By Terri Sapienza
Washington Post

Remember the simple swings you had in your backyard when you were a child? Those modest metal sets have been replaced by play structures made of lumber with such accessories as rock-climbing walls, spiral slides and skybox play decks.

For parents, having a child's play set viewable from the kitchen window is convenient but costly. Today's play structures start at $1,000 for a basic model and can reach $10,000, depending on add-ons.