The carousel has always been one of the most interesting and favorite attractions for children. It is part of the “classic set” of structures for children. And if for some reason you still don’t have one on your site, then you can fix this by building an original carousel with your own hands, which will delight your children for a long time.
Types of carousels for children's playgrounds
All modern carousels are divided into two types:
- Mechanical. This type of play equipment is operated by children or adults spinning the structure.
- With an electric motor. Such carousels spin up thanks to a special mechanism.
There is another classification.
Disc carousels
This type of attraction is quite simple to assemble and install. It is the most common. It is installed in the city’s playgrounds and used to decorate garden plots where children frolic. And all because disc carousels not only allow children to have fun, but also contribute to the formation and development of physical skills.
Disc rides, in turn, are divided into several more types:
- "Rotating Mushroom" The seats are tightly attached to the bottom of such a swing, and the handles for holding it are a circular ring.
Children themselves can operate the carousel.
- Carousels with rotation on a circular track. They begin to move when moving along a wavy track. The pedals, which are located on the drive wheel, are activated by the baby’s hands or feet. Thanks to this, the carousel becomes not only a fun entertainment for the baby, but also an excellent opportunity to develop the child’s physical abilities.
- Beam carousel. A peculiarity of this type is the location of the seats: they are installed not on a circular base, but on metal pins extending from the axis. Moreover, the child looks at the back of the previous baby.
It will be very difficult for children to spin the beam carousel on their own.
Of all the disk carousels, the most common among users is the design for 4–6 seats with metal holders. It is compact and practical.
The operating principle of a disk attraction for children is quite simple. A carousel is a special mechanism that rotates around its axis due to external influences. On the ground it is installed strictly vertically. The most important part of the design is the metal pin. All other parts are attached to it, which form an angle of rotation, through which the kids begin to spin on the attraction.
Advantages:
- wear resistance;
- no need for special knowledge and skill;
- low price for materials;
- development of the vestibular apparatus during use;
- resistance to changes in weather conditions, which makes it possible to build a carousel on a personal plot;
- ease of troubleshooting;
- ease of operation;
- load resistance;
- long service life.
Master class on designing “Carousel” from paper and cardboard
Publications on the topic:
"Funny Pencil." Master class on designing from cardboard I present to you a master class on designing a craft that can be used for interior decoration or a gift. Material: *colored.
Children's master class on designing a “Cat” cardboard toy. The master class may be useful for: children of older preschool age, kindergarten teachers, and additional education teachers.
Children's master class on designing a shoe from cardboard “Slipper for St. Nicholas Day” with children of the preparatory group Goal: to teach children to design and decorate a shoe from cardboard. Objectives: - learn to trace a shoe template on cardboard, cut along the contour.
Summary of a lesson on designing “Lion Cub” from colored paper and cardboard for older children. Goal: - Make a “Lion Cub” craft with the children; from colored cardboard and colored paper, using black, white, orange, red.
Master class on designing a “Heart on a Spring” out of paper and cardboard with children from the preparatory group Goal: to develop the ability to create a greeting “Valentine” card from paper and cardboard. Objectives: - learn to trace different heart patterns.
Master class on designing a “Herringbone” from colored cardboard. This master class is intended for children of senior preschool age, teachers, and parents. Designing such a Christmas tree allows...
Master class on constructing a village yard and house from cardboard with children in the preparatory school group. The blank consisted of a cover with an image of a village yard and a house and four sheets with double-sided images of grandparents.
Master class on constructing a rocking toy “Dinosaur” from cardboard for children of senior preschool age Goal: to teach children to create a toy dinosaur from cardboard. Objectives: - learn to fold cardboard in half, cut out an image according to the drawing.
Master class on cardboard construction “Christmas star for caroling” with children of the preparatory group Goal: to teach children how to make a Christmas star from cardboard. Tasks: - teach children to cut a square from a rectangle, first.
Master class “Sleds” on cardboard construction with children in the pre-school group Goal: to teach children how to create a toy from cardboard. Objectives: - learn to bend the sides of a cardboard rectangle; trim corners, rounding.
Useful tips
Almost every family can afford to install a carousel for their beloved children in their garden. Fresh air, training of physical abilities and the vestibular system, communication with neighboring children - all this undoubtedly brings benefits for the child. However, there are several features, knowing which you can make the gaming process safer and more fun for your baby:
- the carousel must be periodically checked for damage;
- when painting, it is recommended to use acrylic paints, as they are less toxic;
- metal parts must be free of rust (if there is no other option, then they must be cleaned and painted);
- the walls of the main rod must be more than 3 mm thick;
- when planning the construction and executing the drawing, the age of the child must be taken into account;
- During design development, it is worth calculating the maximum possible inertia of movement, so that the carousel will easily rotate around its axis.
Listen to your child's taste preferences. As a rule, children have their own views on certain components of the carousel (colors, shapes).
Carousel - a pleasant and interesting pastime
Hub carousel
Hello readers and DIYers. For the author of this homemade carousel, it all started with the fact that he got hold of a car hub somewhere, and in working condition at that. The author, without thinking twice, decided to use it as a rotating mechanism for a children's carousel.
Making such a carousel is a rather labor-intensive process. But with the proper approach, as well as the presence of a motivator, in the form of a child snoring behind his shoulder, eagerly awaiting the result, the author coped with such a craft quite easily and quickly. Moreover, the motivator not only sang, but also helped in creating this cunning design.
For production, the author used.
-Hub -Board 20x150 -Metal strip (length 3.3m, width 40mm, thickness 3mm) -Remnants of metal (5mm, 8mm thickness) -Metal profile 20x30mm -Pipe (diameter 70mm, length 75mm) -Pipe (1 inch, length 1 ,2m - 3pcs) -Cement-sand mixture -M10 bolts (5pcs) -M10 hairpin -Paint -Grinder -Jigsaw -Milling saw (optional) -Rolling machine for metal (optional) -Bulgarian -Welding machine -Gas cutter -Drill - Spray gun (optional) -Level
Manufacturing process.
At the beginning, the author decided to make a carousel platform. For this he will use a 20x150mm board. The author laid out seven boards on a flat surface, pulled them together with straps, and secured them with cross boards using self-tapping screws.
Next, I drilled a hole in the center and, using a ruler mounted on the drill, drew a circle with a diameter of about 1 meter.
I cut out the circle with a jigsaw. Since the edges of the circle did not seem perfectly even to the author, he decided to process the edges of the circle with a router. Although I think this operation could have been skipped, given that later the edges of the circle will be covered with a metal rim. But here, as they say, the author of the product knows better.
How to make a children's carousel with a bearing mechanism in the country
There is nothing complicated in making this design if you follow the step-by-step instructions:
- First you need to choose a place where the carousel will be installed. Mark the center of the structure on the soil.
- At this point, dig a hole, the depth of which is 80–100 cm, and the width is 25 cm greater than the diameter of the main rod.
- Install the metal pin into the recess strictly vertically, and then fill it with concrete. The hardening time of the solution is usually 3–4 days. The main thing is not to rush, since only with well-hardened concrete will the structure hold securely and firmly.
- Now place the cylindrical ball bearing on the metal rod. The parts must be positioned so that their walls touch each other very tightly. This will allow the carousel to move smoothly. You also need to remember to lubricate the assembly first.
- Weld 4 cross-shaped pipes to the ball bearing. At this stage you will need special equipment.
- Secure the pipes together with corners or a hoop pipe. The rigidity of the carousel depends on how you do this. Then install the platform from moisture-resistant plywood.
- Install pipes or corners on which the seats will eventually be attached. They are usually made of wood, but are attached to the carousel by welding.
The result of the work will definitely please you
Preparing for the construction of a carousel: drawings and dimensions
Before building a carousel, drawings must be made to make it clear that the main structural elements are the axis and the driven platform. In addition, drawing up a diagram will allow you to determine the size of the attraction.
The drawing indicates the ratio of dimensions. 1 - rotation unit, 2 - handle, 3 - floor covering sector, 4 - steel strip, 5 - cover
The dimensions of the axis - the main structural element - cannot be violated. Otherwise the carousel will not rotate.
1 - axle, 2 - lower bearing, 3 - central bushing, 4 - upper bearing, 5 - locking bushing, 6 - cotter pin
Choosing the type of carousel and building materials
At children's playgrounds located on the territory of the house, disc carousels are usually built. This choice is due to low cost and good speed of work.
In order for a disk carousel to appear in the courtyard of your house, you need to prepare the following materials:
Bearings (upper and lower), a 50 x 7 mm pipe, which will become the axis of the structure, a cotter pin, as well as a locking and central bushing will be needed to construct the axis of the carousel.
Nuances of care
In order for the carousel to serve you as long as possible, you need to periodically check it for damage and rust, and also pay special attention to regular lubrication. It will allow the structure to move smoothly without creating loud noise or creaking. It is recommended to lubricate the mechanism after a certain period of operation. First every 2-3 months, and then once a year.
The carousel must be safe for children
