Safari Playset Models : How To Choose Your Safari Playset

The Safari brand is designed and intended for kids less than 12 years old. The same quality of wood and hardware (screws, bolts, braces) is used for Safari playsets as for Woodplay models, but the wood and hardware dimensions are smaller. Fence heights are 25” and the on-deck “ceiling” height at the high point in the middle is 6’. Intended and beautifully designed for kids under 12, teenagers and parents should not climb on deck. Safari swings, however, do accommodate teenage and adult users up to 250 lbs (115 kg). All wood components, swing hangers, and slides (except for the 10-foot Wave Slide) have a Limited Lifetime Warranty.

There are three Safari playset models:

• the Monkey Tower,
• the Tiger Tower,
• the Lions’ Den.

The Tiger Tower is a smaller version of the Monkey Tower.

HOW TO CHOOSE YOUR SAFARI PLAYSET

LION’S DEN

PRACTICAL DIFFERENCES BETWEEN MONKEY TOWER AND LIONS’ DEN MODELS

EXCLUSIVE MONKEY TOWER OPTIONS

The Monkey Tower offers four exclusive activity options that are not available on the Lions’ Den. These are: the Picnic Table, Ground-level Floor, Upper Deck Loft, and the Lower Cabin Bonus Room.

Monkey Tower Sandbox. The Monkey Tower has a square base ground-level bottom play area (5’ x 5’) that becomes a sandbox if you fill it with sand. The Lions’ Den does not offer a “natural” sandbox as part of the design.

MONKEY TOWER PICNIC TABLE

The Monkey Tower offers a Picnic Table option. In addition to being an ideal get-together place for snacks, meals, story-time or “arts & crafts”, the picnic table option encourages a creative and social play environment. The multi-purpose picnic table option is not available in the Lions’ Den model.

MONKEY TOWER UPPER DECK CABIN LOFT

With open-air windows on all sides, the Monkey Tower Upper Deck Cabin is beautifully crafted to create the look and feel of a treehouse hide-out in the forest. As a perfect place for small furniture and toy home appliances, an Upper Deck Cabin Hide-Out transforms the play area. For kids who enjoy the enclosed clubhouse experience, an Upper Deck Cabin adds great value to the playset.

MONKEY TOWER LOWER CABIN BONUS ROOM

Just like the Upper Deck Cabin, the Lower Cabin Bonus Room is a perfect place for small furniture and toy appliances, and creates the same adventure of your own secret cabin in the woods. With open air windows on three sides and a doorway entrance on the fourth side, the Lower Cabin Bonus Room actually has more enclosed panelling than the Upper Deck Cabin Panels (since Upper Deck Panels have access-openings for the ladder, slide and climbing rock wall, whereas the Lower Cabin has only one access-opening – the doorway entrance to the cabin enclosure). For kids who enjoy the enclosed clubhouse experience, the Lower Cabin Bonus Room adds great recreational play value to the playground area.

ROCK CLIMBING WALL

One of the two inclined ladders leading to the Lions’ Den deck is a Rock Climbing Wall. On the Monkey Tower, the Rock Climbing Wall is an option.

The Rock Climbing Wall demands more concentration than any other activity station on the playset; rock climbing is not as simple as it looks. After taking a position on the Climbing Wall, your child must learn to assess the next step – transitioning all four limbs to four new rocks without slipping. Rock climbing requires steady concentration, combines fine-motor hand-eye coordination with hand-grip strength development, and the discipline to complete the climb. The Rock Climbing Wall is a perennial favourite.

TIGER TOWER

The Tiger Tower is a smaller version of the Monkey Tower with less options. The tower footprint is 4.5’ x 4.5’. Deck height is 4.5’. Vinyl Tarp only. Options are Picnic Table and Climbing Wall.

LION’S DEN

The Lions’ Den comes as a package with all options “as is” in the image: Rock Climbing Wall, Combo Stepladder/Rung Ladder (one half stepladder, one half ladder with bar-rungs), Rope Ladder, Trapeze Arm, 3-position Swingbeam, 3-Chain Swivel Tire Swing, 10-ft. Wave Slide, Vinyl Tarp Roof, a Ship’s Wheel and a Telescope. You could upgrade or delete the slide. You can choose a shorter swingbeam, choose different swings, or delete them altogether. A Wood Roof option is available. The 3-Chain Swivel Tire Swing may be deleted.

EXCLUSIVE LION’S DEN OPTIONS

The Lions’ Den offers two exclusive activity options that are not available on Monkey Tower models: the 3-Chain Swivel Tire Swing and the Combo Stepladder/Rung Ladder (one half stepladder, one half ladder with bar-rungs).

COMBO STEPLADDER / RUNG LADDER

Two ladders are combined to form one ladder. The Combo Stepladder/Rung Ladder is one half wooden stepladder. The other half is a ladder with bar-rungs.

INDEPENDENT FREE-STANDING SWINGSET

THE JUNGLE SWINGER

An independent free-standing swingset, the “Jungle Swinger” is a stand-alone swingset that is not attached to a playset. With A-Frame legs 12’ apart and the same solid 4”x6” swingbeam as all Woodplay and Safari playsets, there is no weight restriction on the Jungle Swinger.

Also, families sometimes prefer to have their swings in a different area of the yard than the playset. This can be simply a matter of preference or because the available playset area in the backyard cannot accommodate an extended swingbeam with A-Frame. The Jungle Swinger is also perfect for a family that wants swings without a playset.

CONFIGURING YOUR PLAYSET & PLAYSET FOOTPRINT

The Monkey Tower and Lions’ Den have different footprints and different possible configurations. If your backyard space is limited, you should consider the playset footprint of your preferred model. With the Lions’ Den, the swingbeam and slide is along the same line (i.e., 180 degrees), whereas on the Monkey Tower, the swingbeam and slide may be perpendicular (90 degrees). This difference between Monkey Tower and Lions’ Den models has no impact on the playset’s “play value”.

This is important. The Monkey Tower has a 5’ x 5’ footprint. The slide and ladder may be positioned on any side of the tower – front, back, left side or right side. Most families put the slide in the front. In terms of playset footprint in your backyard, placing the ladder beside the slide “saves space” because the ladder is not sticking out in back or from a side. With the slide (and ladder) in front, the swingbeam is usually placed on the left or right side (although it could be placed in the back). With the slide in front and the swingbeam on the left or right side of Monkey Tower, the swingbeam is perpendicular to the slide (in other words – set up at 90 degrees, or “L-shaped”). With Lions’ Den models, the swingbeam and the slide can ONLY be in a straight line (i.e., 180 degrees).

The practical difference is that your play area might be suitable for a Monkey Tower but not suitable for a Lions’ Den. Ask your MeubleA sales consultant to prepare and send you a diagram showing the footprint of your preferred playset.

This configurational difference between Monkey Tower and Lions’ Den models makes no difference to the “play value” of the playset.

DECK HEIGHT

Deck height at 58” on the Monkey Tower and Lions’ Den is a shade lower than 5’; the Tiger Tower deck height is 54”.

SLIDES

The 10-foot Wave Slide (fast and bumpy), 11-foot Alpine Slide (a fast swoosh), 10-foot Super Slide (a straight shot) and Open Spiral Slide (slower than the first three slides) may be attached to Safari models. In addition to natural use as a slide, slides are also a challenging climbing activity.

ALPINE SLIDE 11′

Alpine Slide 11’. A fast banana scoop ride, the Alpine is more materially durable than the 10’ Wave Slide. The Alpine Slide sides are grooved to allow kids to grip and climb up the slide. Limited lifetime warranty.

OPEN SPIRAL 5′

Open Spiral Slide. Slower than the other slides. A three-quarter spiral turn (270 degrees) for Safari models. Limited lifetime warranty.

BUYER'S GUIDE