Our Bold, Strong and Built To Last architecture beautifies children’s spaces, while capturing a child’s imagination. Our nature inspired products and natural materials help stimulate a child’s enthusiasm for nature. In short, our products facilitate learning, create opportunities for exercise, help build social skills and help provide a unique connection to the great outdoors.
Furniture, boats, structures and art of all types have been made from wood since humans have had opposable thumbs. In America, wood is the default material for the houses in which we live. Wood is literally alive in our landscape. It defines the meaning and spirit of the word “renewable”. Someday, at the end its useful life, many products made from wood will return to mother earth in a natural way that is non-polluting, self-sustaining, organic and truly green because it represents the natural cycle of life. Powder coated steel and plastic products simply can’t make this claim. When used to make our beautiful log playgrounds, wood is enormously bold, strong and built to last. In fact, we back it with a 10 year guarantee. Our nature inspired log play events add visual harmony to most landscapes, regardless of the architectural style of the surrounding structures. Nature and natural products are never out of style. Beyond physical properties, the emotional power that our wood possesses in its history, its organic qualities, and ability to create peaceful beautiful spaces, make it one of the most romantic materials in the universe. The tactile and sensory properties of the materials used in our unique playgrounds help suggest play themes and reconnects children with nature in ways other materials cannot. That’s why wood!
All of our designs incorporate a “Grow with Me” philosophy, which allows for adjustments to your existing system as well as the option of system expansion as your children’s capabilities grow. For younger children, we provide activities which help develop dexterity, motor skills and hand-eye coordination. Our designs help promote social interaction, sharing and patience. The rustic nature of our systems also encourages role play and suggests pretend play themes. “Grow with Me” begins as the child’s capabilities grow. For example, our Home Use Standard Swing set is height adjustable and can be raised as a child’s ability and sense of adventure grows; our Baby Rock Crawl Accessory can first be used to encourage younger climber crawlers to reach a lower deck and later can be raised up to a challenging, full blown, near vertical 8′ Rock Climb Wall; many of our Bridges can be added to connect two of our play systems together, etc.
We want to help you raise healthy, active kids and of course we want your children to be physically challenged: to build coordination, strength and balance. But it is much more than just that, we want to help you use your backyard and the time you spend with them to raise confident, secure, self-motivated, socially responsible, little people. All of our models are designed to encourage age or ability appropriate risk-taking. For example, the size and placement of rocks on our climbing walls is designed to screen smaller climbers at the bottom, while becoming progressively easier as the ascent continues (this builds confidence); our overhead events like Monkey Bars, Track Ride and Monkey Ring Trek are designed to discourage access for smaller but allow bigger participants. We offer exciting activities for the most advanced children like our Spiral Stair Climber and our 10′ Sherpa Wall. Of course, adult supervision and safety surfacing is recommended as your child strives to achieve new levels of accomplishment.
Because our playgrounds are made from real logs, not milled lumber, each one is unique. There are no two exactly alike. By their very nature, a Bears cedar log playground must be hand crafted, one at a time. Because they are built in our wood shop, not a big factory, we can make yours just the way you want it. Our Commercial Models are built to a different standard of safety and Home Use models should not be used in commercial settings. At the customer’s request, our commercial models can be designed with features like wheel chair transfer stations and ground level play events to help meet meet ADA standards.
Our signature line of cedar log playgrounds is perhaps the best looking in the universe. Whole log construction gives an organic, wholesome feeling that is striking in appearance. You will not find any bright orange colored wood or circus tent tops on your Bears Playground. Just Bold, Strong, Built to last designs, beautifully stained rustic wood and hunter green accents. Bears Playgrounds are designed to compliment the natural setting of your backyard, regardless of your home’s architectural style.
Log construction is not just beautiful, it is strong too. Our posts are made from sturdy, whole logs, approx 5″ in diameter. This is 60% more wood than our competitors 4×4″ construction and 273% more than 2×4″ construction. Those who are familiar with log construction know that it is subject to the natural process of “checking”. Checking, or cracks, occur across, or through, the growth rings as they release moisture. This is not defect in the wood, as it does not affect its structural integrity. Instead, it is considered a part of the log’s rustic, natural look and adds to the uniqueness of each piece.
Round logs have no sharp corners, like milled lumber, and are perfect for playgrounds. Our logs are hand-peeled, planed and sanded smooth. Cedar is naturally beautiful and does not contain any arsenic or man-made chemicals. Unlike other wood species, the qualities of our round cedar logs make it very difficult to splinter and penetrate human skin.
Our designs encourage risk-taking and challenge, as mentioned above. Sometimes these risks can involve some bumps, bruises or falls. Do you remember learning to ride your first bicycle or skate board? We think these challenges are an important part of growing up. If you agree, then you are ready for a Bears Playground. That being said, we have made a number of design decisions that we feel are important for safety reasons. We have listed a few below: a) Some play systems are constructed from ladders lashed together to form a structure. We have decided not to interrupt play flow and function with obstructive ladders that can cause unnecessary bumps and bruises. Instead, we have decided on a more open floor plan with functionally play-linked activities. b) As a matter of design and safety, we have decided not to incorporate any wide stance, slippery coated access ladders. Instead we have decided to use Real Log climbers with low slip wood texture and Steel Hand Supports, top to bottom. c) We have decided not to allow overlapping, sometimes conflicting, uses such as overhead monkey bars with swings on them. d) We believe that a fully Rotating and Gyrating Tire Swing can never safely be used under a system, but should have its own stable, wide stance beam away from crash obstructions. e) We have decided to use beefy, strong structural wooden knee braces instead of cheap metal brackets.
Like you will find on the best built decks in America, we use modern composite decking materials on all of our floors, rock climb walls and other high-wear areas so that your barefooted or bare-bottomed baby is as safe as can be. This product is completely, and without a doubt, splinter and maintenance free.
In compliance with ASTM F1487, we anchor our playgrounds in commercial settings by means of concrete footers, duckbill earth anchors or steel chains.
This classic joinery style is timeless and extremely strong. Rarely, if ever, used by the competition because it requires old school craftsmanship.
When you see triangles used in construction, you are looking at extra strength. Bears Cedar Log Playgrounds are loaded with lots and lots of overbuilt structural knee braces for a bold look and extra strength.
When it comes to natural weather resistance, our cedar is about the best you can do. To top it all off, we have chosen to add additional protection by staining our playgrounds. The color is a beautiful, natural, semi-transparent, brown stain. It enhances the beauty of the wood and highlights the wood grain. The stain is a waterborne, non-flammable, oil-based stain and sealer and the brown pigment color helps protect against harmful UV rays in the sunniest of climates. We chose a stain made with natural plant oils and VOC’s of only 34 grams per liter, nearly odorless and very environmentally safe. When you start to notice the horizontal areas of your playground are fading its best to apply more stain before the original coats totally wear off. We can direct you to our stain supplier (Timber Pro Coatings) and they can ship more stain directly to your door in our famous Bear Brown color, which they custom-developed just for us . We also recommend using their safe and effective cleaner (Clean & Brite) prior to re-staining. In most environments, it should be re-stained every 2-4 years.
Safety Net barriers are a unique way to protect against inadvertent falls while maximizing parental supervision into the play structure and allowing visibility out of the structure for children. More traditional systems rely upon prison bar looking vertical spindles.
