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One of my most ingrained childhood memories is playing on my neighbor’s swingset in their backyard. We called it “Towel Land” because it was used mostly after swimming, but frankly (and sadly!) I’m not sure that “Towel Land” would exist today. Playsets seem to mostly sit and rot outside, while our children… well, sit and rot, inside.
My husband and I are working to raise resilient, playful, and imaginative children, so when we discovered Bijou Build, a modern playset that would help us do that, we were pumped.
We like
- Playset that your kids won’t outgrow
- Highly configurable
- Extremely durable
- All parts show up right to your door – no hauling stuff home from the hardware store
- Looks great in any backyard
- Reasonably priced
We don't like
- Took a few hours to install
- Littler kids may not be able to fully enjoy
How Do You Bijou?
Bijou Build’s founder, Amanda Lacy, saw a very similar problem when she went to look for an outdoor play structure for her family during COVID. With dozens of neighbors' backyards full of “single use” and “single way to play” swingsets, she saw an opportunity to create what didn’t exist: a modern playground that allows children to play the way they want to play.
Bijou Build is known for their signature product, “The Mainstay,” which is the world’s first collapsible, adaptable, and expandable play system (it’s also made from recycled water bottles). It looks very much like a sail – hence the name – and was purposefully designed to inspire play (and to not end up in a landfill). Beyond the Mainstay, there are several options to configure your playset in a way that works best for your space and your family.
The Set Up
My two little boys love to swing, so we opted for a slightly more expensive model: the Mainstay & Sway. One of the things I like the most about this playset is that it is a true DTC product: you order it and it shows up right at your doorstep. No annoying trips to the hardware store, no car rentals and heavy lifting needed. Additionally, the brand offers delivery with wood or without wood. A $300 difference for Mainstay & Sway, we opted to get the wood delivered as well. I wasn’t expecting this to be sent via our local Lowe’s for delivery, but frankly, it makes a whole lot of sense. The Lowe’s delivery came within a day of the delivery from the brand, which included all of the hardware, fabric panels, climbing wall, solar lights, and other items needed to build. Founder Amanda Lacy comments that she “didn't like the idea of shipping wood all over the world and then watching it rot in my backyard. A big difference in the product is that we use only local wood, so we aren't shipping wood all over and customers get the wood that is best for their specific environment.”
My husband is a pretty handy dude. He remodeled our kitchen alone and has completed a number of other impressive house projects. Even with this, installation was unfortunately not a quick process. I think the standard Mainstay part was decently fast (maybe two hours), but the swing arm took him and our neighbor (shout out Cole) quite some time to figure out. The brand does advertise that you can take it down and transport it easily, but my husband said “babe, once it’s up, it’s not going anywhere.” So… despite our frigid Michigan winters, our Bijou has stayed up. I’m not sure that’s best practice, but frankly, it has held up extremely well in some pretty gnarly conditions these last 6 or 7 months it’s been up. I have no concerns about it falling over. Bijou Build works to not only meet safety standards, but to exceed them.
The Kid Test
I was so excited to bring our 3-year-old out to see it. He shrieked with joy and yelled “SCHWING!” which was just adorable. He and my 1-year-old absolutely loved playing on it last fall. The swings were definitely their favorite part. The bigger seat on them and the slight back support allowed me to feel comfortable with them playing on it. Their favorite thing to do on it, you ask? They love when my husband and I twist the swing and let them spin quickly when it is untwisting. They’ve explored the inside of the “tent” part a little bit, but admittedly, are a bit young for the climbing and things. I hope to see that utilized more in the coming months and years as it warms up.
I’ve been on a personal journey to play more myself. I realized that in my adult life, play is seriously lacking. The Bijou has been inspiring in that journey. In fact, the brand even has suggested ways you can use it as a “grown up.” Post-bedtime, my husband and I have hung out on it and chatted, I’ve read books inside of it, and I think I even took a Zoom call on it once! I have no concerns of our children “outgrowing” this play structure any time soon. Amanda says it best: “Bijou is more than just a play system, it's a life-bettering solution to any backyard space.”
To Bijou or Not to Bijou?
Part of building resilient kids is allowing them to play… to be… and to explore. It’s often challenging to find brands in our hyper-safety-focused world that lend themselves to that type of thinking. Bijou Build allows my kids to explore the world, their imagination, and the outdoors safely (enough). Though installation was not necessarily easy, it’s done and my kids love it. Funny how quickly we forget things like that while watching our kids enjoy something. I’m so excited to have this playset as part of our family’s life for a long, long time. Now if you’ll excuse me, I have to go take a Zoom call on my playset….
SHOP BIJOU BUILD’S PLAYSETS HERE
