Brachiation UK

[fabangel]

Hi everyone,

DS is 2 years and 7 months and was born with a diaphragmatic hernia (short explanation: some internal organs in the wrong place).  He had surgery to fix this but his right lung remains a bit small and I wonder if brachation could fix this....

1) However, we live in a cold area of the UK in a modest-sized house and I am wondering how other people fitted their brachiation ladder in?
2) Sadly, DH is useless at DIY, so I doubt he could make me one.  Has anyone bought any suitable substitute products?
I know there are monkey bars on ebay with the TP climbing frame, but still not ideal (price, climate, concrete yard....).  Ebay also offers these gorgeous indoor climbing frames but at nearly £500, I personally don't think it's worth it, particularly because the overhead ladder only has about five rungs. 

I was thinking of buying a "chin up bar" for DS's door and maybe hanging a trapeze swing or rings off this.  Does anyone have any better suggestions?
MTIA

[MummyRoo]

I have had similar problems! I also live in the UK, and we don't have our own garden so there isn't even an option of an outdoor climbing frame. The monkey bars at the local play area have split bars (ie. separate holds for each hand) which are far too far apart for an infant. I have been looking at indoor brachiating but as you found out, there isn't a lot you can get affordably and even making your own is expensive!!!

I have also thought about a pull-up bar, but have yet to but it. I'd love to have a proper brachiating ladder over his bed - I suppose it would be possible to buy a cheap bunkbed and modify the top bunk's base for dowel bars instead of wooden slats...

Did you find another solution? Does anyone else have ideas about how to manage this?

[waterdreamer]

Have you looked at local stores(the ones that carry playstructures) or used online classifieds for monkey bars. You can pay someone to modify them to put them over your child's bed or in the basement. My father is making me the IAHP spec brachiation ladders for $50 in materials and we are placing it in our unfinished basement. If that wasn't available I'd place it over my childs bed. Perhaps a handy retired gentleman in your area could build one for you for a fair price.
Good Luck!

[khatty]

For a hanging bar I changed the lower bar in my daughter's closet to a smaller dowel (I used a broom handle).  She couldn't reach it a 2 years old and I had to help.  Now at 3.5 years she goes into her closet to hang on her own.  My DH is reasonable handy, but he is never home, so this was a solution I could implement myself with stuff I had around the house.  I am now using it with my 6 month old son and he loves it.  I liked this solution and it worked for me.

I had tried using a metal bunk bed for the monkey bars.  The top bunk has round metals bars that were closely spaced and small enough around for a child's hand.  I thought it would be ideal, but it didn't really work for 2 reasons.  First, when my dd was smaller I needed to help her/spot her and that was awkward to do because of the bottom bunk, there just wasn't enough room for me to feel confident holding her.  Then, when she was older and needed less help from me, she was already too tall to fit between the bunks.  She could stand on the bottom bunk and then wouldn't brachiate properly.  Perhaps if you found a bunk bed that the bottom bunk could be removed without affecting the stability of the structure it would work better.  Unfortunately that wasn't the case with my bunk bed and I gave that up.  And since then....I have not figured out a good solution.

I thought might put something up in our heated garage and cover the cement floor with some rubber mats and carpet that would be safe enough.  But Canada must be similar to the u.k.  as there really isn't any free standing monkey bars for a reasonable price.  So, for now, I am still at the give up stage.  Hoping someone here has an easy inexpensive solution.

[waterdreamer]

khatty, put an ad on Kijiji and ask for someone to build it for you for a reasonable price. I'm sure you could find someone handy. Where abouts in Canada are you from? My father went to HomeDepot and priced out a IAHP ladder at $50 in pieces to build.

[khatty]

Kijiji - awesome idea waterdreamer.  I use kijiji all the time to buy stuff but never for a wanted to buy.  Good idea, I think I might try that out.  Saskatoon is the closest Home Depot and also the closet kijiji but I am travel frequently.  We just upgraded our very small car to a truck, so transporting it would be easy.  Karma to you.

[waterdreamer]

Your like next door neighbors to me and kizudo. Were both in Manitoba. When my dad finishes the project, he should have time to build it in the fall, I'll take photos.

[khatty]

I found a brachiation ladder on kijiji Calgary!!  I was just about to post a Wanted ad and I decided to do one last search for monkey bar.  Amazing how life works - someone was selling one made to Doman Specs in the Physical book.  Now I have to plan a trip to Calgary to pick it up,  I am very happy.  I plan on putting it in my garage with rubber mats and carpet underneath it.

[fabangel]

Thanks everyone.

Sadly, I have given up on the idea of a brachiation ladder, but have recently purchased a 12.99 chin up bar from Argos, which received good reviews.  Yet to be installed.

In my quest for my son's physical superbness, I thought the next best option was an 8ft garden trampoline, bought from Morrisons for £60 which was a bargain, complete with safety net.  I have a friend who has seven sons and the youngest, aged 3 is, in my opinion, "physically superb".  He can do backflips.  The mother does not have internet access or access to Doman books but naturally did a lot of what is suggested there and in general for early learning (putting her finger in baby's hand, carrying him over her shoulder, classical music, lots of reading).  The only kit they had was a big trampoline and a chin up bar across the door which the boys hang upside down from.

Good luck with it all
xx

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