You’ve settled down to raise a family when suddenly, your place of work informs you that they need you to move. But how will you take your child’s favorite new four-figure playset with you? A moving company can help with that! Packing undamaged play equipment is a simple matter of making sure it’s clean and working to keep the exact piece safe. How do you do that? Let’s find out.
Slides
Slides are probably the most easily broken piece of playground equipment. Though they’re made of heavy plastics, these breakdown over time and become incredibly fragile. Slides of a few years old may begin to dip or crunch under constant play. If your slide has pieces breaking off of it, we recommend sending it to the dumpster. This can cause scratches, cuts, or worse.
However, if you have a slide that’s still pliable and safe to play on, wrapping your slide in cardboard boxes and taping it shut is a quick and easy process for most movers. Is it attached to a larger piece of play equipment? No problem. If you have the manual around, it often explains how to take the playground equipment apart.
Jungle Gyms
There are two types of jungle gyms: those attached to the frame of a playset and those that are freestanding. Freestanding jungle gyms will consist of many nuts and bolts. Due to the fact that these are lost easily, many moving companies will request your permission to place them on a magnetized piece of metal or in a plastic bag with a cable tie attached to it.
Taking the piece apart on your own and allowing the movers to ship it is also a common option. This lets you keep connectors in a case that you are comfortable with.
Nets and Ropes
Nets, ropes, and all things made of rope are usually a quick disconnection and coiled tightly for safer transport. If you would prefer to have a climbing cargo net shipped flat, that is usually available. The net will be screwed down using C-anchors, usually to a large piece of plywood. This may cost extra due to the cost of the wood, but it does allow your cargo net to keep its shape during transportation. Ask your moving company for more details.
Swings
Swings come in a large assortment of types. From plastic animals to simple rubber Us, these are often treated much the same as slides are. A quick boxing, a seal with tape, and most of them are safe to ship. The one exception is the large patio table-style type of swing. These are also sometimes treated like seesaws and may be difficult to pack due to the shifting nature of the object.
If your playset comes equipped with one of these, let your movers know ahead of time. It may be shipped as-is or simply wrapped in padding blankets to keep it safe during the trip.
Poles
Poles are typically wrapped in padding blankets in a group. One large blanket may be enough to wrap all the short poles of a playset. If these items are rusting, you may wish to replace them rather than take them with you. Rust often soon develops into shards of metal, making it a dangerous situation for both the movers and the little ones playing on it.
Poles that are cemented in the ground most often require removal by the owner. Speak to your moving company for more details regarding this.
