SwingJump

SwingJump is playground equipment that parents and children can play on together because it compensates for players of different weights, allowing them to teeter-totter evenly. It is intuitive like a swing, as inclusive as a teeter-totter, and spins like a merry-go-round.

focus

I encountered the most parent-child disengagement in public playgrounds. I asked parents why they didn’t join in the fun, and many of their complaints were the same. Parents face social and design barriers that stop many of them from playing with their children.

Evidence

Insights from interviews highlight playground problems. Insights guide me toward design solutions that will improve the playground experience for parents and children.

• Playgrounds are designed for children. Many adults are physically too big for the small spaces in play areas. Adults also feel socially awkward playing around children, like they are taking a spot away from another child. 

• Parents do want to play with their kids, but they feel they can’t. Adults should feel comfortable playing with their children and around other kids.

• Swings, teeter-totters, merry-go-rounds, and slides are the most popular playground structures amongst children and adults. Including aspects of these playground icons in my design will ensure that it will be well-received.  

• Adults will play on swings before any other playground fixture. Giving my design a swing as an essential component will provoke a sense of familiarity and nostalgia in adults, making them feel comfortable enough to try SwingJump for the first time.

• Teeter-totters don’t work unless two people of the same weight play together. Creating a playground where size doesn’t matter will allow parents to play with their children as equals.

Initial Idea

A set of swings hanging from either side of a teeter-totter that spins and shifts back and forth to change the fulcrum and balance people of different weights.

Proof of concept

Building a quick prototype of the concept proved that the idea worked and that it was a lot of fun. It also helped troubleshoot safety risks and gave me a better understanding of the weight balancing mechanism.

Prototype Feedback

Testing the prototype led to the following insights:

• Single rope disc seats were not comfortable and left both players off-center, leaning back and holding on too tightly, hurting their hands. Swings would work better for this.

• Balancing two players of different weights had to be simple but effective because any imbalance leads to one player always in the air and the other on the ground.

• Wood worked as a quick prototype, but future versions would need to be significantly more robust, especially if heavy adults wanted to play on it. 

CAD plans

I created the CAD plans using Rhino 6. The crossbeam can shift side to side using the steering wheel on the center column to balance the players. Each side can tilt up and down like a teeter-totter lifting one player into the air as the other player’s feet land on the ground. The crossbeam can also spin like a merry-go-round so the players can jump and swing in a circle.

Construction

Inspired by bridge trusses and construction cranes, I engineered this prototype to be strong. I used one-inch square tubing to build the support column and the crossbeam. I wanted to ensure that people could safely try SwingJump and experience it for themselves. Due to construction limitations, this prototype will not spin but will still tilt and shift as designed.

Success

Everyone loved playing on it. One couple said, “We have never seen anything like it, but it’s comfortable to sit on the swings.” I am happy that so many people felt comfortable trying something new. 

Over a dozen guests at the presentation played on it, and everyone responded well. I explained the function of the steering wheel and successfully balanced several parents and children that wanted to try playing together.