Build a skateboard tree swing

Give new life to an old skateboard with this easy swing design.

Once it’s hanging, it will take time and practice to make this surfing swing glide, which is a good thing. Not only will mastering it bring hours of fun to your backyard, it can aid in reaching a developmental milestone of early childhood.

GETTING THE Swing OF IT

THE LINK BETWEEN SWINGING AND BRAIN DEVELOPMENT

IT’S TEMPTING to try to teach a child how to swing.

Your child might try to copy you. Or they might look at you like you’ve grown wings. Or they might get it like magic. Don’t fret if your little one needs a bit more time than others to master this skill. Like riding a bike, there will come a moment when it clicks. “Just pump,” you might say, doing it first, hoping they’ll catch on by seeing how you propel yourself forward and backward, tilting your head then pointing your toes.

The ability to swing emerges as part of a developmental progression, coinciding with the young child’s growing vestibular (balance) and proprioceptive (movement) systems. This is how it works. Developmental experts believe it begins in the inner ear, in the cochlear canal, which is shaped like a snail. Imagine that the snail shell has three chambers, and each is oriented directionally along the three planes of space – front-to-back, side-to-side and up-and-down. Each chamber contains an infinitesimal amount of fluid that moves as the body moves, directly informing our sense of balance. As we move within these three planes of space, we myelinate our brains, forming neural pathways that help us perceive our bodies. This physical sense of proprioception is mostly subconscious, though we can consciously engage it when we work with balance, mastering a skill such as swinging. The more we do it, the more complex our neural pathways become. Experts believe that this myelination later plays a fundamental role in reading (side-to-side across the page, top-to-bottom down the page, and front-to-back as we work from blackboard to notepad). Likewise, this development plays a role in how we process information, from sensory input to complex, abstract ideas. In other words, encourage healthy development by giving kids lots of free time to simply move. *

This “surfing” swing provides an opportunity for lateral, pivotal side-to-side movement, plus the up-and-down, front-to-back movements of a traditional swing. It may take more time to master, but it’s worth it. Children do not need to know it’s good for them. They can simply enjoy flying on a skateboard like the big boys and girls do at the half-pipe. {KC}

STEP BY STEP:

1. FIND A SKATEBOARD If you don’t have an old deck leftover from your agile days of youth, you can often find inexpensive used skateboards at Replay Sports in Aspen or Ragged Mountain Sports in Carbondale.

2. PREP YOUR BOARD Remove wheels. Take off old stickers and the black grit tape if you wish. We kept ours as we found it for more character, less work and the benefit of foot traction. Using the four holes where the trucks were mounted as a guide, drill 2 holes on each side of the board using a 5/8” drill bit. These should be evenly spaced, roughly 4” apart.

3. MAKE HANDLES We used a wooden closet rod to make 2 dowels the same length as the skateboard’s width. Valley Lumber in El Jebel and Builders First Source in Glenwood Springs will cut these on order with your purchase. Use a 5/8“ drill bit to make two pairs of holes on each side of both dowels.

4. HANG THE ROPE ON THE TREE. We used a 5/8” poly rope. You might re-purpose a retired climbing rope if it has no signs of wear or stress. Cut the rope in 30’ - 40’ lengths. The two pieces of rope run over the branch with the loose ends hanging down. Trees such as cottonwoods and elms are notoriously fragile around here, so check the integrity of the branch on all sides.

5. THREAD THE HANDLES The handles should line up evenly, positioned between the child’s waist and shoulder, allowing room for your child to grow. Thread each rope end down through one hole and up and out the other. Do this for each of the four dangling rope ends. This way it will be easy to adjust the handle height for kids and adults of all ages without untying the knots.

6. TIE SOLID KNOTS AND RIDE! Thread the ends of the rope through the skateboard holes and tie a secure knot on the underside of the board. Take some time to level out the board and test knot stability. Give it a test run for your kid and feel the freedom of summertime surfing. {LS}

Find any old skateboard you are ready repurpose.

Dowels or closet rods work well. Lumber yards and builder suppliers will often cut the rod to length, making this project even easier.

Use old climbing rope our purchase new poly rope from your local hardware store.