Our house has gone a bit gymnastics crazy lately. Zak and Sydney have learned to do a backwards kick over which is the funniest and most amazing thing to watch, a back should not bend like that! Zak learned first which brought out Sydney’s competitive side which we don’t see very often, but she was SO determined to get it. She’s also super pleased to now be able to do a backwards roll and into handstand and some pretty awesome round offs.
The girls both had birthdays recently and as we have a house full of toys I really wanted to get them equipment for outdoors. I considered a climbing frame as I thought it would be brilliant for science experiments, but in the end settled on this awesome bar from Wickey. It’s tall enough to challenge my 8 year old, but not so tall they scare me on it. Different sizes are available though for smaller children.
I won’t pretend it was easy to install, but it wasn’t ridiculously hard either. This is what my husband had to say, who was the one doing the hard work!
Fitting the bar was easier than I thought – get a couple of bags of post-mix cement (one for each hole) from your local diy store. Dig two holes to about the depth of the H-anchor. The only thing I would advise here is make them wider than you’d expect, I recommend at least 12” square. Mine are a bit smaller and I think this is why I am getting a bit of wobble on the bar. Measure several times to make sure 1, they are level and 2, they are the correct width apart for your bar. Half fill the hole with water (follow instructions on the post-fix cement), insert the metal stand and then tip in the post-mix. The level should rise to near the top of your hole and become thick enough for your H-anchor to stand on it’s own. Make final adjustments for the level (and the width (on the second insert).
Leave for the requisite amount of time (for the concrete to set) then simply screw your posts into the inserts.
The kids all love the bar and have spent hours practising pull ups, circle ups and other things I just don’t have the upper body strength to even attempt. I did stand under it the other day contemplating a pull up, but I had visions of the kids watching from the windows and laughing at my lack of strength.
It is quite big, but I don’t think too intrusive and our garden isn’t the biggest. We’re really pleased with our gymnastics bar.
We were sent the gymnastics bar above for the purpose of this post
We could do with one of those. My son really needs to build his upper body strength as he can’t do the monkey bars.
Oh that’s a great idea, my two would love something like this in the garden, ours isn’t a big garden and they always moan there isn’t enough to do so this would really add to it 🙂
My boys would have LOVED something like this when they were younger. It is great to get the kids outside and exercising
this looks brill – our youngest loves gymnastics. We have a trampoline but a bar would be great for building upper body strength x
Now that is such a cool thing to have in the garden – i would have love it as a child! x
I’d have loved this when I was younger, I’m sure my little monkey would like one too.
Mine give me kittens hanging upside down off our climbing frame. This looks good for older kids
Oh you so have to try those pullups…when everyone is out. This is your chance. 😉
Bars a such a good idea though. I’d never have thought of them for the garden.
I’ve not heard of Wickey before – just been having a look and they have some lovely stuff!
Great that something so simple can lead to such a lot of fun 🙂
We need one of these as we have a gymnastics fanatic in our house!
All of mine would love to have one of these
oh wow those sound like moves i would only ever dream of!
What a great idea to have some gym equipment in the garden … fresh air and fitness is a bonus in my book
I shall get my 4 yo son to join the gymnast community. He really likes the monkey bar and never grows tired of it. Too much energy.