As a parent, guardian, or even just someone who cares, the safety of children has always been our main priority in everything we do. It is a primal instinct ensuring the survival of our species. Thus, when selecting playground sets for kids, safety is always a primary goal.
But not everyone is an expert in playground safety, so how do you choose outdoor play equipment that are both safe and fun?
You've come to the right place!
This article will give you the knowledge you need to answer the question, “How to Select Safe and Engaging Playground Sets?”
Age Appropriateness: Selecting Play Sets for Different Child Age Groups
Safety First: Key Features to Look For in Kid-Friendly Playground Sets
Balancing Fun and Safety: Tips for Choosing Engaging Play Equipment
Incorporating Educational Elements into Playground Designs
Inspection and Maintenance: Ensuring Long-Term Safety and Enjoyment
The CDC (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention) reported that more than 200,000 children receive medical care in emergency departments annually due to playground-related injuries. This is why the U.S. CPSC (Consumer Product Safety Commission) and ASTM International (American Society for Testing and Materials) have put together safety standards for manufacturers and playground owners to follow.
Now that we all know the benefits of safety, let's lay out the key features you should look for in choosing community or school play equipment:
Age Appropriateness: Playground sets are designed with different age groups in mind, from low-lying sensory playground toys or playground structures for toddlers to challenging outdoor play equipment for school-aged children. The various types of equipment are designed to match their physical and cognitive abilities, ensuring their safety during active play, and imaginative play during their unstructured playtime.
Playground Safety Surfacing: While not directly part of community or school playground equipment, playground safety surfacing reduces the risk of fall injury by absorbing the impact of the fall. This is one of the most critical safety features emphasized by CPSC, and ASTM specifically mandates that playground safety surfacing must meet playground safety standards.
Guardrails and Barriers: Playground sets with elevated platforms should have guardrails and barriers to prevent falls, perfect fit if designed for younger children.
Hazard-Free Equipment: Mitigate further injuries by checking if your community or school playground equipment of choice is free of potential hazards like sharp edges, protrusions, entanglement, and entrapment hazards.
Round Edges and Smooth Surfaces: Designing playground sets to have round edges and smooth surfaces will keep children from cuts and bruises from sharp edges and corners.
Crush and Shear Points: Playground sets should be designed to prevent pinching or crushing your child's fingers or limbs. A perfect example would be powder-coated swing chains for swing sets.
Stable and Well-Anchored Structures: Ensure that the playset you choose is designed for stability with proper anchoring installation in mind. Securely anchoring the playground equipment prevents it from tipping over while in use. A good example would be swing sets since this outdoor play structure is more prone to tipping due to its back-and-forth motion.
Materials: Ensure that the materials used in making your chosen playground sets are non-toxic, durable, corrosion, rot, and UV resistant especially when used outdoors in a community or school playground.
Maintenance: When choosing your playground sets, you should take into account the maintenance needed for that particular equipment. For example, wooden playground equipment tends to need more maintenance than powder-coated metal playground equipment.
Warranties: Playground equipment manufacturers who trust that their products are safe, durable, and up to standards offer robust warranties that could even last a lifetime.
Next up! Age Appropriateness. But what is it exactly? Well, just like there are appropriate ages to watch your favorite shows, different playground equipment is also designed with specific age groups in mind.
And according to CPSC and ASTM guidelines the different age ranges are:
6 months to 23 months: Playground sets in this age range are designed to be low on the ground. These playground sets provide sensory stimulation and playful themes to also stimulate your children's imagination. High-back bucket seats are designed to fit your little bundle of joy snugly while you let them experience the thrill of being swung back and forth.
2–5 years old: Preschool children are starting to develop their motor skills and are now able to enjoy the typical belt swings, slides, and playsets. These are designed to be slightly higher off the ground so the children can be more physically challenged while ensuring safety.
5–12 years old: School-aged children are far more likely to invent risky play when placed on a playground designed for younger children; that's why they have their own category. They will constantly need to be challenged and engaged simultaneously. This is the perfect time to introduce them to climbers, balance equipment, and, if the space allows, the long hillside slides.
Balancing fun and safety may sound daunting, but you need not worry much about it if you buy from reputable manufacturers who follow safety standards set by CPSC, and ASTM, especially if they're certified by IPEMA.
These regulatory bodies do their best to ensure your children's safety in the design stage, taking most of the work for you.
Your budget might take a hit, but the guaranteed safety of your children will certainly be a welcome benefit.
Choosing the perfect playground set for kids is an impossible task, especially if you're going to tackle it alone.
Remember that even with the best intentions in mind, it's impossible to know what playground equipment kids will enjoy and never get tired of.
The solution? Make your community part of the project. Consolidate ideas from the community and understand the kids and families and the preferences of the playground's main users.
This not only makes the community feel included and heard but will ensure the selected equipment will be well received and widely used.
In the context of the community, this is the perfect opportunity to take a census on the need to include ADA-compliant features for the playground. This not only ensures safety but will definitely be appreciated.
Additionally, there's a mandate to include these features in your playground once you meet certain requirements.
Here's our Playground Accessibility Guide, which discusses ADA compliance and includes the component chart established by the ADA guidelines.
Playgrounds are also the perfect place to enhance your children's cognitive abilities.
Cognitive abilities as defined by the American Psychological Association (APA), are the skills involved in performing tasks associated with perception, learning, memory, understanding, awareness, reasoning, judgment, intuition, and language.
These are some of the most important skills to develop not only for success in school but also in life.
But let's not stop there; why not include more educational elements or playground toys on the playground like STEM and more?
Water Activity Tables and Troughs: These provide the perfect opportunity to learn about science and math.
Gardening: Why stop at just manipulating water when you can interactively teach your kids biology as they learn practical skills and watch their labor literally bear fruit?
Sand and Soil: Let your children build the castle of their dreams. Watch as they collaborate and make the city of the future.
Outdoor Activity Panels: Various activity panels ranging from tic-tac-toe to gear panels, puzzles, sign language panels, and more.
Outdoor Art & Writing Activities: How about art? There's playground equipment for that too! From cute chalkboard designs to painting panels to cover more art mediums.
We touched on maintenance in the Safety First section; now let's expand on its use, as a proactive approach will keep your children safe and your playground equipment standing the test of time.
Choosing playground sets from reputable manufacturers ensures that they are safe and have been certified by regulatory bodies, but our work continues beyond there:
Regular Inspections: Check for wear and tear, loose bolts, cracks, rust, and compromised playground safety surfacing. Aim for monthly or more frequent inspections, especially in high-use playgrounds.
Surface Maintenance: Maintain proper depths of loose-fill materials like mulch or sand (at least 9-12 inches) to cushion falls.
Repairs: Fix any issues immediately. Tighten loose hardware, replace worn parts, and sand rough edges. Regular lubrication of moving parts (swings, hinges) ensures smooth operation and prevents deterioration.
Documentation: Keep a log of inspections and repairs to track the playground's condition and ensure ongoing safety.
By maintaining your playground sets, you're guaranteeing the safety of your children as well.
Ensuring that our children are safe while having fun is a priority we all share and by selecting the right playground sets, we create an environment where they can enhance their executive function skills, social skills, and nerve growth factors without unnecessary risks.
Remember, when choosing playground sets, always consider age appropriateness, safety features, and the balance between fun and safety.
Incorporate educational elements to enhance cognitive abilities, and regularly inspect and maintain the playground to ensure long-term safety and enjoyment.
By following these guidelines, you'll create a playground, be it a community or a school playground, that not only brings joy to children but also gives you peace of mind.
So go ahead, invest in the future of your community, and watch as your playground becomes a hub of laughter, learning, and unforgettable memories.
Explore our resources and connect with our experts at AAA State of Play to make your playground vision a reality.
