An outdoor play equipment manufacturer has launched a brand new domestic-use timber swing specifically designed for children and adults with additional support needs. The Super Swing has been engineered to accommodate extended and repetitive use known to ease anxiety and promote calmness.

Following many years of working with Special Educational Needs (SEN) schools supplying them with inclusive and accessible play equipment, Caledonia Play was inspired to design a robust swing that could deliver the meditative effects of their commercial solutions, but in a domestic setting. The Super Swing has subsequently become the company’s first domestic product specifically created with special educational needs and disabilities in mind.

“The inspiration for the swing came from many conversations we’d had with parents of children and young adults with additional support needs,” explained Caledonia Play’s managing director Jamie Bruce Jones. “Many were neurodiverse and relied heavily on a swing because the vestibular activity is calming and therapeutic.”
The Super Swing takes the strength of Caledonia Play’s commercial frame and combines it with the aesthetics of a garden swing. The result is a swing constructed using slow-grown round timbers and heavy-duty galvanised swing points with washer plates and nyloc nuts.

“A larger swing seat was also required,” Jamie noted, “so we used a special commercial grade seat that was specifically designed for adults and disabled users. It was also important to eliminate movement either at the top of the frame or at ground level, so we added two extra diagonal braces and extended the legs for digging into the ground without losing the frame height.”

A thicker top pole has also been used along with legs fitted with heat-sealed bitumen sleeves that protect the frame against ground rot. The Super Swing design is intended to deliver hard-wearing durability alongside long-lasting peace of mind.

By chance, a bold world-record attempt provided the ideal scenario to test the theory behind the Super Swing. “We’ve provided specially designed play equipment to the educational sector for years,” explained Jamie, “but, we had an unusual request to build a swing that could endure a man repeatedly swinging on it over an extended period. It gave us the opportunity to test the principle behind the Super swing, so we created a particularly tough bit of kit that would do the job.”

The job was a successful record-breaking attempt to register the longest time swinging on a swing. The feat was completed by Richard Scott from Kinross who spent 36 hours and 32 minutes on a specially created frame. His achievement is recorded in the Guinness World Records 2024 edition.

“Richard’s world record had to be completed on a standard swing that could be found in a garden or playground,” said Jamie. “So, we made some modifications to our existing standard commercial swing and wished him the best of luck. By completing his record-breaking attempt, Richard proved without a shadow of doubt that the swing would easily withstand constant use over a prolonged period of time. After all, most swings are used vigorously for a few hours a day - the Super Swing shares its DNA with a world-record breaker.”

With all the timbers sourced from sustainably managed forests, the Super Swing is perfect for children and adults who enjoy outdoor play and all the benefits it brings.

“We developed the Super Swing to address a particular need,” explained Jamie. “It has become one of the most robust pieces of kit we have ever designed for the domestic market because we want it to be a permanent fixture in people’s gardens, despite repetitive and spirited use.”

Caledonia Play, an independent manufacturer of quality wooden play equipment, believes in designing outdoor play solutions for everyone. The Super Swing exemplifies this ethos and can be classified as zero-rated for those with a recognised disability or illness meaning no VAT will be charged.

The Super Swing will be on display at The Royal Highland Show in Edinburgh from 20-23 June. To view, please visit Stand 6, 3rd Ave in the Lifestyle area.

For more details, visit www.caledoniaplay.com.
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Note to editors
1) Caledonia Play is proud to be the only independent manufacturer of quality wooden play equipment in Scotland. For more details, visit www.caledoniaplay.com.
2) Caledonia Play is a family run business with a background in the timber industry stretching back more than two decades.
3) 100% of Caledonia Play products are made from slow-grown timbers from sustainably managed sources.
4) Caledonia Play meets and often exceeds various regulatory standards such as European Safety Standard C EN1176 and C EN1177, as well as the Safety Standard for Garden Play EN71. Caledonia Play is a member of Constructionline and Rpii with all products TUV certified.
5) Caledonia Play stocks the largest range of machine-rounded poles in Scotland.


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