Playground Space and Design Tips

Before you purchase your new playground equipment, take a few minutes and consider two important issues: design and space. Both of these issues will play an important part in both safety and enjoyment. If you are not sure how to go doing that, here are some tips.

Age Groups: Generally speaking, playground equipment should be designed for two age groups: pre-school children who are between 2 and 5; and school-aged children who are 5 to 12 and older. For families that have children in both groups, it is a good idea to separate the two play areas if possible. Playground equipment designed for older kids will almost certainly be too big in proportion for the smaller kids to play on safely.

Guardrail Safety: Before allowing children to play on elevated devices, parents should make sure that guardrails are in place and that they are secured tightly.

Moving Device Spacing: Some playground equipment moves, these include things like swings and seesaws. When you place these devices, make sure that there is plenty of space for children to walk around without being hit by the device or the child playing on the device.

Swing Spacing: If you are building your own swing set, make sure that there is plenty of space between the swings. At a minimum, you want to have about two feet or twenty-four inches between swings. It is also important to make sure that the outside swings are located at least thirty inches from the support structure itself.

Ladder Rungs: Ladder rungs, often used on slides and other devices that require climbing, should never be less than nine inches apart. Rungs that are spaced less than that can cause injury should a child get his or her head stuck between them. The foot area of the rung, the place where they put their feet as they climb up or down, should be no less than three inches wide, and should be slip-resistant.

Ladders should also be placed where if a fall should take place the child will not land on something that might cause serous harm or even death. Access up and down the ladder should be free, meaning the child should not have to climb through or around tree branches or such when using the ladder.

If space is limited in the yard, it is often better to have fewer playground devices than it is to cram more into the space. The less room there is for children to maneuver around the equipment the more likely an accident becomes.