This took forever to assemble, but if a retired army vet grandpa and a mom with a bad back can do it, you probably can, too! It is sturdy and totally worth it for a large four-year-old! I figure he's got at least five years to play on this, no problem, with how fast they grow.
We set this up in our backyard around April, so it's been enduring a mix of harsh heat, dry weather, wet weather, wind storms, and snow for about 7 months. NO issues!
The wood feels a bit light and splinters, so GO SLOW for sure. But it's so beautiful put together, super heavy, and even with the crazy winds we get i have no fear of it tipping over.
The kid loved the rock wall and slide the most, but we did eventually add the swing set to the opposite side. I will note that this is not officially recommended by the company or directions, but we were able to reenforce it and it's held up great! Of course, the best course of action is to follow the instructions for safety!
Things that helped:
- laid out all the pieces and spent three full days with a helper to carefully assemble.
- pre drilled holes where needed to prevent wood splitting
- had our own power tools and ladder
- dug out and leveled (with sand) the base area of the fort
- will seal the wood next spring (I wish I'd sealed earlier, but it is holding up so well)
- really thought through placement and paid attention to swings and slides so it was safe for child play
