I’ve been wanting to make an indoor swing in like, forever! I finally got to doing just that, and a crash pad too, easy!
My daughter is a vestibular seeking child(SPD), and keeping her happy means she needs lots of movement. A swing is the perfect tool to use and although we have an outdoor swing, it is not always practical. This indoor swing is great!
Read more about what Vestibular means as explained by The Inspired Treehouse or buy this awesome book Sensory Processing 101, explaining sensory processing in detail!
I made a crash pad too, for crashing and also for safety underneath the swing. I bought off cuts of foam from our local Habby and Hyper and cut it into smaller pieces using an electric knife. Then I stuffed it into an old three quarter duvet sheet. (I still need more though.) It was tied and voila- a crash pad!
For the swing I bought 10 meters of Trilobal fabric. It is a stretchy material, almost like Lycra, but cheaper. I bought 10 meter so we can fold it double for extra strength.
When hubby climbed onto the roof to see where would be the best place to hang it up, he saw the thick truss is exactly where the middle downlight was in the ceiling! That meant that we could simply take out the light, use the same hole, push the fabric through the hole and tie it securely around the truss. I suppose one could get fancy hooks and stuff to fasten it around the truss, but this is an alternative. We will keep an eye out for any signs of wearing and tearing though…
We have found a few ways to swing. My daughter loves the tummy-run: where she will lean on her tummy, run and swing. My son likes to sit on it like a horse: one piece of the swing between the legs. They both like swinging normally: sitting comfortably with the fabric around the bottom and grabbing the swing. And of course, the cocoon swing: where they lie down or sit and the fabric envelops them.
Oh, and spinning: turning the swing a few times and letting it spin back.
We have a few rules for this indoor swing though:
- An adult must be present(we tie up the swing when we are done swinging) While swinging
- Don’t go too wildly
- Don’t swing outside of the foam carpet perimeter(this keeps them from going too high as well)
- Keep a look out for each other
An indoor swing like this and crash pad is a great tool for a sensory friendly home. We use this throughout the day, whenever they feel in the mood for swinging, and then 5 minutes before bedtime with a relaxing swing. My SPD and non-SPD child loves it and definitely benefits from this DIY indoor swing!
PS- for those wondering about the playhouse in the background, you can get one HERE!
And if you don’t want to make your own, here are some options to buy:
Would you happen to know the weight limit for these DIY swings? I have an 8 year old who has a proprioceptive sensory disorder who is 67 lbs. He loves the swinging/swaying motions
My niece weighs around 90 lbs and its was fine with her. I suppose you also have to take into account how rough he will be on it. I’m more concerned about the wear and tear in the knot, but until now it seems to stay put.
Could you please link where you purchased the fabric. I’m not finding the stretchy kind of Trilobal with searching. Thank you!
I got it at our local Habby & Hyper shop
I can’t wait to make the swing! I also love the playhouse in the background & was wondering what company makes it?
I am glad you’ll use the idea! I bought it in a local shop here in South Africa called Westpack. There is an Amazon link in the post you can get it from in the US, it’s from Pal Play
Hi, How to fix the sswing up in the ceiling? can you please show what type of tools are needed.
thank you .
It was just knotted a few times around a thick roof beam. It is still fine, but we are checking it every now and again for any shifting.
What an awesome playroom you have! And thank you for this simple, straightforward advice…I have sourced some Trilobal and I can’t wait to get this swing in action!