It’s no secret that most kids love to play. A playground is a great place for children to play, have fun, and build their physical, cognitive, and social skills. They can enjoy themselves as they climb, swing, slide, and laugh with their friends. Designing your very own playground for your young ones can be a daunting task, but it doesn’t have to be that complicated.
There are a lot of things to consider in coming up with a sound playground design. Whether you are updating an old play area or developing a brand-new playset for your child, here are nine smart tips for designing a playground you can consider:
1. Make Sure The Playground Is In A Safe And Open Space
The space where your playground will be located is very important. It should have enough room to allow for a playset and seating area without being too crowded yet it also needs to be safe and spacious.
Determine the right playground area specification so that your kids won’t feel confined or restricted with their movements.
Also, ensure that there are no obstructions nearby that could pose a danger, such as trees, walls, fences, and the like.
Make sure you stay away from having any sort of hazardous materials near or on the ground including rocks with sharp edges or broken glass.
It’s said that the best place for a playground is one that allows kids to run around, play, and have fun without any constraints or possible hazards.
2. Choose The Right Equipment To Use
The equipment you choose for your playground will be a huge factor in how much your young ones will be able to enjoy themselves and play.
Make sure to select the right type of slides, swings, climbing walls, and others that promote physical activity while also being safe at the same time.
For your slide, you can use aluminum crossover stairs to help prevent injuries as they also provide a safe, smooth ride for the kids using them.
Swing sets can be one of the most enjoyable components of a playground. Make sure to choose one with no protruding parts and a heavy base so it won’t tip over or move around when in use.
Ensure that swings are at a good height for kids to climb onto without assistance and that they can be easily attached to the frame.
3. Select The Right Material For Your Playground Flooring
It’s important to have the right flooring on your playground from day one for the lack of it can pose some problems later on.
Depending on what kind of climate is present in the area you live in, different types of materials will have to be employed to the playground flooring.
A rubber flooring material would best suit your needs if you reside in a region dealing with rains all year round. It’s durable and also water-resistant.
In case you’re planning to erect your children’s playground in an area where it snows often, you might need to go with something like wood or plastic because these materials are typically better at handling the cold.
Further, if you want to go with a material that is reliable and requires little to no maintenance at all, then asphalt is a good idea to explore.
It can handle the daily wear and tear of kids playing on it while cleaning it is hassle-free.
4. Go With A Theme
Choosing a theme for your playground is essential because it’ll help the kids that’ll use it feel like they’re playing in an area that was custom built just for them.
When you choose a specific design or concept, everything else can fall into place much more easily such as the selection of building materials, inclusion of necessary playground equipment pieces, and many more. So, make sure to take this aspect of the project seriously.
5. Add Some Useful Toy Storage
Kids love to play with toys, especially on a playground where they can use all of their favorites during their playtime.
To keep the playground area free of clutter or looking disorganized, it’s important for toy storage areas to be included in your playground design as much as possible.
Make sure that they’re properly incorporated and placed in easily accessible points in the playground vicinity. Avoid placing them in areas where children do a lot of activities to prevent accidental trips and the like.
Having storage solutions, you’ll appreciate not having to spend hours cleaning up after your children too.
6. Surround The Playground Vicinity With Plenty Of Seating And Shade Areas
Kids need places to sit back, relax, and take in all their hard work after climbing up steep slides or scaling high walls. A shaded canopy would be best for this purpose so kids can stay cool while playing on the playground during hot days.
You can use seats for your advantage as well. Make sure there are plenty of points to sit around so you can relax and enjoy while your children are playing safely.
7. Add A Water Feature For More Fun
Just like with choosing toys or theme-related items, you can add some fun by including certain water fixtures in your design such as fountains and small pools so kids can cool off on hot days.
This is can also be an excellent way to encourage them to drink more fluids since they often associate thirst with dryness rather than how much liquid their body needs.
8. Follow Safety Regulations
For the safety of your children and insurance purposes, it’s important to follow all state and local regulations when building a playground.
If you’re unsure about what are the safety requirements mandated by the law, it might be a good step to ask around and get some advice from multiple sources before beginning a playground construction project.
9. Keep It Clean
A large part of keeping your playground safe is by making sure it’s clean and free of any accident-causing clutter at all times.
Most young players are said to be a lot more excited to play on equipment that isn’t dusty, dirty, or full of grime. Hence, regular cleaning maintenance should be a priority for you.
Because of the current global health crisis, even the backyard playground must follow basic cleaning procedures which entail tasks such as schedule disinfection of surfaces and others.
Conclusion
In the end, it’s important to remember that playgrounds are a place of fun and learning.
By following the abovementioned tips, you can be assured that your children’s new playground satisfies all safety requirements and is equipped with all necessary components for enjoyment and safety.
