Are you planning to build a playground? If so, it can be an exciting and rewarding challenge.
Finding the right equipment for your playground, however, can sometimes feel like a nightmare.
Luckily, there are some things you can do to help make the task of sourcing playground equipment, much easier.
In fact, if you keep reading, you’ll learn exactly what you can do to find the right playground equipment for the kind of playground you want to build.
Let’s begin!
How Much Are You Going to Spend to Build a Playground?
Before you do anything else, you should think about how much you can actually spend on building a playground.
The figure you come up with is going to affect the kinds of decisions you make when looking for playground equipment. You may find that some kinds of playground equipment are completely out of your scope, depending on what your budget is.
You can still achieve a lot with a small budget. There are plenty of pieces of equipment that provide great value for money, even if you’re short on cash.
If you are building the playground in a public space, you may be able to obtain funding. Many states have set up funds that allow people to access funding to pay for things like playground equipment. To see if you qualify, check in with your local state, to see if there is anything you can benefit from.
In some cases, playground equipment will come with a warranty. Such equipment is ideal, as you will be able to return it if something goes wrong. This, therefore, helps you save money, so that you don’t have to pay extra, because of a problem that is the fault of the manufacturer.
You may even need to think about how much you are going to budget for a DIY expert. Such an individual will be able to help you install everything, so you don’t make any DIY mistakes.
What Age Group Is the Playground Designed For?
The age group you are building the playground for will have a big impact on the kind of equipment you need.
If you’re building a playground for children under five years old, your equipment will need to reflect that. This generally means that you can’t have any large constructions in the playground.
On the other hand, if the playground is for children over the age of five, you may be able to use bigger pieces of equipment. Examples might include large slides or rope climbing sets.
Take into Account the Weather
Odds are you’re building an outdoor playground. If that is the case, you need to think about buying playground equipment that will be able to withstand the elements.
Ask the company you’re buying the equipment from, if what you’re looking at is going to be weatherproof. They will be able to let you know if the item has been treated with anything, that helps it last longer in poor weather conditions.
Think About Safety
Safety should be a key concern when you are looking to buy playground equipment.
Whether you are buying commercial playground equipment or just normal equipment – it good idea to avoid spending money on second-hand equipment. Such equipment can seem appealing at the time, but you can never know if it will be compromised in a way that can lead to accidents.
You will also struggle to see if it has been repaired in a way that makes it look new – even if it still has poor structural integrity. If you come across a piece of equipment that is unjustifiably lowly priced, be cautious. It may have such a low price because of the reasons we’ve just covered.
In a similar vein, you should also attempt to buy all of your equipment from reputable stores. If you are buying your equipment online, make sure the store has good reviews. If there are other people complaining that the equipment failed them – look for another store.
For the same reason, you might want to avoid buying your equipment internationally. International production standards might not be as high as what you’d expect in the USA. Because of this, equipment produced abroad might be more prone to breaking in a way that will lead to injury.
Think About Items Other Than the Equipment
If you are building a playground, you should put some thought into items other than the actual playground equipment.
For instance, you should think about the ‘surfaces’ that are going to be used in the playground. Ideally, you will want to install some surfaces that are not ‘hard.’ Such playground surfaces will help protect children if they happen to fall over whilst running around the playground or when using the equipment.
You might even need to invest in a fence for the playground. This fence will help keep children inside of the playground so that they do not stray into danger. The height of this fence may be determined by the age of the children in the playground.
It may also be worth installing some benches in the playground. These benches will give parents/guardians of the children a place to sit, while the children are playing. Figuring out the number of benches you need to install can be tricky. To help you work out which number is right, check out some local playgrounds that are similar in size to what you’re looking to build.
Review how many benches they have and if the number is sufficient enough for the people who are attending the playground. Ideally, you should do this when the playground is at its busiest.
Popular Playground?
If you want to build a playground it takes a lot of thought and planning. Perhaps the most important thing you need to consider is the equipment used in the playground.
In this post, we’ve taken a look at some of the things you can do to find the right equipment for a playground. You need to think about the age group of the children you’re building the playground for. You also need to consider expenditures outside of the equipment.
Either way, when you’re buying equipment, make safety a priority. After all, there is no point in having a playground that looks amazing, if it isn’t safe for the people using it.
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