Playground merry go rounds are a classic piece of playground and park equipment. For a child, there is nothing quite like the exhilaration of being spun until he can't walk straight. As a provider of playground equipment, it's critical that you consider the safety of the children before purchasing a playground carousel. Many parks have out of date playground equipment, merry go rounds in particular, which are unsafe for children to play on.

Beyond safe equipment, there are other safety factors to consider in making the most of playground merry go rounds. A padded surface is a critical part of a safe merry go round, as well as choosing the correct size merry go round for the age of the children. Consider the following as you research playground merry go rounds basics:

1. Get up to date safety guidelines and information on commercial playground merry go rounds.

2. Understand the types of safety surfaces to install under merry go rounds.

3. Choose the right size of merry go round play equipment for the children using it.

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

Understand the safety guidelines for a commercial playground merry go round

Every year hospitals treat nearly 200,000 children due to injuries sustained on unsafe playground equipment. Injuries occur on public and home playground equipment alike. Before you buy merry go rounds, make sure you understand their safety guidelines. Installing safe equipment can help protect against lawsuits caused by unsafe playground equipment.

I recommend: The US Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) has current information about merry go round playground equipment safety guidelines. For more safety information on playground merry go rounds visit Weitz & Luxenberg.

Install safety surfaces under a playground carousel to increase safety

There are many options for increasing playground safety. Installing padded playground surface materials is one way. Several options are available when it comes to padded surfaces under playground merry go rounds, including mulch, turf, rubber mats and more. The best type of surface is one with durability in regards to both children and weather.

I recommend: For information on safe playground padding, visit the ABC Article Directory. It outlines several types of safe playground surfaces. For more information on safe playground surfaces, visit Planet Safety.

Purchase the appropriate sized playground equipment merry go round

A 30 person merry go round is not very practical for a small day care, just as a five person merry go round is not practical for a busy city park. Choosing the appropriate sized park merry go round is another way to ensure safety. As you get ready to purchase a merry go round, consider the age of the children playing on the equipment, the size of the playground and the atmosphere where you plan to install the equipment.

I recommend: AAA State of Play is a merry go round play equipment provider that has several options to choose from. Another provider of merry go round playground equipment is Education Works. Both of these providers have small, medium and large merry go rounds available.

Tips & Tactics

Helpful advice for making the most of this Guide

• •  When renovating an old playground on a limited budget, it's better to remove unsafe equipment and forgo having playground merry go rounds than to keep out of date equipment. Older equipment may not meet current safety guidelines.

Merry-go-round systems come in a variety of styles, including single-person play apparatus and metal merry-go-round equipment made for as many as 16 children to enjoy together. Make sure any playground merry-go-rounds are properly installed and meet the building codes in your specific area.

Develop a business relationship with commercial playground merry-go-round companies who can provide you with playground merry-go-rounds for sale at a reasonable price. Cultivating such relationships helps you be confident in the quality of the equipment as well as the reliability of the company you're dealing with when making such large purchases.

1. Look for a playground carousel made specifically for day care facilities.

2. Find equipment safe enough for park merry-go-round systems.

3. Specialize in home playground merry-go-round systems.

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

Buy merry-go-rounds that fit your specific needs

Due to the variety of kids who play on day care playground equipment each day, and the safety standards the day cares are required to meet, specializing in day care playground equipment can be a satisfying and profitable niche market.

I recommend: PlayKids offers merry-go-round playground equipment specifically designed for day care playgrounds, insuring the safety of even the youngest riders. PlaygroundSupplier.com has playground merry-go-rounds for different numbers of riders, making it perfect for day care playgrounds where age groups are separated.

Find commercial playground merry-go-round systems suitable for public parks

Check with the local governing body to insure you're meeting the commercial standards, safety standards and building requirements when installing merry-go-round play equipment for the use of the neighborhood kids.

I recommend: American Playground Corporation offers a variety of playground carousel options, all strong and safe enough for any public playground. In addition, they also offer installation options for your convenience. AAA State of Play has not only various sizes and colors of playground equipment merry-go-round choices, but they also have unique shapes and safety features.

Build home playground merry-go-round play stations and make lifelong friends

Building merry-go-rounds for the use of your clients' families requires a level of personal service you won't find in most playground equipment businesses. In addition, by working with building plans, you have the opportunity to create a custom or vintage playground merry-go-rounds that can start making your reputation.

I recommend: Vintage Projects will provide you with the building plans for a vintage playground merry-go-round that you can build and sell to your customers. Swing Sets and More provides you with the hardware and the instructions to assemble a backyard combination swing and merry-go-round that you can sell and set up for your customers' back yard use.

Tips & Tactics

Helpful advice for making the most of this Guide

• •  Consider designing and building handicap-accessible park merry-go-round systems to create uninhibited play for all the kids in the neighborhood.

Installing a playground or park merry go round can be a chore. There are a lot of things to consider, from correct placement for long-term wear or use, to local ordinance or laws, to safety and the actual methods of getting the playground carousel or merry go round in place. (There's also maintenance). So, it can be tough to find the help you need.

Online sites are the pathway to merry go round playground equipment training and education: lots of different web resources can enlighten those responsible for installing playground carousel or merry go round models in a public space. Readers can find:

1. Consulting firms that help train clients on the design and placement of playground merry go rounds.

2. Safety authorities that can help the responsible public space administrators navigate the ins and out of public safety and welfare regarding playground merry go rounds education and training.

3. Work and public forums where readers can get a first-hand view of how the public uses commercial playground merry go round models or how workers generally install or take care of them.

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

Get design training and education for playground merry go rounds

One option that you can find online is firms dedicated to helping clients do the 'total install' for an entire playground, or parts including playground merry go rounds. These companies are skilled in determining methods and placement, as well as giving overall tips on public use.

I recommend: Get training seminars and consulting from Site Masters, Inc. for figuring out just how and where to install a merry go round in a public play space. Find more training and consulting options for playground merry go rounds and playground gear at Sure Play International Rubber Surfacing.

Find safety and legal info and education for playground merry go rounds

Another aspect where the web can help out is in connecting clients to authorities on public safety and the supervision of playground merry go rounds and public amenities. This part of playground merry go rounds setup is not to be missed, as certain federal and local laws apply to creating public play spaces.

I recommend: Get education on playground merry go rounds and playground safety from a legal perspective at Snider & Associates, where school and public play safety is a priority. Get more safety and training for playgrounds from the National Program for Playground Safety online.

Look for forums online for tips and notes on playground merry go rounds

If you want a look at what others say about the process of installation, or how the playground merry go rounds for sale to public space adiminstrators are enjoyed after they are installed, the Internet can help out there, too. Just access some public forums where builders and users talk about their views on the equipment they find inside the playground, including play equipment merry go round models.

I recommend: Get work-related tips for an install from the web page of Pro Installation Plus. For a different kind of informational resource, check out first-hand reviews of playgrounds from UrbanMamas.

Tips & Tactics

Helpful advice for making the most of this Guide

• •  Always also consult the owner's manual for a playground equipment merry go round, and talk to the top heads of your organization before going ahead with physical installations that could leave your employer or group open to litigation.

Adding playground merry go rounds to public or private play areas can add a considerable amount of money to your budget. However, because safety is a priority, scrimping on this piece of equipment isn't an option.

Factors such as the type, size and style of the equipment will affect the cost. Consider the following suggestions to help you plan your budget to absorb playground merry go rounds pricing and costs:

1. Add traditional playground merry go rounds to the play area.

2. Upgrade to saucer style merry go rounds.

3. Decide if pedal merry go rounds or residential merry go rounds are an option for you.

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

Consider the cost of traditional playground merry go rounds

Traditional playground merry go rounds are merry go rounds that use hand rails on a deck plate for children to hold on to while they spin the playground toy. Children can sit, stand or lay down on these models. In order to make these turn, a child or adult must hold on to the bars and run in a circle around the merry go round. Most of these merry go rounds range from 6 to 12 inches, with 8 and 10 inches being the most common.

I recommend: American Park and Recreation Association offers metal merry go round playground equipment priced at $2,500 and up. Bluegrass Playgrounds offers playground carousel models starting at around $1,800 for a 6 inch model.

Price tea cup playground merry go rounds

Tea cup playground merry go rounds, which are also called saucer merry go rounds, have a seat with a central round controller that is used to make the merry go round go in circles. These models encourage the children to sit and usually have a governor to control rotation speed. These can be used by preschoolers and older children. Some of these even have safety harnesses or seat belts.

I recommend: PlaygroundSupplier.com sells playground equipment. Merry go round tea cup models are priced from around $2,300. You can buy merry go rounds from Education Works. This company offers a tea cup model priced at under $2,500.

Opt for specialty playground merry go rounds

Specialty playground merry go rounds, including round we go models are popular additions to playgrounds. Generally, commercial models are powered by pedals similar to bicycle pedals. Residential models are usually attached to an overhead pole and powered by the children walking or pushing off on the ground.

I recommend: AAA State of Play sells specialty park merry go round equipment. The price for the 'Round We Go' model is under $2,000. You can find a home playground merry go round at Toys 'R' Us for under $150.