Community playground not only is an important space for children to release energy, study and social, but also an important facility to enhance neighborhood interact and improve social active. A successful playground construction project, not only need a reasonable plan, also need to take something into consideration, combining safety, budget, creativity ideas with long term maintain and many other aspects.
If you are preparing to develop a community playground project, this complete guide can help you to know the key process from plan to construction, helping you to create a truly outdoor community playground space which suitable for children and families to use.
How to construct a playground？
It seems difficult that plan, design and finish a community playground construction project, but only need to have a clearly plan and major team support, the whole process can become more high efficiency and smooth. Here are important steps to construct a community playground.
1.Set goals
Before contact the playground facility company, the team need to clear the whole playground’s construction goals, such as security, maintenance convenience and design creativity. Children safety is an important point, so during the design process, equipment height, buffer ground and parents vision all should be considered. At the same time, it is should consider that whether it convenient for the maintenance of time ahead, including clean up the rubbish, check the equipment, daily maintenance and other problems. Besides, modern community more and more attention to creative playground ideas, such as music interactive facilities, technology elements and environmental theme design, making clearly goal in advance, which can help future construction project progress smoothly.
2.Choose playground equipment company as early as possible
Many communities find equipment supplier later in the project, doing this easy lead to budget overrun and design conflict, it is recommend that contact major playground company in the plan beginning.
Major equipment company usually can offer:
Budget control, which can according to your project budget to recommend a more reasonable equipment matching plan, avoid overspending.
Safety standards suggest, playground construction must conform to relativity safety standard, planning in advance can reduce rectification problems lately.
The place plan and design, the equipment company know more the safety distance and spatial layout needs of different equipment.
Major team can offers more suitable playground ideas according to community needs, and help to ensure the whole style and functional position.
Communicate in advance can avoid reworking late stage, improve the whole construction project efficient.
3.Set up a committee
Build a community playground is a large project which need many people to cooperation, so that the first step is set a special committee. Team members including public relations staff, fundraising leader, children development consultant and building maintenance staff, distributing clear tasks, time, responsibilities to every member. By teamwork, not only can improve construction efficiency, also can let whole playground construction plan more systematization.
4.Determine location
If you have a first plan for the scale and function of whole outdoor playground construction project, which can find a suitable outdoor place. The position can directly influence future customer flow, operational effect and experience of children play, it is need to evaluate in advance. Apart from play facilities, also should reserve parent rest area, toilet, bench, shoe cabinet, storage area and birthday party area. At the same time, it should measure the size of the space in advance, making sure construction will not be restricted by space in the future.
5.Raise questions and collect feedback
While design community playground, by community surveying, parents talking and collecting opinions online these way, to know what facilities are resident really need. At the same time, also can refer currently popular playground equipment from nearby park, and analyze which functions still lack. This kind of early feedback not only can help to improve the whole project, also can let playground more popular and has highly usage rate.
6.Invite a playground consultant
Professional playground consultant can help community to avoid many common problems. They not only can help to check the place whether conform to safety standards, also can propose more reasonable construction ideas according to budget, site area and use requirements. Here are some questions that many communities can consult:
How to control construction cost?
Which ground materials more safety?
How to make the playground more suitable for kids from different ages?
How to improve playground inclusivity?
Professional consultant like a playground architect, which can help community to build a more scientific playground plan.
7.Ensure the budget
Budget Planning is an important part of the whole playground construction project. The cost of playground usually including equipment procurement, floor Installation, transport, install, landscape construction and future maintain. The price of different facilities and material are very large, it is recommend that plan a whole budget on the project early, and reserve some maintenance money, to make sure follow-up long term use become more stable.
8.Obtain necessary approvals.
Community playground is belong to public space, it is need comply with local construction, building and land use laws. Different areas has different requires for safety standard, equipment distant and accessible path, it is recommend that communicate with relativity government departments in advance. At the same time, it also need to make sure whether ground has electrical wires, water pipes or gas facilities, avoiding construction has safety problems in the future. Professional playground equipment company usually can help to deal with relevant approvals.
9.Start Fundraising
Community is a long term investment, so the fundraising is an important part in project. Apart from apply government for grants or foundations support, it also can by community activities to raise funds.
Community market
Lottery race
Charitable run
Silent auction
Wash car activity
Community food festival
Community child-parent carnival
By doing interesting fundraising ideas, not only can raise budget, also can improve resident’s attention to playground project.
10.Choose an amusement park equipment manufacturer
While choosing a playground equipment manufacturer, it is need to pay attention to corporate reputation, products approve, after sales service and warranty policy and other aspects. Professional factory not only can offers equipment, but also join in equipment design, material choose and the whole playground ideas plan. After finishing the design, manufacturer’s representative usually can help the install and construction management in the future, letting the whole construction project more smoothly.
11. Make a project schedule and deadline
Finishing the early stage preparations, it should make detailed construction schedule, including equipment transportation, landscape construction, floor installation and install time, all need to arrange in advance.
Break down the large project into many phase goals, which can not only easy to manage, also can reduce the team pressure. At the same time, it also need to remain extra time, it can response to construction emergency.
12. Continue to install
When the equipment, material and construction team all finish the prepare, which can formal start playground installation. Some community will choose to hire a professional contractor, also other project can organize community volunteers join in construct together.
Installation cost usually account for a large proportion in construction budget, so reasonable arrangement people and construction ways can effectively reduce the whole project cost.
13. Celebrate and publicity your playground
After finishing playground construction, it can host a large opening event, inviting community residents, medias and local agencies join in together.
At the same time, also can by social media post photos and activity content, to improve community attention, letting more families to know and use new playground. After a long time plan and effort, a successful community playground project not only worth to celebrate, but also can become an important public space in the community’s future.
14. Develop late stage maintain plan
After community playground construction finishing, it also need long term maintain that can ensure safety and normal operation. It is recommend that develop a plan in advance, including check the equipment, ground clean, parts replacement and safety inspection, regular maintenance not only can extend the service Life, but also can improve parent’s trust to community residents.
Playground materials choose and recommend
Children can running, climbing and jumping constantly in the playground, so the materials security is very important. Reasonable construction material not only can reduce the risk of injury, but also extend equipment service life.
1. Playground equipment
Modern playground equipment usually can combine some material use together, such as plastics, metals, ropes, and wood. High quality equipment not only need has good corrosion resistance, but also can bears long term and high frequency use.
Choose high quality material, which can effective to reduce maintenance and replacement cost in the future.
2. Playground mat
In the slide exit, under the swing and other high frequency activity areas, it can add wear resistant rubber mats. This kind of mat can effectively reduce ground wear, and improve buffering effect while children fall down.
Although playground mat can’t complete replacement the whole ground, it can act as an important part in playground safety plan
3. Playground surface paving
Monolithic floor including rubber floor tiles, man made turf and on-site poured rubber. Even this kind of material construction cost is highly, it is more durable, and more suitable for wheelchair access, so more and more modern playground project can first choose monolithic floor.
Playground flooring is an important protective layer while children fall down, so it is need to first consider safety and durability. Common flooring materials mainly divided into two types, which is loose filler material and monolithic floor
Loose filler material include engineered wood fiber and rubber granules, even the cost lower and drainage is good , but maintenance is more in the future, easy to move because of children’s activity.
4.Sensory integration training equipment
Sensory integration training equipment can help children to improve balance, body coordination and sensory cognitive ability, common equipment including balance beams, tactile interactive walls, rotating equipment, and soft obstacle areas. Adding these kinds of equipment in outdoor community playground not only can rich construction project functionality, but also can improve playground’s attractive.
Key points for choose playground equipment
Different ages of children has different needs for playground equipment, so it need to reasonable partitioning while designing.
1. Early Childhood
Children aged 3 to 5 more suitable for low altitude, highly interactive playground equipment, such as sensory panel, small slide and music interactive facilities. These kinds of equipment can help children to improve sensory experience, mood develop and basic exercises abilities.
2. School-aged children
Children aged 5 to 12 usually like pore challenging playground ideas, such as climb frames, rope net structures, high slides, and balance equipment. These kinds of facilities can improve children improve power, coordination and social interactive ability.
3. Electronic games
In recent years, interactive electronic play equipment become more and more popular. This kind of equipment combine electronic games with outdoor exercise, letting children experience the fun of technological interaction while exercising, letting whole playground project more attractive.
4.Fitness and health
Modern community more and more pay attention to on all ages playground design, which many projects can add many facilities, such as fitness equipment, cycling training equipment and comprehensive fitness station, letting adults can join in activity.
The benefits of community playground
1.Offer a safe and controlled activity environment
Comparing with outdoor place, outdoor community playground can offers more stable and controlled environment. The space usually has air conditioning, fresh air system, anti-collision facilities and monitor equipment, which can effectively reduce safety hazards, such as weather, high temperatures, rainfall, or external traffic.
2.Strengthen local economy
High quality playground can improve community attractive. When many families choose live areas, which can first consider whether it has safe and perfect children activity space, so excellent playground construction project also can help to improve community value.
3.Inspire community join in and interact
Community playground usually can become an important place for neighborhood interaction. Parents can bring their kids join in activities together, residents also can more easy to establish contact. At the same time, community activity, festival gatherings and charity events always around the playground expand.
4.Beneficial for children’s growth
Playground can help children improve physical coordination, cognitive ability and social skills. Children by climbing, jumping, cooperation and role playing, learn solve problems while playing, enhancing creativity and sensory experience.
Request a community playground quote at Tongle Playground
Tongle Playground committed to create a safe, interesting and creative playground solution for community. From early stage plan, equipment recommend to installation and maintenance, Tongle Playground can offers client complete service.
Whether you are prepare to start a new playground construction project, or help to upgrade existing children activity space, professional team can according to your budget, space and ideas, helping you to create a playground which truly suitable for community needs. Contact Tongle Playground now, and start your community playground project.
From material choose to theme ideas, then the later stages of maintenance and operation, every detail all can influence the playground’s future development. A excellent outdoor community playground, not only can offers children a happy growth environment, but also become a most lively public activity center in the community.
Create a successful outdoor community playground, which is not only a simple installation of playground equipment, but also a long term construction project that combine safe, design, operations and community needs. Only by doing early stage planning, reasonable budget and equipment match, which can create a high quality space that truly suitable for kids development and community interaction.
