Climbing Frames for Small Gardens

A small garden doesn't rule out a climbing frame. It rules out the big timber kind. The BERG PlayBase is only 1m deep, and one model fixes to a wall so it needs even less lawn.

The PlayBase Wall: built for small spaces

The PlayBase Wall mounts against a structural wall — a house, garage or solid shed — instead of standing free. It is 2.4m wide, 1m deep and 2.45m high, and needs 4m × 3m of clear space in front of the wall. From €999, in Black or Green.

• 3 carabiner points, so one or two swing-type accessories at a time
• Takes swings, the nest swing, trapeze, gym rings, climbing wall, basketball hoop and the fitness accessories
• Maximum load 400kg, the same as the larger frames
• No digging: it fixes to the wall

The wall has to be load-bearing brick or block. A fence, a timber panel or a hollow partition won't do. The platform and slide and the hammock don't fit the Wall frame, and the climbing net and soccer goal are made in sizes for the larger frames.

No suitable wall? The PlayBase Medium

The PlayBase Medium is the smallest free-standing frame: 2.85m wide and 1m deep, needing a clear space of 6m × 4m. It has 4 carabiner points for two swing-type accessories at once, and it takes the platform and slide. It is anchored in the ground with no concrete. From €1,499.

Sizes at a glance

Every frame is 1m deep and 2.45m high.

Getting the most from a small space

• Swap, don't add. Accessories change in moments, so a swing in the morning can be gym rings in the afternoon.
• Mind the swing room. Allow about 2m for swings and 1.5m for the climbing wall. The clear-space figures above include it.
• Think about the hoop. A basketball hoop needs 3 to 4 metres clear in front of it.
• It doesn't dominate the garden. A slim steel frame in black or green, with no tower or roof.