A larch seesaw

Here’s a quick pictorial how-to for making a rudimentary seesaw that we then put into our woodland to help keep the kids entertained.

I started with two bits of larch taken from the woodpile, this cross piece:

and this base:

I took the bark off the cross piece with a debarking spade.

Then cut a suitable chunk from the top of the stump with a chainsaw.

For the pivot, I recycled this hazel curtain rail I’d made for our last home.

The base’s edges have been rounded off with the chainsaw, and an angle of around 35 degrees cut in from the middle on both sides to allow the top piece to touch the ground when seeing or sawing.

Place the cross piece on the base so that it balances to find the natural centre and mark it.

Then drill a hole for the pivot constantly sighting to ensure it’s going through the log’s centre point.

Does the curtain pole fit?

Drill the base in the same way, getting the line right is doubly important here, note the markings.

Shove the curtain pole in and allow kids to play.

Bury base in-situ and job done.

My kids love it, but their feedback is that they’d like handles and a seat!