*Thank you to Farm + Yard for your excellent product and for sponsoring this testimony*
Becoming a parent is full of large expenses. Some that you think about a lot, some you don’t. Childcare, medical bills, braces, a car, college, a wedding, etc. are give ins. Then there are others that start to really add up like family vacations, clothing, camps, and gifts. For us, one of these expenses that we WISH we would have given more thought to before we paid it the first go-round was a playset for our backyard.
Backstory, for my first born’s first birthday we wanted her to have a backyard playset. We looked online and with it being one of the first things we bought for our kids that was over $1,000, we thought that was a lot. We ordered from well known big box company and it came in 5,000 pieces and needed to be assembled. First the pieces sat, then the half done project sat, and it became a point of contention in our family. We finally got it fully put together and for what it was, my daughter loved it. Sadly, by the time she was 3 and we had a second child, I could already see the assembly, the materials, and the play options starting to expire. I was constantly worried about multiple children playing on it at one time and we even had a bigger kiddo who came over to play and the slide broke OFF with her inside (everyone was okay thankfully, but think of her little/her mama’s heart!).
Enter Farm + Yard. I had been a fan of Travis from Farm + Yard and had been promoting their products for a while, had visited their storefront in Robinson, saw the materials and was overall impressed, but it still felt like a pipe dream for my family given the expense. However, with the changes in the world around us and the cost of traveling this summer, my husband and I had a long talk about things we really get our money out of and and enjoy as a family. Our backyard quickly went to the top of the list. Project backyard upgrade was underway and we started with a new playset that would provide advanced play options, would be sturdy enough for party fun (no more bounce house rentals necessary), and would stand the test of time.
First we had our free yard evaluation, learned the difference between a Fort Base Playset and a Ladder Base Playset, and then saw our price estimate. They are higher than any other playset we had considered before, but I already knew I wanted something much nicer than what I had experienced before. Travis is very honest that if you’re looking for 1-2 years of fun – his playsets are not for you. However, when I considered that it would be fully assembled FOR ME, then took that number, divided it by the number of days x years we would be able to use this new addition, then thought about how much we spent on the last set and what we ultimately got out of it + the drama of the assembly process = it all made more sense.
My wishlist for a playset was:
- Monkey bars (great for my 4+ year old who is looking for a physical challenge + increased hand eye coordination)
- Multiple swing types
- Wooden roof (instead of tarps that could blow away in our windy Texas country yard)
- 2 slides for different ages of enjoyment
- A playhouse first level for imaginative play
While this exact recipe wasn’t one of Farm + Yard’s listed options, Travis was able to customize my order to ensure all of my boxes were checked.
Installation day came and the team at Farm + Yard showed up early, stayed the entire time and got the entire project done in time for my kiddos to be surprised after school. Better yet, zero martial disputes took place due to assembly drama.
All that to say, if you have seen Farm + Yard around, have looked into getting a playset, but need to hear that it is worth the hype to stomach the expense, let me tell you right now – the final result measures up x 10! This playset is so well constructed my husband and I can climb, stand in and even slide down with 0 issues or concerns. My (still very little) girls can walk out the backdoor and play without direct assistance from an adult, and they have so many options for play on it to keep them entertained for more than just 10-15 minutes. The higher quality and likely longevity is crystal clear PLUS it comes with a warranty, so I have paid for solutions to any future problems we might run into.
One added bonus that added to the cost, but also the enjoyment and ease was the rubber mulch pad we ordered for underneath our playset. It is bouncy for inevitable kid falls and running, keeps ants from being an issue underfoot, makes for a clean look when viewing our backyard, and my husband can easily mow and edge all around it. We were even surprised to find out that our backyard chickens (a Farm + Yard purchase tale for another post) stay completely away from the playset I assume because they don’t want to hike through all of that bug free, rubber mulch!
*no products were discounted or gifted prompt this testimony*
