How to Make a Rope Swing and Fly Like Tarzan: An Illustrated Guide

I wrote this book for my son, who is on his way to becoming a young Tarzan. It’s an illustrated guide that teaches kids how to make a rope swing and fly like the iconic character from Disney’s animated movie, “Tarzan.”

The “rope swing” is a skill that Tarzan used in his day-to-day life. This guide will teach you how to make your own rope swing and fly like Tarzan.

Summer is almost drawing to a close. Take a day by the lake or river and create a rope swing as one way to spend the remainder of the warm weather weekends. Safety is first, followed by achieving maximum height and velocity. We’ll teach you how to do both. Look forward to seeing you at the old swimming hole!

Collect materials: 1: A thirty-foot nylon rope with a diameter of at least one inch. 2: A robust tree limb with a diameter of at least 8 inches and a length of at least 10 or 15 feet that leans far out over the water.
Remove any debris from the area and test the water. A minimum of 8 feet of depth is required. Make sure the landing area is free of rocks and logs.
To anchor the rope to the tree, tie a running bowline knot. It’s a strong knot that won’t choke the tree.
For hand grips when swinging, tie a double overhand knot at varied heights. Make sure you have one for each age group: children, teens, and adults.
To make sure it will hold, put your weight on the swing and take a few gentle, low-velocity leaps.
Make sure you release go before you reach 45 degrees to obtain the most distance and height. The perfect degree depends on a number of factors, but if you keep it between 30-35 degrees, you’ll be flying through the air like Tarzan.

Do you like the illustrations in this guide? Then our book The Illustrated Art of Manliness is for you! Get a copy from Amazon.

Ted Slampyak created the illustration.