the winter you will need to clean it after it.

Read more about plastic swing sets.

Metal Swing Sets

The metal swing sets can sustain very low temperatures, rain and snow. The only major problem with them is rust – if the metal isn’t well treated or the treatment is wore on some places you risk the metal to rust. This will reduce the swing solidity. To avoid rust, paint and treat any suspicious places especially on the swing set frame.

Another thing to be careful about: it can be very dangerous if there are small holes which can let water leaks inside the frame. In the winter the water may freeze, increase its volume and just break apart even the steel.

Other than that your metal swing will be just fine in the winter. After the season end you’ll need to clean it and eventually grease the paps.

Read more about the metal outdoor swing sets.

The Wooden Swing Sets

They are great, but they are the ones that suffer most in the winter. An unprotected wooden swing set can totally lose shape during this season. The corrosion can dramatically worsen the wood quality and look. Besides treatment and painting, I highly recommend covering your wooden swing set with canvas or polythene. If that’s not possible, see if you can at least cover its top so no snow and water goes directly on it.

The wooden swing set should not be used when it’s covered by snow or ice – this can be very dangerous for obvious reasons. Kids often overlook such dangers so you must warn them.

At the end of the winter your wooden swing will need cleaning, careful checking and eventually painting.

Learn more about the wooden swing sets and about their safety.

There are three main ways to build it, so let’s look at the three of them:

Using Ready-to-assemble Kit

These kits don’t offer you much options for creativity but are easy to build . Such an “average” kit costs between $400 and $800 and takes about a day to be assembled. You can check the experience of this family with ready to assemble kits.

Using Build-it-yourself kit

DIY kits (called also “Ready to build”) can cost less – for example this Pioneer kit
is less than $100 at the moment. Don’t forget however that the accessories are not included. They can quickly add 2-3 times the price of the entire kit depending on what you want to have.
It can be still cheaper though – you can have a wooden swing set for $200 – $300, but prepare to spend several days building it.

Building Entirely From Scratch

I recommend this option only if you are real DIY fan, because it can take weeks. It depends on the complexity of the swing set, the tools you have on hand and your skills. A set of swing set plans can be found for $10-$15 or even for free, but the prices of the materials can vary hugely.

I’ve heard it’s possible to spend only $100 and build a decent wooden swing set, but I have no personal experience to share.

First prepare the vertical joists that will stay on top. It must be long enough to handle the entire swing set(s).

Then you need two triangle frames that will be put on each side of the joist. For each of them you need a pair of beams that will be connected on angle of about 30 degrees. Here the metal plates come in place – use them to support the connection with nails or screws.

The two planks must be cut diagonally and attached to the beams to form something like the letter A. This will add more stability to the construction.

Finally, attach the top joist to the triangle frames, placing it over them and using more screws. The joist can protrude a little bit on both sides.

This is just a quick answer to reader’s question. I will come with an illustrated and more detailed guide soon.