Have you ever seen those pictures of swings or hammocks in the trees? I do, and whenever I see them I feel great relaxation and peace, I love them, I've always wanted to have something like this in the garden, when I was little... And when I wasn't so little!

But right now our outdoor space is limited and we can't plant many trees or we won't be able to walk around the garden!! So one day I said to myself... why not hang a swing on our mountain outings? And the truth is that it is much simpler than I thought and a total success.

I recommend everyone to try it. For those of you who rarely go out to the countryside, it is an ideal way to motivate children to play outside and start spending more time outdoors. And to those of you who already go out often... it's just so much fun!! And a great resource for those times when you suddenly don't know what to do or a change of dynamics is needed.

BENEFITS OF SWING AND BALANCING

Swinging in the woods is fun and can encourage children to go more regularly. But the fact is that the rocking movement also has many benefits for children, so it is a very interesting activity to do always and I would say that it is necessary, especially in the first seven years.

I detail the most important benefits:

– It stimulates the two hemispheres of the brain at the same time, which favors the connections between them. These connections are important for learning skills such as rhythm, spatial perception, balance or coordination.

– Stimulates the cerebral cortex, which is the part of the brain that favors concentration.

– Promotes gross motor skills (torque drive, stretching and picking up the legs, etc.) and fine motor skills (hand grip).

– Helps in sensory integration, which is the way in which the brain organizes and interprets the information that comes from the senses.

- It's relaxing. Have you seen how many times children almost fall asleep with rocking?

But if we also swing in the forest... it's doubly fun, calming and one feels a state of freedom and harmony with the environment.

MATERIALS THAT WE HANG IN THE FIELD OR FOREST

1. Wooden swing

The swing is for me the most basic element of all, the one that I would not hesitate to have at home and hang it from here to there. It is an element that you can buy loose, only the base of the swing with the ropes, without anything else. I recommend looking for a swing that is light, to be able to transport it easily.

If you have older children... the trapeze will give even more play, as it allows you to swing and do acrobatics at the same time. Here I leave you a simple and easy to use trapezoid.

2. Rope ladder

The rope ladder is great for all ages. The little ones only go up the first steps and sit there, swinging or doing various balances. The older ones climb to the top or even turn upside down! 

3. Climbing rope

Climbing rope is another very easy item to hang and use in the woods.

The little ones will use it to swing, as if it were a vine, or they will be able to climb on it if you tie it near the tree and use it as a support point. From 6 years old (although you already know that each child is a world) they begin to have the strength to climb it.

We have a thick rope with wide knots to offer good support and make climbing easier.

4. Hammock

Finally, I show you this hammock that is a complete success at home. It is very simple to put on, you just have to tie it with a single point, to a tree. It is from Jugaia where, by the way, they have many other interesting things in the outdoor section.

You can also place it inside if you have a hook on the ceiling.

BASIC PRECAUTIONS FOR SAFELY HANGING ITEMS ON TREES

Hanging swings or ladders on trees is great fun, but there are some basic ideas to keep in mind.

–Look at the type of tree: it goes without saying, but you have to look for hardwood trees. Avoid fruit, pine and diseased trees... to avoid damage to the tree or the child.

– Pay attention to the branches. The branches must meet the following conditions:

Have a certain length from the trunk out, to be able to hang the swing (approximately 1 meter, but it depends on what you hang, of course)

Be 18-20 centimeters in diameter to support the weight of children and not damage the tree

Look for branches that are not very high so that the swing is around 30 centimeters from the ground

-To hang the structures you need a rope that joins the swing (or other structure) with the tree branch. Make sure to tie it well to avoid incidents. We also use carabiners to join the structure with the rope tied to the branch, so that as soon as we want to change the element we only have to open the carabiner and change what we were using for what we want to use.

And so far, everything I can tell you about hanging swings and other elements on trees. I hope you are encouraged to try it if you have not already done so. In our case… any excuse is a good one to go outdoors and swing!