Since having kids, Mrs. Bee and I have both spent endless hours pushing the kids on the swing!


Olive at 9 months, Charlie 2 1/2

They absolutely love the swing…  but over time, Charlie started to lose interest as he got a bit older.  So we picked up a few tips and tricks that have made the swing more fun for everyone involved!  Charlie loves these at 3 1/2, and Olive is able to enjoy most of them as well at almost 21 months.  (A quick safety note though: we didn’t start using the bucket swings until the kids were 7 months, and we didn’t use any of the below swing techniques until the kids were toddlers who could hold onto the swing chains and had strong neck control.)

So without further ado, here’s a list of swing tips and tricks that the kids have enjoyed!

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1. S W I N G  L A U N C H E S

I used to just start off by pushing the swing… but then I saw another parent make a huge deal out of the swing launch.  Here’s what she did:

  • She told her kid that they were in a rocket ship and they were about to launch into space.
  • Then she did a slow count down from 5, while lifting his swing higher and higher towards her.  The suspense was unbelievable!
  • Then once she finished her count down, she shouted BLAST OFF and pushed him forward while running towards him.
  • Then she ducked under the swing as he blasted off in the swing over her head!

Her son loved it so much!  I waited until later and then copied it with my own kids… they love it now too!  You can do endless variations of this, where you start a race car, start a speedboat, etc.

SAFETY TIPS:

  • When you do that first push, watch your head to make sure you’re safe!
  • Also, make sure that you don’t push the swing too hard so that your LO’s safety is in any way at risk!

2. T W I S T I E S

This is an oldie but a goodie… you twist the chains of the swing, and then let go so that your LO spins around and around.  Just mentioning it here as a precursor to the Crazy Twist below!

SAFETY TIPS:

  • You definitely want to wait until your LO has very strong neck control before even considering this!
  • I always make sure that the kids are holding onto the swing chains or the swing.
  • You can also limit the number of twists in the beginning.  It’s best to start with just one full twist of the swing chains… over time, I’ve gone up to 3 twists for Charlie (he’s 3 1/2 now).
  • I also make sure that the chain twisting is “even”; if one side is higher than the other, then that can introduce extra torque on the twisting that can cause extra stress on your LO’s neck!

3. CRAZY TWISTS

We learned this one from a friend, and it’s definitely for toddlers that are a bit older!  Here’s how it works:

  • You twist the chain of the swings, just like a traditional twistie.
  • Then you pull the swing back a bit, and push it like normal

Your little one will spin at the same time that they are swinging back and forth!  Toddlers absolutely love it…  this is probably Charlie’s favorite swing trick right now.

SAFETY TIPS:

  • Just like with a traditional twistie, we always make sure that the kids are holding onto the swing chains.
  • We started off very slowly with this one… with just a single twist.
  • We make sure not to pull the swing back very much before pushing the swing.  That way it does swing back and forth while spinning, but not too much.


Homemade swings at Mr. Bee’s parents’ home in the Philippines

4. H I G H  U P  I N  T H E  S K Y

This trick came from a friend.  You ask your LO if they want to go “high up in the sky.”  Then if they say yes, you wait until they are at the top of their swing arc… and you hold them there with your hands so that they remain high up in the sky!

Charlie absolutely loves this and asks for it every time… we have added a few extra twists to this trick too:

  • First I’ll ask Charlie,  “Do you want to go high up in the sky?”  He always says YES!
  • Then I’ll ask him, “What are you going to see?”  He will tell me what he will see… usually it’s something like “an airplane!” or “a washing machine.”
  • Then I’ll push him five times, and do a dramatic count to 5…  this greatly increases the suspense and anticipation for him, and decreases the amount of work involved for me ha.
  • Once we reach the number 5, then I’ll hold him high up in the sky and ask him, “WHAT DO YOU SEE?”
  • He will tell me what he sees, and then I’ll let him go and he’ll swing back down and ask for another one!
Playing high up in the sky is a great way to entertain multiple toddlers on the swings…  while you’re pushing one high up in the sky, you can ask the other one what they’re going to see when they go up.  They love to think about what they’re going to see, and it makes them more patient about waiting for their turn!

SAFETY TIPS

  • I am always very careful about how high up I will hold Charlie.  You don’t want to hold him so high up in the sky that there’s any danger whatsoever that he will fall out!
  • When I am holding him up in the sky, I will hold his shoulders with one hand and the back of his swing with the other.  That way, there’s almost no chance that he could fall out of the swing.

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Charlie 20 months old

5. D O D G E  S W I N G

This one is so silly that I almost hesitate to mention it.  But it makes both kids laugh and laugh, and so I’ll explain it and you can decide for yourself if it’s too silly to try out on your kids!

Here’s how it works:

  • I will stand about a food away from the swing’s trajectory and do a normal swing launch.
  • Then when my LO swings back towards me, I will make a big production out of either leaning to the side or leaning back.  Either way, it will appear to your LO like they were about to hit you but that you “dodged” the swing!  (Since you’re a foot away though, you’re never in any actual danger.)

When we do this, both of our kids absolutely dissolve into pure laughter!  I am actually not sure why… it’s just so so funny to them.

SAFETY TIPS

  • For a while, Charlie thought that part of the game was that he should try to kick me with his legs while I was dodging him.  I let him know that wasn’t part of the game, and now he doesn’t do it any more.  But just to be safe, now I make sure to stand a little bit more back so that there’s no chance he could hit me.
  • You definitely have to pay attention when you’re doing this.  I’ve never been hurt but if you’re standing too close and you don’t dodge properly, the swing could indeed hit you.  If you follow the rules above though, you shouldn’t ever be in danger.

Olive 12 months old

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There are more swing tricks that we use with the kids, but these few basics have provided hours of entertainment for our kids!  I love the swings because it’s easier to keep an eye on the kids, and it’s a great way to build a bond with your little one.  The kids love the swings, and so do I!

Do you have any swing tricks you do with your kids?