A swing is a seat, often found at playgrounds for children,
.JPG)
at a circus for acrobats, or on a porch for relaxing,
although they may also be items of indoor furniture, such as the Latin American hammock or the Indian oonjal. The seat of a swing may be suspended from chains or ropes. Once a swing is in motion, it continues to oscillate like a pendulum until external interference or drag brings it to a halt. Swing sets are very popular with children.
On playgrounds, several swings are often suspended from a shared metal or wooden frame, known as a swing set, allowing more than one child to play at a time. Such swings come in a variety of sizes and shapes. For infants and toddlers, swings with leg holes support the child in an upright position while a parent or sibling pushes the child to get a swinging motion. Some swing sets include play items other than swings, such as a rope ladder or sliding pole.
For older children, swings are sometimes made of a flexible canvas seat, of a rubberized ventilated tire tread, of plastic, or of wood. A common backyard sight is a wooden plank suspended on both sides by ropes from a tree branch.
Swinging first spread throughout China during the Spring and Autumn Period (771-476 BC). In the Han dynasty swinging continued to rise in popularity and was often performed at the Qingming Festival and the Duanwu Festival. By the time of the Song dynasty, swinging became involved in professional acrobatics, where performers would swing between boats over water.
In the early 1900s, the playground movement saw swings installed in public spaces for neighborhood children. By the middle of the century, the suburban playground became popular. Many Americans put personal swing sets on their property. Public concern for children's safety influenced a change in design after the 1970s. Tubular metal sets were replaced with smaller swings made of woods and resins better suited for children.
The United States Patent and Trademark Office was disparaged in 2002 for issuing a patent to a five-year-old boy who claimed to have invented swinging sideways as a new form of entertainment. His father, a patent lawyer who wanted to show his son how the patent system worked, had told the boy that he could file a patent application on anything that he invented. The patent was rescinded upon re-examination.
^ a swing for a wheelchair
Unwrap a bundle of goodness with our recipe for Garden Chicken 'n' Veggies. Apart from being so darn tasty, this foil packet recipe also puts to rest two mealtime dilemmas: portioning and cleanup. You'll be amazed at how easy dinner is when you've got a recipe like this one!
- 1 (0.7-ounce) envelope dry Italian dressing mix, with 1 tablespoon reserved
- 4 boneless, skinless chicken breast halves (1 to 1-1/2 pounds total)
- 1 red bell pepper, cut into 1-inch chunks
- 1 zucchini, cut into 1/2-inch slices
- 1/2 onion, cut in half moon slices
- 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
- 1 cup (4 ounces) shredded mozzarella cheese
- Preheat oven to 400º. Tear 4 pieces of aluminum foil, each about 12 x 18 inches.
- Sprinkle chicken evenly with dressing mix, then lay each piece of chicken on a piece of aluminum foil.
- In a large bowl, combine bell pepper, zucchini, onion, the reserved 1 tablespoon Italian dressing mix, and oil; toss until vegetables are completely coated. Distribute vegetable mixture evenly over chicken breasts and drizzle any remaining dressing over vegetables.Sprinkle cheese over vegetables and seal packets tightly. Place packets on a rimmed baking sheet.
- Bake 20 to 25 minutes, or until no pink remains in chicken and juices run clear.
1922 – Rory Calhoun, American actor (d. 1999)
