Leading brand Creative Playthings has decades of experience in the outdoor play equipment industry. Since forming in the USA in the 1940s, Creative Playthings has become one of the biggest residential climbing frame manufacturers not just in America, but internationally, too! With a legacy like that, you can be sure they know what they’re doing.
If you’re looking for high-quality wooden play equipment for your children, you can’t go wrong with an outdoor playcentre from Creative Playthings. Despite their long history, the products that they manufacture are innovative, keeping up with the needs of families throughout changing times. One of their durable climbing frames can last for decades.
Customisable Outdoor Climbing Frames
One of the best parts about Creative Playthings wooden climbing frames is that you can choose between complete sets or modular climbing frames. This means that you can save time by ordering a fixed design, or cherry-pick your child’s favourite features to build an outdoor climbing frame with all the exciting elements they could ever want to play with.
This is especially beneficial for young families with growing children. The last thing you want is to invest a lot of money into a climbing frame that they’ll grow out of in a few short years – but with modular Creative Playthings playcentres, you can add and remove parts whenever you like to update the system in line with your child’s needs as they get older.
There are three main designs, each of which has two different styles to choose from. Firstly, the Creative Playthings tower gyms (Williamsburg and Lexington) is the most adaptable. Secondly, the Creative Playthings clubhouse gyms (Ridgefield and Yorktown) feature an enclosed clubhouse with a roof and balcony porch. Last but not least, the Creative Playthings climber gyms (Manchester and Norfolk) are constructed in an A-frame design with room for multiple features on the bottom level.
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Tower
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Platform Size
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Platform Height
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Williamsburg
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1.5m x 1.57m (4ft 11" x 5ft 2")
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1.52m (5ft)
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Lexington
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1.5m x 2.20m (4ft 11" x 7 2"ft)
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1.52m (5ft)
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Ridgefield
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1.57m x 2.74m (5ft 2" x 9ft)
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1.52m (5ft)
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Yorktown
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2.13m x 2.74m (7ft x 9ft)
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1.52m (5ft)
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Manchester
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1.52m x 2.13m (5ft x 7ft)
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1.8m (6ft)
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Norfolk
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1.33m x 1.92m (4ft 4" x 6ft 2")
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1.52m (5ft)
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Choose one of the wooden towers, then customise it with a swing section, climbing wall, or any of the many other swing set accessories. Your imagination is the only limit.
Quality Wooden Climbing Frames
As you can see from each product picture, every Creative Playthings is made from sturdy yellow wood. This isn’t just any timber – it’s specially treated Grade 1 Southern Yellow Pine. Grown in managed forests, sanded and kiln-dried, then beautifully finished with a light brown stain, the manufacturing process ensures consistently high quality.
Since Southern Yellow Pine has a high density, it’s the best structural timber to use for wooden climbing frames, which need a strong load-bearing capacity and holding power. These premium Creative Playthings wooden playsets are exceptionally robust as well as being visually stunning, providing a lovely golden colour and grain pattern.
Every wooden climbing frame is backed by the Creative Playthings Limited Lifetime Warranty, so you can be confident in your purchase. Order your ideal outdoor wooden climbing frame from the Wicken Toys website today and make your kids’ dreams come true.
If you’re having trouble choosing from the extensive selection below, don’t worry – you can always call us for expert advice! Contact the Wicken Toys team with any enquiries by calling 0800 587 1066, or email sales@wickentoys.co.uk and we’ll respond as quickly as we can.
Creative Playthings Climbing Frame FAQs
• What ages are Creative Playthings wooden climbing frames suitable for?
The Creative Playthings play centres that we sell at Wicken Toys come in a range of sizes, which are suitable for kids across a variety of developmental stages. These sturdy products are designed to last throughout childhood, allowing your family to enjoy them as your kids grow up.
All Creative Playthings climbing frames are designed for children at least 3 years old and above, though discretion and common sense are advised when choosing climbing equipment for very small children. Most climbing frames go by weight limit rather than age limit, with size restrictions visually obvious for enclosed equipment, but swing sets have an upper age of 12 years old.
Depending on the size of your garden, it may be best to choose a Creative Playthings climbing frame based on the model’s height in relation to your child’s size. The different designs are within these height and width ranges:
- Williamsburg – 1.5m x 1.57m (4ft 11" x 5ft 2")
- Norfolk – 1.33m x 1.92m (4ft 4" x 6ft 2")
- Lexington – 1.5m x 2.20m (4ft 11" x 7 2"ft)
- Manchester – 1.52m x 2.13m (5ft x 7ft)
- Ridgefield – 1.57m x 2.74m (5ft 2" x 9ft)
- Yorktown – 2.13m x 2.74m (7ft x 9ft)
The taller and larger sizes are more appropriate for older and bigger children to play on, while it’s best to go for a shorter model for younger children to play on safely. Remember that children of any age should never be left to play unsupervised on this type of outdoor equipment.
• Can I build my own custom Creative Playthings climbing frame?
There are two different ways to buy a Creative Playthings climbing frame – either as a complete set, or by combining modular options. At Wicken Toys, we like to make things simple for our customers, which is why we primarily stock complete Creative Playthings play centres.
These high-quality models combine lots of different elements that appeal to kids of all ages and activity levels, so you can easily choose a pre-designed product that suits their needs (and your outdoor space). We have smaller and simpler towers for younger children, and progressively larger and more extensive playsets for older children.
By looking through the different premium Creative Playthings climbing frames, you can select a model that has all the components you’re looking for – from ladders, swings, and slides to climbing walls, nets, and poles. If none of these premium playsets have the unique combination you’re after, not to worry – you can find some play equipment sold separately.
We supply a selection of Creative Playthings climbing frame accessories, allowing you to add extra features to your existing model as you see fit. This is great for families with small children, since you can remove children’s toy elements and replace them with ‘big kid’ play equipment as they grow up – getting more life and value out of your investment.
You can turn the bottom of a standard tower into an enclosed playhouse, replace a regular slide with a longer wave or spiral slide, add different kinds of swings and decorative roofs, connect two towers with a crawl tube, and more. Why not add a picnic area for even more family fun?
• How to look after a Creative Playthings wooden climbing frame?
After you’ve successfully installed your Creative Playthings climbing frame according to the instructions, you should also follow the maintenance guide in the product manual. You should give the playset a once-over every time before you let a child use it, and carry out thorough maintenance checks at least once a month. These should include:
- Making sure that the play area is free of all obstructions
- Checking for loose screws, bolts, and fittings and tighten if needed
- Looking for splinters and use sandpaper to smooth the area
- Replacing bark or sand if the safety surface is reduced over time
- Ensuring that swing beams are level and ropes or chains are in good condition
- Checking that the ground anchors are still secure and the frame is level
When it comes to keeping the climbing frame clean, you should use a soft-bristled brush to scrape off dirt whenever it builds up. You should also make sure plastic/metal swings and slides are clean before letting children play on them – if needed, use a damp washcloth and a warm soapy water solution to wipe the components clean.
As for the timber, it’s important to maintain its anti-rot properties by treating it with an appropriate wood preserver at least once a year. You may also want to use a tinted wood stain to maintain the colour, as sun exposure can bleach the timber over time. If you have to sand down splinters or chips, you’ll also have to re-apply wood treatments over these areas.
Of course, if you notice broken or otherwise damaged parts at any time, do not let anyone play or climb on the structure until you can repair or replace them.
