This do-it-yourself play structure has something for everyone. For boys and girls, it’s a treehouse, fort, hide-out, clubhouse and jungle gym all rolled into one. For dads and moms (and grandpas and grandmas), it’s a sturdy playhouse with a safety-conscious design and a clean, unobtrusive look.

In addition to the smooth hardboard slide and gently inclined ladder, the play structure features two sandboxes (one underneath and one at the end of the slide for soft landings) and a gable roof with a weatherproof canvas top.

The key to the project lies in its simple and functional post-and-platform construction. It’s a pretty big job, but it calls only for standard fir or redwood lumber-mostly 4-by-4’s, 1-by-8’s and 1-by-6’s-and basic tools. Similar play structures can cost up to $2,000 in stores, so do-it-yourselfers willing to put in a few weekends’ worth of work can save a bundle.

The play structure stands a little more than 10 feet tall and is 6 feet square (not including the ladder or slide). The floor is about 5 feet off the ground.

The Play Structure plan, No. 839, is $9.95 and includes complete step-by-step directions with photos, traceable patterns, construction diagrams and a shopping list and cutting schedule.

A collection of four plans for playhouses and play structures, No. C104, is $24.95 and includes plans for this project, two playhouses and a covered sandbox. A catalog picturing hundreds of do-it-yourself projects is $2.00. Prices include postage and handling. Please allow about four weeks for delivery (for first-class postage, add $1 per item up to $3 maximum).

To order by mail, clip this article and send it with a check or money order to U-Bild Features, c/o Lewiston Sun Journal, P.O. Box 2383, Van Nuys, CA 91409. To order by credit card, call 1-800-828-2453. Visit U-Bild on the Web at www.u-bild.com.