A climbing structure that allows the child to climb, jump, swing, and most importantly, CRASH.
The family was in need of a design that would let their child jump, climb, swing, and crash around freely. The goal wasn’t just to make something fun, but something that could handle all the energy while still being sturdy and safe. This means the design has to balance two things that don’t always go together; freedom and safety. Creating a structure where a child is expected to jump off, land hard, and do somewhat risky activities while still being protected is definitely a challenge, but not impossible.
In word context, this project is all about controlled risk. The child needs to be able to explore and play without constant fear of getting hurt. With the correct parameters, careful planning, and persistent execution, this kind of design is very achievable. It just takes thoughtful material choices, smart layout decisions, and making sure every component can handle repeated use and impact.
The room size can make the design process challenging. Along with that, the child has a bed that takes up a large portion of the room. This is one few things that need to be considered when building the project.
Specification 1: The project needs to fit in the room and work with the bed.
Specification 2: The project needs to be sturdy and not break.
Specification 3: The project needs to be safe
Specification 4: The project needs to allow the child to be able to climb and jump.
Specification 5: The project needs to allow the child to be able to jump on a pad.
Optional Specification 1 : The project allows the child to swing
Optional Specification 2 : The project has crawl spaces
Optional Specification 3 : The project connects to the bed
Based off of the project description, we wanted to start with a regular indoor child playlet and modify it. After going to the families house and taking some measurements, we realized that an indoor playlet was too large for the room it would be going in. We then pivoted and decided to try and make our own playlet while taking the climbing wall and swing idea and fit it within our given space. But we soon realized that trying to make a playset that compact and sturdy would lead to our design to be too bulky. We then researched alternatives and decided to go with a simpler climbing wall design with a crash pad underneath to jump onto. We also kept the swing but changed it to a sensory swing that we felt would be better suited for the child.
This first design shows the play-set going in the corner to the left of the bed right when you walk in the door. Entries are available by climbing up into the bed and climbing over to the connected platform, or climbing up the vertical rock-wall connected to the front of the platform. Underneath, there are also two gymnastic rings attached for swinging. The play-set is high enough for the child to jump off of, so there is a soft landing-pad surrounding the entire set to soften his fall if he should jump off. There are also soft pads on the walls that the play-set will be touching so it won’t cause any damage to the wall.
Concept design 2 consists of a climbing wall that would attach to the bed, a sturdy base, a platform to jump off of, a crash pad, a crawl space, and 2 swing rings. This concept has the most assets but is very complex and runs Into safety error features. The swing area wasn’t as tall and would’t allow any movement. The child would also be jumping from 3+ feet high which is pretty scary.
This design incorporates several improvements over the two preliminary concepts. After consulting with a representative from Hope Autism Center, a dedicated sensory wing was integrated into the project. Additional enhancements include a 6-foot-tall climbing wall and a 3–4-inch-thick crash pad, allowing the child to climb safely. On the adjacent wall facing the bed, a sensory wall will also be installed.
We have decided to go with concept design three. This design has all of the main criteria that the family is asking for, and it has the highest rating in our decision matrix. The other designs were either had way too much going on, was too hard to assemble in the small working space, or was just too much. This design would be the most durable since it has simple pieces and not pieces that would break easily. This will also make the assembly a lot easier than the other designs. All of the building materials needed are very easy to get ahold of and find. The only draw back of this design is that it has the least amount of features. However, this is not a problem because it includes everything that the family wants and is asking for.
This design includes a soft crash pad on the floor made out of a soft material for safe landing, and a sensory swing hanging from the ceiling. It also includes a climbing rock-wall made out of a plywood type material with original rock-wall climbing steps. After submitting the original design to the family they asked if we could also add a rung-type ladder on the other wall next to the rock-wall for an additional climbing piece. This addition is included and shown in our selected design.
The main requirements that the family wanted was a “climbing-set” for their child to climb on and jump off of. The rock-wall and rung-ladder provide more than enough material to climb on. This way he has a variety of objects to choose from instead of just the rock-wall. The crash pad provides a soft landing as he jumps off of either the rock-wall, ladder, or his bed. The swing is also added for not only sensory purposes, but also for another object to jump off of. If he decides to lay around but doesn’t want to be in his bed, this would be a good option as well.
A linear buckling analysis was performed on the ladder model to evaluate structural stability under compressive loading. Using the average weight of a 5-year-old child (approximately 196N), the design maintains a theoretical Factor of Safety (FoS) of 29.5. This high value indicates that the structure is exceptionally rigid and well-equipped to handle not only static weight but also the high dynamic forces and repetitive stresses associated with active play and sensory regulation. The model is based on a predesigned ladder which will be ordered for the [project, and granting more trust in its theoretically rigid design.
A static strain analysis was conducted on the climbing wall to evaluate material deformation under typical loading conditions. The polyurethane based board was loaded at two distinct points with the wright of the child. The results show a maximum equivalent strain (ESTRN) of 3.431 x10^-4. This extremely low value indicates that the platform experiences negligible structural stretching, ensuring that the material remains well below its yield point. The deformation plot, while scaled by a factor of 12.97 for visualization, confirms that the structural displacement is minimal. This rigidity is critical for long-term durability and provides a stable, non-deflecting surface for the user, effectively eliminating the risk of material fatigue or permanent deformation from daily use.
A dynamic drop test simulation was conducted on the crash pad to help evaluate its energy-damping characteristics. A 5-foot drop onto the centroid of the pad was used for this study. Moderate displacement demonstrated that the pad effectively distributes impact forces by converting kinetic energy into controlled material deformation. The results indicate that the crash pad provides sufficient cushioning to reduce G-forces on the user while maintaining enough structural thickness to prevent bottoming out, confirming the manufactures description.
In order for this project to be as structurally sound as possible, we went through a couple of steps. First we acquired 4×8 piece of plywood that was 3/4 in thick, and three 2×4 which were eight feet long. We cut two feet off the plywood to make it six feet tall, sanded all the edges, and sealed it with clear coat to fill all the cracks and make it smooth. Then, we cut the 2×4’s in half so we would have six four feet long 2×4’s, and sanded them down. Next, we drilled strategically placed holes in the plywood for the rock-climbing holes to go in. We then fastened all the holds on so that there would still be room for the 2×4’s along the back. Once we got to the house, we placed four 2×4’s on the wall, and then we fastened the plywood to the 2×4’s. On the right hand side we nailed a skinny piece of wood to fill the gap created between the rock-wall and the wall. Next, we attached the sensory swing to the ceiling. Then, we built the climbing ladder and fastened that to the adjacent wall. Last, we put a crash pad on the floor so whenever he wants to jump off he won’t hurt himself. In the beginning of working on this project, we were planning on putting the rock wall on on the front facing wall and the ladder on the right wall. However, once we got there, we decided to swap the wall they were on. This is why they are in a different position compared to the original design plans.
Before we went to the house, we made sure to test everything at the school to make sure it was sturdy and safe. The rods on the climbing ladder was sturdy, and the rock wall would survive anything. Once everything was up in the house, we actually climbed on everything just to make double sure it was safe. We jumped on it and pulled on it to try and simulate anything that the kid would do while on it. We also sat and swung in the swing just to make sure it would support his weight.
There’s not much you can do to break this equipment. The sensory swing is rated for 300 lbs, so as long as that weight limit is not exceeded it should be fine. The rock-wall is basically indestructible. You can jump, pull, hang, and dance on it and it will not break. All holes between the wall is closed up so no toys will get lost behind it, and all sharp corners are sanded. The climbing ladder rails are perfect for a kid to climb and jump on, but we would not recommend someone over 200 lbs to do the same. This ladder is rated for children three years old and above. Also, the crash pad has a removable covering. This feature is for easy cleaning access in case it gets dirty.
The project has been an overall great experience for all of us. It allowed us to work with families outside of the classroom, build new relationships, and strengthen our skills as young engineers. We were given a problem and it was left to us to find a way to solve it. It helped us logically think through the steps of what needed to happen, and we were given the tools to make our ideas actually happen. There was some trial and error, but that helps us to realize what wouldn’t work and what would. We were also given opportunities to strengthen our communications skills by communicating with the family, making sure that all of their needs were being met, and taking care of any/all questions they had. This project also brought us together as a team. We learned how to work together, work off of each other strengths, and have a good time hanging out together. Coming out of this project, we have all learned new skills, strengthened existing skills, and learned what it means to be given a problem and having to solve it. We can say that what we learned here we will be taking with us later into our careers.
