Commercial Playground Equipment

Whether you need playground equipment for a school, park or community venue, commercial play manufacturers have an expansive inventory to suit your needs. Choose a supplier with extensive experience in meeting minimum safety standards and designing unique themed equipment.

Climbers are a playground staple that work children’s upper body strength. Freestanding music and game panels like drums and tic-tac-toe are engaging and stimulating for kids.

Safety Standards

When purchasing commercial playground equipment, you’ll want to ensure that it meets the necessary safety standards. This will help reduce the risk of injuries that can occur while children play on the structures. A good place to start is by asking the manufacturer what safety standards their equipment meets. They’ll usually be able to provide you with documentation.

Some of the most important safety standards are related to head entrapment. This occurs when a child’s head is caught in openings such as those found on rails, bars and rungs. This can cause serious injury or even death. To minimize this risk, any such openings should be less than 3 1/2 inches in height and 9 inches in width. Also, all equipment should be free of protruding bolt ends and other sharp points or edges that can also create entrapment hazards.

Other important safety standards are related to protective surfacing and equipment footings. Protective surfacing must be inspected and maintained to make sure it is in adequate condition, with a minimum of 6 feet of clearance from any piece of equipment. Footings should be free of tripping and catching hazards, such as rocks, tree roots and dirt. It’s also a good idea to keep the children’s area clear of natural obstacles, such as branches and weeds that could become projectiles during play.

Durability

The durability of commercial playground equipment can depend on the materials used. Some commercial playground equipment metal components are coated in a weatherproof material, protecting them from corrosion. Plastics may be designed to resist fading or color loss.

The choice of surfacing can also influence how durable the play structure is. Loose-fill options like wood mulch or shredded rubber can provide cushioning but require more frequent maintenance and replacement than unitary products like poured-in-place surfacing or interlocking rubber tiles.

Ultimately, the type of playground equipment you choose must meet safety standards and be durable enough for repeated use by many kids. You don’t want your equipment to wear down so that kids are at risk for injury or you are at risk of a lawsuit. Invest in high-quality equipment from trusted manufacturers and keep it properly maintained so that it lasts as long as possible.

If you are planning a public playground, it is best to choose equipment that can be easily inspected and repaired by qualified personnel. This will ensure that all equipment is safe to use for a long period of time. An important part of the inspection process is to identify any obvious breaks or cracks that need to be replaced. A dead giveaway that it’s time to replace the equipment is when kids or caregivers complain about a broken piece of equipment or it becomes clearly apparent that the equipment isn’t functioning as well as it should be.

Design

Whether they are used in schools, parks or housing complexes, playground equipment is a place where kids can enjoy outdoor play with friends and develop skills for the future. Choosing the right equipment depends on the needs of each facility, location and budget. An experienced playground equipment provider will have a team that can create a custom design, work with local authorities and provide the best equipment for your project.

The design of the playground equipment must meet safety standards as well as be durable enough to handle repeated use by a large number of children. For example, metal components should be coated with an antimicrobial coating and a UV-resistant finish to help them withstand weather elements like rain, wind and sun. Plastic playground equipment is also a popular choice because it is easy to clean and requires less maintenance than metal structures.

When it comes to the overall theme and look of the playground, a wide selection of equipment can be used to inspire children’s imaginations and encourage cooperative play. commercial playground equipment For instance, the classic merry-go-round is a fun way to promote group play and improve balance. It can accommodate multiple children at once and comes in a variety of shapes and colors.

Other playground equipment that is fun for kids of all ages is the spring rider, which gives them the opportunity to burn off excess energy and exercise their bodies. Another fun option is the teeter-totter, which provides balance practice and helps kids release their creative energy.

Age Group

Age groups on playground equipment tell us the types of activities and play elements that were designed to be used by children at each particular ages. They also help supervisors to identify and avoid unsafe equipment.

Kids of all ages need ways to burn off excess energy and learn about the world around them through imaginative play. However, children of different ages have very different physical abilities, intellectual skills and social interactions. This is why most commercial playgrounds are not designed to accommodate all ages at the same time.

Children ages 2-5 grow rapidly and need to build their strength, coordination and balance. They also need ways to practice their fine motor skills and build their social skills. Playgrounds for this age group usually include higher platforms and slides, smaller swings and corkscrew or loop pole climbers to challenge their upper body strength.

School aged children can develop their intellectual and social skills through organized activities on a playground while learning teamwork and taking turns. They need playground structures that are more challenging, such as angled bridges, angled stairs and taller slides and climbers. These structures often have a more modern design that can incorporate elements like monkey bars and rope climbers to engage their competitive spirit.