Build an In-tire Playground

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Photo 7.: Tire Climber. It's easy to build an obstacle-course climber. . . if you erect it one row at a time (nobody could lift the whole thing!). Just remember the old tire rules: Use large washers to keep the rubber from tearing, and always drill drain holes. The children who worked on this climber wanted to "salute America". . . so they turned their "rubber curtain" into a tire flag!

Photo 8: Miscellaneous Tiretry . This last shot illustrates people painting tires, but -more than that-it displays folks working with a lot of casings . . . which gives me a chance to proclaim Hogan's Pneumatic Principle: The use of tires is limited only by the number available.

I'm not kidding, either! Tires can be stacked into mountains (or hide-and-go-seek mazes) ... built into dome-shaped jungle gyms . . . fastened along the sides of posts to make "trees" . . . suspended as bridges . . . "sculpted" into play cars or boats ... made into hammocks ... laid out as roly-poly walkways . . . and more, more, more! And-as you may have noticed-I haven't even mentioned swings! It would take another whole article to describe the many great designs for rim-riding "swaythings".

So please, don't let a lack of funds stop you from helping your youngsters have a great place to play. (And don't let a surplus of moneys lure you into buying outdoor equipment, either.) Because with a little bit of scrounging-and a lot of inventive young volunteers-you can put together a playground children will never get "tired" of!

EDITOR'S NOTE: Paul Hogan manages Playground Clearing House, a non-profit corporation that offers everything from consultant services to swivel sets. The organization is an excellent resource for budding "playgroundists". Paul also publishes the fine 16-page bi-monthly magazine, PLAYPLANS ($6.00 a year) . . . offers a $2.00 sample playground information pack (consisting of a 16-page catalog, informative flyers, and a sample copy of his magazine) . . . and has written the 252 page book Playgrounds for Free: The Utilization of Used and Surplus Materials in Playground Construction ($9.95 plus $1.00 shipping and handling). To get hold of the industrious Mr. Hogan or any of his materials, write Playground Clearing House, Dept. TMEN, 26 Buckwalter Road, Phoenixville, Pennsylvania 19460.

Another worthy roadrider sourcebook is Christopher Clews' The Intire Story: Play Structures You Can Build. Chris's handsome 24 page publication contains a great deal of specific tire building know how. . . as well as some amazing plans for recycled-rubber structures . You can buy The Intire Story for $2.95 (plus 40¢ shipping and handling) from Learning Structures, Inc., Dept. TMEN, 799 South Street, Portsmouth, New Hampshire 03801 . Mr. Clews has also just finished his Adventure Garden Manual ... a do-it-yourself book which is filled with 40 different playground building projects (geared toward structures for three- to eight-year-old "recessers"). This guide is also available from Learning Structures for $2.50, plus 40¢ shipping and handling.

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