Awesome Swings

A while back, WhistlinDiesel attached a jet engine to a kid’s carousel, then hung on for dear life. Aussie maker I did a thing attempted the same idea with another playground staple. While his propane-powered pulse jet engine isn’t as fancy as the aircraft jet that Whistlin used, his backyard swing looks far more terrifying – and completely unfit for human use.

Artist Greg Frehr creates these playful dining tables that replace ordinary chairs with swings. SwingTables have an outdoor-safe powder-coated steel frame, a wooden tabletop, and wooden swings to sit on. They come in 2-seat, 4-seat, 6-seat, and 8-seat variants and disassemble into sections for shipping. Cushioned seats are available.

Hit the beach without leaving your backyard. This unique tree swing features a maple wood seat inspired by surfboards. Combined with a pair of handles on the ropes, you can move from a seated position to standing or crouching so you can carve imaginary waves.

Now that Colin Furze built himself a new lawnmower, he wanted a swing set he didn’t have to move every time he cut the grass. So he set about building a highly over-engineered, modular swing that’s held in place with steel beams set under the top soil. It’s a versatile structure, but not as imprssive as his 360º mega swing.

A few years back, a group of makers created a swing that was designed to pour water down, while keeping its users relatively dry. 6-year-old Seren decided she wanted the exact opposite, and the guys at Kids Invent Stuff obliged her with this crazy swing that keeps you cool and soaked on a hot summer day.

Because it wouldn’t be a Colin Furze invention if it’s not motorized, the mad engineer strapped a paraglider’s powerful engine to his already crazy 360º swing. It wasn’t strong enough to throw him off, but we’re pretty sure it made him throw up.

“I get motion sickness, I don’t particularly like heights, and I don’t like going upside down.” Regardless of his feelings, madman inventor Colin Furze built himself an insane swing that lets him flip all the way up and over to a height of more than 31 feet.