FAQs
General Info - Outdoor Play Equipment
We think it’s important to get kids active and if you are lucky enough to have a garden or even just a small space, we have lots of experience and expertise in helping families choose the best possible play equipment for their space and their budget. Not only that but we specialise in a wide range of Trampoline sizes to suit your space as well as modular Climbing frames allowing you to leave off or replace a bulkier item, for example.
If you just don’t have space for a Climbing frame, then a Playhouse is a great option. They have the smallest footprint of all outdoor play equipment and provide lots of fun for your children and their friends.
Why not read our full guides on small garden play area ideas and the best climbing frames for a small garden?
We try to provide size information as a guide in our product Specifications and wherever possible we include a dimensional drawing in the images for our outdoor toys, please check through all the images for the product you are interested in. Dimensions in the Specifications are for the footprint of the product at its largest point, this is done to help you work out how much space they will take up while planning your purchase. For example, a Swing with a footprint of 4M will have a top bar of around 3.6M as the legs of swing sets are angled outwards both width and length ways for stability.
Let us help your imagination run riot – our products come in all shapes and sizes! For advice, please give us a bell or email your enquiry. All the information you need can be found on our Contact Us page.
No sorry, our products are tested to meet the safety standard EN-71 and are for domestic use only. We are currently not able to supply play centres, Swing sets, Trampolines or any other play equipment for use in public spaces or commercial settings.
Most items are straightforward to build, if you are comfortable with simple DIY projects or flat pack furniture you should be fine, and we provide detailed instructions to help you through all steps of the process.
All products are different and depending on the size of the item the build times will vary, please refer to the products build manual for an estimated time frame but remember this is only an approximation and also friends can be very helpful for speeding up the process!
Again, this depends on the type of product you have purchased. Wooden products are not pre-drilled so a drill, measuring tape and screwdriver are recommended. For Trampolines a screwdriver and small socket may also be useful. Detailed instructions are provided with all products and our customer service team is available to provide further help
Children’s outdoor play equipment such as Climbing Frames, Swing Sets and Trampolines are designed to only be erected on flat level ground to avoid the risk of injury or damage. Some of our items such as Inground Trampolines or Swing sets require groundwork.
We do not advise starting any groundwork before you have received your item and can review the manufactures instructions for yourself, our customer service team are happy to give general advice but we stock many varied products as part of different ranges, all with different requirements and as such the instructions for each will differ.
We cannot be held responsible for any costs you may incur for ground work that you have undertaken in order to fit your Trampoline or Swing set in cases where any information is incorrect on our website, the product has been updated by the manufacturer, delivery of your item is late or we have to cancel your order due to no stock.
We always recommend leaving space between play equipment and other structures in the garden for safety, and would suggest a 2m perimeter
Natural wood may experience splitting or cracking, but this is normal especially for heartwood which is the strongest part of the tree. Please be assured that these natural occurrences do not compromise the structure or strength of the item. Even if there are cracks in the wood upon delivery, this is completely normal and will not affect the product's durability and strength
We have been manufacturing Wooden Swing sets for many years, ensuring that the wood used is thoroughly tested for safety. We are confident that the wood is both strong and safe for its intended purpose.
We use a pressure treatment for a lot of our timber to help ensure a long lifespan for your chosen product, however a side effect of this treatment can be a green stain on the surface of the wood, this is perfectly normal and totally safe.
We use pressure treated timber for a lot of our products, but also untreated timber depending on the range. If the product is listed as untreated such as the PolarPlay range, we would recommend treating the timber with a suitable wood preserver as soon as you receive your order such as Protek Multi-Purpose Exterior Wood Preserver. But even if the wood is pressure treated, to extend the life of the product we suggest treating the timber annually with either a suitable wood stain or preserver.
It is a good idea to check over outdoor play equipment regularly, making sure all bolts are tightened, there is no damage to any parts and for signs of fatigue.
During times when the play equipment isn’t in use, such as the winter or during bad weather maybe think about storing parts inside if possible, this will help prolong their life. If you have the space think about moving plastic slides and seats to the garage or shed or dismantle a Trampoline and store away until the weather improves.
Also, it is recommended to treat timber items annually with a suitable wood stain or preserver.
We have a variety of different anchors to choose from depending on what type of play equipment you have. We offer two options for ground anchors for Swings; Standard Swing Anchors and Heavy Duty Swing Anchors.
For Trampolines we offer 2 different types of anchors as well; Universal trampoline Anchors as well as Heavy Duty Anchors.
For Climbing frames, we have the Climbing Tower Heavy Duty Anchors
As a rule of thumb standard anchors are designed for hard compact soils, while heavy-duty ones are designed for softer surfaces. Both options can be used without concrete, but we would always recommend concreting them in for added security.
If you plan to install play equipment on artificial grass and wish to use ground anchors, please consider the ground conditions and the sub-base on which the turf has been laid, the anchors will be required to go through the artificial grass and we recommended they be concreted in.
Unfortunately, we are unable to substitute different swing seats and accessories before purchase as all play sets we sell are pre-configured. However, that does not mean other seats will not fit if you wish to make a change to your set in the future, seats can easily be replaced with a different one allowing you to adapt and change your playset as your children grow.
General Info - Ride on toys
As all children are different and come in all sizes, just like Ride on Toys, it is difficult to provide an accurate age range. We suggest reviewing the product dimensions, which we provide in the Specifications for all products and use these along with the maximum user weight as a guide to see if the item you are looking at is suitable. Always remember that the sizes will be the maximum, so for example the width of a Ride on Jeep will be the toys widest part which could be from wing mirror to wing mirror, so please take this into account when making your choice
All ride on toys that we sell whether they are Ride on cars, Scooters, Bikes or Quads are only designed to be used on private land with the landowner’s permission and are not designed to be used on public roads or pavements. If you are unsure of where you can use this type of toy in your local area, we suggest contacting your local authority for advice as it can vary depending on the area.
No, none of the Quads, Bikes Go-karts, Scooters or any of the other ride on’s we sell are road legal
Sometimes small marks or dents can appear on the plastic surface of the ride on toy, these are consistent with the indentation marks made during the moulding process.
These irregularities occur when the sheet plastic is moulded into shape and are an unavoidable side effect of the manufacturing process. These marks are purely cosmetic and will not affect the toy's functionality, unfortunately this is an issue that effects all manufacture’s of this type of toy.
We would always recommend that Ride on toys be stored indoors when not in use and that electric ride on toys not be used in wet weather to reduce the risk of water damaging any of the components. If the toy gets wet, it should be wiped dry as soon as possible
Before and after every used all fastenings, nuts, bolts and screws etc should be checked to make sure they are secure. The ride on should also be checked for damage and fatigue, if anything is obvious the ride on should not be used.
When an electric ride on is not in use it is best to remove one of the wires from the battery. Also, the batteries should be charged monthly even if the item is not being used to protect and prolong the batteries life span.
Electric toys should only be charged for the time stated in the manufacturer’s instructions and not left unattended when on charge.
Petrol items should have the fuel drained after every use and the carburettor drained and cleaned
All manufactures provide a detailed maintenance list for their items which is included in the instruction manual, this should be studied and followed as failing to do so could invalid the products warranty.
Warranties
Yes, a warranty is provided by the manufacturer unless imported or manufactured by Outdoor Toys, in which case we are responsible for the warranty. Please note that any spare parts required to resolve an issue will come directly from the relevant supplier and not from us.
Manufacturer warranties are generally offered for 12 months following receipt of your order, unless stated on the individual product page. Please check the Specification section of the product page for the warranty period of the product you are interested in. Many of our products contain consumable parts that have specific warranty conditions.
See Our Product Warranties page for more details
Installation and Assembly
Yes, OutdoorToys.com offers a professional home installation Service. Our home installation service offers quick, efficient assembly to ensure that your Climbing Frame, Swing set or Trampoline is built correctly and without any headaches giving you peace of mind and an afternoon off!
The products we offer assembly and installation for will have an option to purchase the service when you click the Select Options & Buy button. The price for installation varies and is calculated depending on the time and complexity of the work involved in assembly.
Our larger items are delivered flat packed with a full set of straight forward assembly instructions if you wish to assemble it yourself. You can call our experts for more details on the assembly and installation service we offer, or if you decide on self-assembly for advice in putting it all together, on 01691 888924.
Our Installation service is easy to arrange, simply add Installation when purchasing your chosen product and we’ll take it from there. A member of our installation team will contact you to make arrangements and to inform you of when installation will be taking place.
Though we do everything in our power to make this process as quick and easy as possible we cannot be held responsible for any unexpected delays in delivery, including damage in transit, missing or lost boxes or any other problems that could lead to issues for the installation team.
The installation service we provide is to assemble the Trampoline, Climbing Frame, Playhouse or Swing set only, we do not do groundwork of any kind and it is your responsibility to clear and prepare the chosen area in readiness for the fitter. If our fitter believes the area chosen for the outdoor play equipment is unsuitable, for example due to the ground being uneven or on a steep slope we reserve the right to refuse to complete the assembly due to health and safety concerns but you will still be charged for the installation in full. If you have purchased anchors fitting these are not part of the assembly service as this is classed as groundwork.
PDI stands for Pre-Delivery Inspection and involves the item being built by one of our skilled technicians, checked over to make sure it is in full working order and repackaged for delivery.
Once you have received a PDI’d item it is covered by the terms and conditions as stated on Our Product Warranties page. PDI does not increase or enhance the warranty of the product and in the event of an issue being reported to ourselves we will follow our set warranty procedures, which may involve sending out parts that the customer would need to fit in order to fix a problem.
PLEASE NOTE: Assembly is a non-refundable service, meaning that once it has been selected you will not be entitled to a refunded even if the item is returned.
Though the item will be built and fully tested by our technicians before being sent there are certain requirements by law that we must adhere to in order to transport items of this nature, meaning there may still be a couple of simple steps you will have to complete. For example, fuses or batteries may have to be reconnected as electrical items cannot be transported with a power source connected. If you have any questions or need advice on receipt of your order customer service will be happy to help.
Please remember: Even though the item is assembled and tested before delivery it is still your responsibly to ensure that the item is fit for use. You should check all parts including screws, bolts etc to make sure that they are tight and secure before each use including the initial use as parts can come loose during transportation or use. Outdoortoys takes no responsibility for any injury or damage that may result from using a product that has been assembled by our Assembly Service (PDI) service.
Though we will make every effort to get your order to you as quickly as possible the PDI process means PDI orders can take up to 5 extra working days to dispatch.
Express Delivery is not possible for these orders, if Express Delivery is selected at checkout the charge will be refunded.
Order
For security reasons, we can only accept orders placed through our website - we take your online security very seriously and invest thousands of pounds every year on SSL certificates that encrypt your information.
Placing an order online with our quick and easy steps -
1. Decide on the product(s) you would like to purchase then click ‘Add to cart / Select Options & Buy’. You will then be shown a summary of your cart, from here you can View cart, Checkout or continue shopping.
2. If you have ShopPay, PayPal or GPay we offer express checkout to quickly and easily checkout. If you have an account, you can simple log in and finalise your purchase or check out as a guest. Creating an account allows you to track your present and past orders all in one place
3. If you have a Discount code or Gift card please remember to add them and apply to your order before clicking the Pay Now button
4. Once you’ve added your delivery address you will be presented with a choice of delivery options to choose from
If paying by card, you will now be asked to enter your card details.
If you are paying through PayPal, you will be redirected to another page where you will need to log into your PayPal account.
And you’re all done! You will receive an email order confirmation form us within the hour, and an email with tracking information as soon as your order leaves our warehouse
We accept all major credit and debit cards along with PayPal, GPay, ShopPay and Klarna
We have payment partners who offer these services, for further information please see our PayPal Credit and Klarna FAQs pages for more details
Yes, all our prices include VAT where applicable. Organisations exempt from paying VAT are advised to order their goods and pay the VAT and then make their own arrangements to claim it back. We are unable to deduct it for you.
A message will appear on the product page explaining that the item is out of stock and you will be unable to add it to your basket. If in the unlikely situation there is an
error on the website, and you have been able to purchase an out of stock item we will let you know as soon as possible
Delivery
WE OFFER FREE DELIVERY TO UK MAINLAND ADDRESSES WHEN YOU SPEND £50 OR MORE.
All orders under £50 are subject to a delivery charge, as well as orders to non mainland UK postcodes, these charges are displayed at checkout.
The UK mainland consists of England, Scotland (excluding Highlands & Islands) and Wales. Northern Ireland, Isle of Man, Scilly Isles, Scottish Highlands & Islands, Jersey and Guernsey are not considered part of the UK mainland, delivery charges for these locations will be displayed at checkout.
For an At-A-Glance view of our delivery charges and times, please click here to be directed to our Delivery Information page.
If an item is advertised as Pre-order this means that though we do not have the item in stock at present we are expecting it in our warehouse soon and the estimated back in stock date will be displayed on the product page. By purchasing an item on Pre-order, you will pay for the item at the time you place the order so that the item will be reserved for you and we will then dispatch it as soon as it arrives back in stock.
The Back in stock date is an estimated date, and the item may arrive earlier or on rare occasions later than the stated date. Delays may happen for a variety of reasons outside of our control and the Back In Stock date is only provided as a guide.
But don’t worry you can buy with confidence from Outdoortoys, we offer a full refund guarantee on all pre order items should you wish to cancel before dispatch. In the event a pre order item doesn't arrive from our suppliers as expected or will be delayed we will contact you to keep you up to date.
We aim to dispatch all orders as quickly as possible; we offer a variety of products from standard boxed items such as Ride on toys that are handled by couriers like APC to large bulky Climbing frames and Playhouses that require a pallet delivery. Because of this we display the delivery time scales at checkout, so you have a clear picture of the delivery timescale before placing your order.
Yes of course, when your order leaves our warehouse you will receive a dispatch confirmation email which will have details of your tracking code and the courier to allow you to track your order with the courier.
As long as you haven’t received a dispatch notification that your order has been shipped, give us a call and a member of our helpful customer service team will be able to arrange this for you.
A card will be left, and delivery will be attempted the next working day. Most couriers will attempt two deliveries, after which point the item will be kept at the depot until you arrange delivery. Items delivered by Royal Mail will be returned to your local sorting office and you will need to collect them. Please note that you are liable for any redelivery charges if we book in a delivery and you are not there to accept the delivery.
Unfortunately, timed deliveries are not possible at present.
Unfortunately, we are unable to change a delivery address after your order has been processed.
Unfortunately, we do not offer weekend deliveries
At present we only delivery to UK postcodes, however if you wish to purchase from Outdoor Toys and live in Europe, we have a number of sister websites that may have exactly what you are looking for.
Returns
Our returns policy lasts 14 days. If 14 days have gone by since your purchase, unfortunately we can’t offer you a refund or exchange.
If you wish to return an item, you must first contact customer service who will issue you a unique returns number along with details on how to return the item and the return address.
To be eligible for a return, your item must be unused and in the same condition that you received it. It must also be in the original packaging. We do not offer a refund on packaging and postage
Please take a look at our Returns policy here for full details
Please read our Refunds Policy before returning your order. Do not send your purchase back to the manufacturer.