How To Choose A Playground That Will Provide The Best Long-Term Investment

Partnering with an outdoor play specialist to design a playground installation isn’t a frequent occurrence for most of us, which considering the high costs involved, is probably a good thing. However, that does mean that when a collaboration does happen, it is vital to choose a set-up that delivers maximum value for money by providing longevity.

Below are 5 tips on what to consider when developing an outdoor play area that will stand the test of time – and keep local children happier, for longer.

Choose An Iconic Landmark Piece To Visibly Communicate Safety For Families

Big Ben, the Eiffel Tower, and the Sydney Opera House. Think of a playground as the impressive pièce de résistance of a tourist destination for attracting visitors. It might not be immediately obvious, but an important factor in assembling a play area for long-term use is ensuring it has the ‘wow!’ factor. While the novelty of a new installation is always likely to draw a crowd, keeping them coming with continued frequency is made easier by a memorable feature.

An iconic landmark is best made with a large item that has charisma (such as a dinosaur slide) but can still be achieved on more limited budgets by adding anything with height or colour.

The long-term gain of making the play area stand-out is that it attracts more users, which will result in communities developing around it over time. Seeing the space get consistent use communicates safety and a community spirit, which encourages groups to organise events in the vicinity.

A neighbourhood making regular use of a playground has a circular benefit – the visibility of people putting the area to good use discourages anti-social behaviour and crime, which in turn attracts even further use by families.

Popular styles for outdoor play equipment involve either letting it blend into its’ natural surroundings, the timbers adding to an environmental feel, or matching it to the logo colours of an organisation involved in its’ funding and upkeep. Either way, the key to building a successful play area is to make a visual impact – Create a great space, not a grey space!

Choose Outdoor Play Equipment That Will Be Popular

When it comes to securing the longevity of a play area on a limited budget, it is best to choose the simplest equipment possible. The less complicated they are, the less there is to go wrong. But there are other factors to consider too. Different pieces of equipment draw in users to differing degrees, as the findings of the National Study Of Playgrounds reveals:

SWINGS: ‘We found that for every swing there was 6% more use of playgrounds and an 8% increase in how long people stayed. A play area with 12 swings translates to a 72% increase in use and almost double the stay time’

TOWERS: ‘Playgrounds with tall towers have 17% more users FOR EACH ADDITIONAL TOWER’

CLIMBERS: ‘Each climber adds 4% more users, 6% longer stay time’

SPINNERS: ‘Playgrounds with spinners have 31% longer stay time’

The key to long-term success here is variety. Offer a play area with a range of activities and it will maintain children’s interest. By being aware of the ages and abilities of the youngsters who will be using the area, the best possible facilities for their needs can be provided.

As the name implies, Creative Play love to get innovative and try new avenues of design – however experimenting with new concepts isn’t always easy when budgets are tight. To guarantee children of all ages, sizes and abilities can enjoy an installation being built on limited funds, we fall back on our 30+ years of experience to recommend several ‘tried and tested’ playground layouts proven to satisfy even the most diverse of groups.

Choose Playgrounds Made Of High-Quality Materials   

Adequate Safety Surfacing (BSEN 1177): Requirements for surfacing are influenced by the height of the equipment – the taller they are, the deeper the safety surfacing needs to be.

Safety standards: Outdoor play equipment should meet the standards set out by playground safety consultants and inspectors The Play Inspection Company and be RPII (Register of Play Inspectors International) accredited.

Panels: The best constituents to use for longevity must be robust and durable in the face of extensive, rigorous use. At Creative Play, for the coloured elements of equipment we use high-spec, co-extruded polyethylene Playtec panels, a material that won’t delaminate and is unaffected by moisture. As they are UV stable boards, they won’t fade in the sunshine either, a common problem over the course of time for inferior materials. In addition to this, our new panels are also 80% recycled.

Ropes: When it comes to ensuring maximum possible safety, be sure that ropes are steel reinforced and made of a six strand multi-filament secured by hydraulically pressed, tamper-proof end connections – and tested to take a 9000 kg load.

Timber: Sustainability is more important than ever when considering resources, and taking pride of place as the primary material in Creative Play’s equipment is timber. All wood used by us is from FSC (Forest Stewardship Council) approved suppliers and pressure treated with chrome-free and arsenic-free preservative.

Choose A Phased Approach To Future-Proof The Play Area

Consideration needs to be given to the available space for installation, which involves:

• The area that will be physically occupied by the equipment (must meet minimum area standards)
• Free space required around the equipment (both horizontally and vertically)
• Falling space (from the highest point of the equipment intended for normal use)

These spaces need to conform to British and European Safety Standards (BSEN 1176) and measuring for equipment is best conducted by a specialist in outdoor play installations.

Safety standards are not the only concern when it comes to space – if used wisely the area can be future-proofed for further projects. While there may be a temptation to plant an eye-catching play tower at the centre of the grounds, by allowing a Creative Play expert to curate the area with more intent, room can be saved for expansion, which will save on future digging and re-installation costs.

By employing a phased approach to the installation, the playground can be easily widened once more funding becomes available. With Creative Play’s innovative modular Jigsaw designs, equipment can be added upon and expanded with over 100 other components at any time, making it an outstanding first step in creating the ultimate outdoor play area.

Choose A Service That Offers Regular Maintenance Checks

The best method of securing a long-lasting future for playground equipment is with annual check-ups. This should be carried out by a trained RPII (Register Of Playground Inspectors International) qualified inspector, who will ensure that all outdoor play equipment meets with British and European EN1176 standards.

Ideally, an examination should include a full report of a thorough operational inspection and renewal of any worn moving parts. To avoid the broken window effect (wherein neighbourhoods fall into disrepair leading to anti-social behaviour), any required works should be conducted as soon as possible.

Fortunately, Creative Play provide an excellent aftercare service. As Rhyl Rugby Club can attest:

‘We are very grateful for Creative Play’s response to an unfortunate incident that happened over a particular weekend whereby the slide was severely damaged by vandalism. They were very quick to replace it (within days) so that the playground could resume to normality’.

By partnering with Creative Play, local authorities can work out ways to save money while still delivering new, high-quality, outdoor play areas to their communities.

Every child deserves the opportunity to play, so let’s make it happen!

Interested in how a playground can benefit your local community?

Discover How To Deliver Inclusivity, Wellbeing And Accessibility On Any Budget

Also of Interest:

Uncover some top tips for saving money on a new playground installation

Learn how to prevent a play area from becoming the next ‘Budget Cut Failure’ headline