Action Steps
The best contacts and resources to help you get it done

Keep children safe by adhering to safety guidelines about playground equipment

Playground equipment can be dangerous if safety guidelines aren't followed. Making safety a priority when you plan a playground helps to lessen the possibility of injury or illness for the children that play on the park equipment.

I recommend: The Environmental Protection Agency maintains a database, according to location, of rules, laws and regulations concerning environmental factors for playground equipment. Outdoor Fun Store has safety information concerning commercial and residential playground equipment. This company offers a guarantee that all of the equipment it sells meets current safety standards.

Know what type of playground equipment you need

Playground equipment is divided into indoor playground equipment and outdoor playground equipment. These two categories are further categorized into age levels, including ages six months to 12 years. When you are choosing playground equipment, you should pick a main unit that is appropriate for the majority of children that will play on it and add accessories for children of all ages.

I recommend: Kidstruction and PlaySetParts.com both sell playground equipment sets and individual components. Kidstruction specializes in home playground equipment. PlaySetParts.com specializes in park playground equipment, including indoor playground equipment.

Find playground equipment that complies with ADA accessibility guidelines

The Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990 (ADA) states that public playground equipment built or modified after January 26, 1991 must be accessible for people with disabilities. The ADA doesn't specify that all of the equipment has to be ADA accessible, but you must have a portion of the play area that is accessible.

I recommend: Playworld Systems has a playground planning tool that makes it easy to determine if you have suitable ADA accessible for your playground. AAA State of Play offers a varied selection of wholesale playground equipment and additions that are ADA accessible. ADA Accessibility Guidelines offers detailed explanations in an easy to understand format about ADA accessible playground equipment.

Helpful advice for making the most of this Guide

• •  In most areas, commercial playground equipment must be inspected on a regular basis by code enforcement officers or other recognized inspectors.

Guide to Playground Equipment

How to get safe, imaginative and fun playground equipment for your business needs

By Kelly Shetsky

Action Steps
The best contacts and resources to help you get it done

Outline your business' needs for playground equipment

Before you get bogged down with looking through hundreds of examples of commercial playground equipment, figure out the scope of your project. There are many companies with playground equipment for sale. You must decide if you want a simple play area or a complex play system. For younger children, for instance, consider child play furniture like plastic houses and picnic tables. They are a perfect addition to a daycare's residential playground equipment. You can also add some fun inside with indoor playground equipment like climbing walls, plastic furniture and mats.

I recommend: BYO Playground supplies playgrounds to churches, parks and schools. Use All Playground Equipment.com as a directory of outdoor playground equipment suppliers.

Talk to a child play furniture expert about what you're trying to accomplish

It can get overwhelming when you're faced with hundreds or even thousands of options when it comes to outdoor playground equipment. Talking to someone can help you make the right decision for your business, home or school. Representatives from various suppliers are on hand to help you plan your purchase. Some child play furniture manufacturers even let you design your own equipment.

I recommend: Kidstruction will work with you to determine exactly what you need. Call or email a representative and they will go through the entire process with you. Check out Outdoor Fun Store's design center. It allows you to design your own swing set. Add in bridges, towers, ladders, beams and rock walls, too.

Consider only park equipment that meets strict commercial playground equipment standards

More than 200,000 kids are treated in the emergency room every year because of injuries they sustain on playgrounds. It's a fact of life: kids will get hurt. But, getting hurt because of shoddy playground equipment is unacceptable. Buy durable equipment that resists vandalism and wear and tear from hard use by children over time. For swing sets, make sure the chains are coated in vinyl to protect little fingers from getting pinched. Choose outdoor playground equipment made with galvanized bolts instead of nails.

I recommend: Outdoor Fun Store uses high-quality lumber to make child playground equipment like swing sets. Wow Playgrounds has a management and owner team with more than 110 combined years in the industry.

Mix it up between fun and learning

Park equipment should provide children with fun, imaginative playtime. It should also challenge them mentally and physically. A playground must have a good mix of traditional park playground equipment and equipment that promotes balance, sports and fitness. For instance, buy swing sets and slides in addition to tether ball sets and a children ball pits.

I recommend: Game Time uses a research-based approach. Their playground equipment is developed for different stages of growth and helps children develop their skill sets early. Sun Country Systems considers safety, fun and imagination very important. Detailed Play Pro has a plethora of choices with it comes to park equipment.

Arrange for the child playground equipment supplier to install and inspect everything

Safe child play furniture coated with soft rubber isn't going to do much good if it's not assembled properly. Retailers know this and they provide installation professionals to get the job done right.

I recommend: Sun Country Systems is a licensed contractor. They'll inspect the equipment when it's installed and work with you on regular inspections. Noah's Park & Playgrounds will provide you with an experienced professional to install your commercial playground equipment. If you want to make installation a community event, they'll send someone out to supervise it.

Helpful advice for making the most of this Guide

• •  Pevent playground injuries by making sure you have regular inspections done on your commercial playground equipment.

Action Steps
The best contacts and resources to help you get it done

Choose appropriate surfacing for the playground equipment

Playground surfacing provides a sturdy base for the playground equipment while adding a measure of safety by giving the children something other than the hard ground to land on if they fall. There are numerous surfacing materials available, including recycled rubber and natural wood.

I recommend: Surface Play is a company that specializes in providing surfacing that is ASTM F1292 and CSA Z614 compliant. This company offers professional installation for its products. Detailed Play Systems has a varied selection of timbers and surfacing supplies offered at wholesale prices.

Use age appropriate outdoor playground equipment

Children in different age groups need different types of playground equipment. If the playground will service children of all ages, you should pick a main piece of equipment that is appropriate for the average age and then add accessories that are suitable for older and younger children. In some cases, such as an early childhood learning center, you can purchase a full set of equipment without worrying about the accessories as all of the children are in the same age group.

I recommend: APark.com is a commercial playground equipment supplier. This company has all of its park playground equipment separated by age appropriateness to make it easy for you to pick suitable equipment. This company offers free shipping and quantity discounts. Miracle Recreation Equipment Company offers a varied selection of wholesale playground equipment. This company offers financing and fundraising help for qualified organizations and businesses. Additionally, their specially trained staff will help to ensure that you have the proper equipment and accessories for your needs.

Find supplies to make the playground equipment ADA accessible

When you are purchasing playground equipment, you should keep disabled children and parents in mind. In most cases, equipment is available that allows disabled children and parents to use the equipment. Offering ADA accessible equipment allows any child to have fun.

I recommend: Outdoor Fun Store has ADA compatible playground equipment for sale. This company offers a varied selection of accessories to make many playground features accessible to handicap children. This company offers installation, maintenance and safety inspections on all of the equipment it sells. This company sells commercial and residential playground equipment. BYO Playground sells ADA accessible additions for both outdoor and indoor playground equipment. This company offers financing for qualified businesses and organizations.

Helpful advice for making the most of this Guide

• •  Contact your local code enforcement officials to find out if your area has any special requirements for playground equipment as these codes may affect the equipment you can purchase. In some areas, park equipment must have an antibacterial coating if used in a commercial location.