Six Tips for How to Design a Playground
You only get one chance to design a playground. Well, you could go back and change it later, but that would be a waste of both time and money. If you take the necessary steps to get it right the first time, there will be no need to go back – you can simply allow kids to enjoy it for years to come.
With that in mind, please review the following six tips for help designing your own playground project.
#1 – Appeal to a Wide Range of Kids
Ideally, you will be able to include playground equipment within your design that will appeal to a wide age range of children. Unless the playground is going to serve a school or other facility that only includes a narrow age range, you would be best-served to make sure that kids of all grades can have fun.
#2 – Include the Kids
Rather than trying to use your adult brain to decide what kids will want to play with, why not simply ask the kids themselves? Give the children who will be using the playground an opportunity to provide you with their ideas and desires. Of course, you will have to boil them down to what is practical and affordable, but using the creativity of children is a great place to start.
#3 – Elevation Change Can Open the Mind
Kids love to use playgrounds that offer a change in elevation from their usual low-to-the-ground perspective. Of course, safety is a concern here, so make sure that your playground is in compliance with all safety recommendations for playground construction.
#4 – Safety Always First
Speaking of safety, this is a point that should always be near the front of your mind when designing a playground. In addition to taking safety into consideration during the planning process, you should also be proactive with safety measure such as supervision and maintenance after the project has been completed.
#5 – Accessibility is Essential
Children with disabilities should be able to come to your playground and have fun with the rest of the kids. To make sure that is possible, design the playground with accessibility in mind for handicapped children.
#6 – Easy to Use
Ideally, kids won’t need the help of adults to start playing on the playground equipment included in your design. The space should be welcoming and comfortable for kids to enjoy. Adults will obviously need to be present for supervision purposes, but they shouldn’t have to intervene to explain how the playground works. Allow the kids to learn and play on their own and they will have a great time.