Are you going to develop a new playground for your school, park, or town?
Congratulations – this is going to be one fun, but giant, project!
Uh oh. Did your excitement just falter? Don’t worry – this is not uncommon when taking on such a big task. But don’t let the overwhelming project get the best of you. You can do this.
You’ll want to start by choosing some awesome outdoor play equipment. But that’s only one piece of the puzzle when it comes to creating the perfect playground. There are a few more factors to consider that could mean the difference between a seldom-used playground and the most popular playground ever.
Creating the Perfect Playground: 5 Improvement Tips to Try Right Now
Follow these five improvement tips, and you won’t just have a nice playground with cool outdoor play equipment – you’ll have the best playground around.
1. Location, Location, Location
There are two things to consider when choosing a location for your play area.
First, it needs to be accessible. Having a playground at the far end of town in an area where there are no schools or parks, or where few families live will not be the best choice. Do that, and your playground will be a ghost town, regardless of whether you have awesome outdoor play equipment or not.
Second, it needs to be inviting. A playground in a bad part of town is definitely not a good idea. You want to keep kids safe and give their parents peace of mind.
It’s also probably not a good idea to put your playground in a creepy part of town, like on the edge of a dark, scary-looking, wooded area. If you do put your playground in an area like this, you’ll want to make it look as inviting as possible (more about this later).
2. Choose the Ideal Outdoor Play Equipment for Your Space
OK, now we’ve come to one of the best parts of creating the most unbelievable playground ever –outdoor play equipment.
Seriously, there are so many structures to choose from that it may take you a while to decide which one is best for your playground.
Playground Outfitters doesn’t really make the decision any easier. You’ll find hundreds of play structures to choose from, you can find:
- Merry-go-Rounds
- Swing sets
- Spring riders
- Climbers
- Sand diggers
- Independent play structures
- Themed structures, like a magnificent castle or an adventurous pirate ship.
Which one will you choose? One of each? Sounds like a good plan!
3. Enhance the Natural Beauty Surrounding the Play Area
Even the most engaging outdoor play equipment won’t keep families around if your location looks like a dump. The presentation is everything.
Take some time to come up with a plan to clean up the area. Remove any trash or debris. Prune unruly plants, bushes, or trees. Then, add some beautiful, colorful flowers that will draw people in to the playground. Most kids tend to love flowers. They can make daisy chains with them or pick small bouquets for their moms.
4. Make Sure the Space Looks Inviting and (More Importantly) Fun
When designing your play space, think about how you want it to look overall. Do you want it to look natural like it belongs in the middle of beautiful, natural surroundings? If so, you can choose play equipment with muted colors.
If, on the other hand, you want it to look wild, free, zany, and artistic, choose play structures with lots of color.
Don’t forget the surrounding areas. For instance, if you put a fence around your playground, dress it up with cute decorations, like oversized, wooden flowers that can be painted various colors. Maybe even some of the kids can help you paint them.
Don’t forget to add space on the grounds for:
- Solitary play or reading
- Group activities, like art projects, crafts, or making giant bubbles.
5. Find Ways to Increase Playground Usability for All Children
Another important thing to consider when designing your playground is accessibility and usability for all children.
According to a 2012 Census Bureau Report, one in five Americans has a disability. That’s a huge percentage of the population. Unfortunately, most parks around the country aren’t accessible to people with varying ability levels.
Thankfully, more and more playgrounds are designed to be inclusive. This makes every child in the community feel welcome.
How can you make your playground more accessible?
- Allow for wheelchair access
- Provide multi-sensory experiences (auditory, visual, tactile)
- Add ramps that lead up to the equipment
- Offer quiet spaces for children with autism.
Get the Best Playground in Town with Proper Planning and Fun Outdoor Play Equipment
Developing the perfect playground takes a lot of planning. You need to find the best location, choose amazing outdoor play equipment, and figure out how to make the playground and equipment accessible to all.
This level of planning can take quite a bit of time – but it’s totally worth it.
When you put your heart, soul, and time into the design of your outdoor play area, you can rest assured that you’ll create something that all the kids in town will clamor to visit.
Are you unsure how to design a super cool playground? Contact us to discuss your playground vision and see how Playground Outfitters can help you make that happen.
