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FALL ii

Basics are best when planning for play

From page 43

velopment of ‘“‘laterality’’ (ihe
coordination) and ‘‘dominance’’
(left or right handedness).

These are skills that have been
found necessary for learning to
read.

Other options include things to
hang from, places to jump off

and, of course, playhouses or

“forts.”

A fort is an off-the-ground
platform with low walls and open
top. It may have activities at-
tached to it, such as a climbing
rope or a steering wheel.

They are light and airy, and
tend to accumulate leaves and
junk as a playhouse does.

CONSTRUCTION CON-
SIDERATIONS

Some popular wooden models
have to be sanded down and
tefinished every year, or else the
wood begins to splinter.

However, there are several
wood lines that require absolutely
no maintenance. Made of hemlock
or southern yellow pine, such

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At
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The Silent Floor.
A better way to build a floor.
Ordinary lumber can
warp, twist and
shrink. When it
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Dips. And Squeaks.
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As strong or stronger than

old-fashioned lumber. .

Pound for pound, Silent Floor joists are a whole lot
stronger than ordinary lumber. Just like steel [-beams,

they can carry a lot of weig

ht without a lot of mass.

The Silent Floor ... for that golden silence and a price
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structures are pressure-treated not
to become insect-infested and are
guaranteed not to rot.

Another line uses a combination
of woods and takes a coat of oil
once a year.

it is very important not te place
the set on concrete. Grass is OK if
maintained without bald spots.

Other options are sand (except
that cats get in it), gravel (which
gets hot and hurts whesi you fall
on it) and shredded walk-on bark.
You'll need an eight-inch
thickness of whichever you
choose.

One of the latest innovations
(still expensive) is a form of safety
matting on which you plant grass.
The grass grows through it and it

* provides an additional cushion.

According to Keilerman, a
wooden system can cost parents
from $200 to as much ‘‘as you
want to mortgage your house
for.*’ However, an average system
in a quality line runs from $2,000
to $3,500.

*“*& basic set will sit on top of
the ground with a straight slide,
two swings, a trapeze and some

hand-over-hard bars,’’ she notes,

Always expect to pay extra for
a fort.

Playsets are delivered ready to
set up on level ground, with screw
holes already drilled. They’re ail
“*parent-friendly,’’ says Keller-
man,

Safety guidelines offered by the
American Academy cf Pediatrics
and the American Society for
Testing and Materials (Consumer -
Product Safety Commission) in-
clude the following reminders:

* supervise young children on
playground equipment.

® teach them not to twist swings
or empty swing seats or to walk in
front of moving swings.

¢ make sure the equipment is
properly anchored.

@don’t buy equipment with
“S$” type hooks, sharp edges or
rings between five and 10 inches
in diameter since they may entrap
the child’s head. - - ;

Plan your purchase carefully
today, and your children will play ~
happily for many tomorrows. °

— Distributed by Los Angetes
Times Syndicate. ;

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BALCONY
ENCLOSURES

SOLARIUMS

S22 SAVE YOUR: |”
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FROM
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