Pony Ride Carousel Gym Swing Set
Mountain Top PA
2009

Most of us alive today take playgrounds, community recreation and backyard swing sets completely for granted.

But in reality, these are relatively recent playtime activities for American kids — cultural innovations first borne out of the Industrial Revolution, which had caused a boom in urban populations and tenement conditions.

In the early 1900s, an actual playground movement was formed to counteract the effects of urbanization and poverty on the lives of children. Playground reformers advocated for public spaces where neighborhood children in densely populated urban communities could gather and play.

By the middle of the century, the playground concept had fully caught on. Not only had it spread into the suburbs, but inspired Americans were installing their own mini-playgrounds.
Enter: the swing set. By mid century, the backyard swing set was ubiquitous.

If you were a suburban kid in the 1950s, 60s or 70s, you likely had a tubular metal swing set like one of those featured below. One or two swings, a slide and a glider or two was the basic version. It might have also had gymnastics equipment like rings or a trapeze or monkey bars — and maybe even a covered fort — if you were fancy!

These metal swing sets were relatively inexpensive, but they were prone to rusting — plus they were light and something of a tipping hazard. They needed to be well-anchored to the ground (remember how there was always at least one leg thumping on and off the ground the more aggressively you were swinging??).

By the end of the 90s, they were largely displaced in the market by safer, more stable and longer-lasting (usually wooden) structures.

If you were a child of the mid-century, we hope you enjoy this nostalgia trip back to the backyards of your childhood!

This Pony Ride Carousel Gym swing set had a pony swing!



A backyard carnival with lawn swing, 2 swings and a real pony ride that needs no pushing to “gallop”


The frolicsome fun and mirthful colors of an amusement park — right in your own backyard. Each ride dazzles with a different color… legs striped so gaily with bold bands of matching color.

Frisky pony ride swings back and forth with just the slightest pressure on footrests. Two skylarking swings sport air-cooled seats of steel-supported plastic… 870-lb tensile strength test chains. The lawn swing refreshes 2 tykes on steel-slat seats.