Eight Steps to a Wonderful Playground
By John McConkey

What does it take to create a great playground? Here are eight steps for building a wonderful playground for your church.

1. Define Your Objectives
A great playground plan aims to provide maximum play value and safety for the kids of your community, while limiting your risks and maintenance costs. Your answers to the following questions will help focus your remaining decisions for this playground project:

Why are you planning/updating your playground?
What do you hope to accomplish? In addition to providing a play space, what philosophical objectives do you have? Fostering community involvement? Demonstrating environmental responsibility? Creating an environment within a theme? Building a highly inclusive/accessible playground?

How much can you afford to spend?
Are you limited to a specific amount, or will you be able to add to an initial amount through fund-raising activities? What does your budget cover? The cost of the equipment only, or must it also include site preparation, freight charges, protective surfacing, installation, etc?

What is the timeframe for the project?
Do you have a deadline for completing the playground? This may be a good time to set up a tentative schedule for planning, review, equipment purchase, site preparation and installation.

How will you measure the success of your project?
Will you count the number of kids using the equipment? Survey parents and kids? Track maintenance time and costs against initial expectations?

2. Assess Your Needs
Once you’ve established your objectives, it’s time to focus on the details.

* Overall budget
* Number of children
* Age distribution
* Size and budget of area for each age group
* Target dates
* Specific equipment requests
* Special uses or needs
* Approvals required
* Plans for existing equipment, if any
* Number of phases, if any

Check with people in the community who will be affected by a new playground — children, parents, teachers, neighborhood residents. They can help answer these questions and will help guide your decisions. And, don’t forget to consult with the people who will maintain the playground after it’s built.

3. Analyze Your Site
No two sites are identical; the characteristics of your site, including both natural and man-made elements, can have a strong influence on your playground’s design. A thorough site analysis, conducted with the help of a professional, will contribute to a more economical installation, greater user satisfaction, better aesthetics and lower maintenance costs.

Topography
The slope or topography of your site is the most critical element you’ll need to consider. Even a site that looks level may have significant elevation changes that will affect drainage, and it is important that surface water drains away from your playground.

Soil
Soil conditions will influence the stability and drainage of your playground. It pays to understand the four basic soil types: sandy, clay, loam and peat, or “high organic matter” soils. At your site, soil acidity, stability and drainage may put special demands on equipment.

Vegetation
Existing vegetation can enhance the perimeter of a play area by providing shade and a more aesthetically pleasing environment. Yet certain varieties of trees and shrubs may be less desirable than others because of falling fruit, thorns, poisonous leaves, or low resistance to construction stresses and transplanting. Consulting a landscape architect or nursery before you plant can be very helpful.

Climate and natural forces
Prevailing winds, temperature norms, seasonal sun angles, and precipitation can affect the orientation and life-span of your play equipment and should be considered when deciding on the orientation of your equipment. Also keep in mind that flood-prone sites will increase maintenance costs while limiting “playable” days.

Utilities
It’s easy to avoid building your playground under power and telephone lines. Buried utilities may not be so obvious. Check with your city’s engineering department for water and sewer locations, and then call electric, gas, telephone and cable TV providers before drawing up your plans.

Circulation and access
When selecting a site and laying out your play area, give careful thought to parking, ease of access, pedestrian and bicycle paths, site furnishings and restrooms. Also consider providing adequate security in the form of emergency telephones, ease of adult supervision, and visibility from the street.

4. Select Your Equipment
Many factors weigh into a play equipment selection. Various equipment styles, manufacturing materials, quality and safety features differentiate your selection possibilities. Also, the Consumer Products Safety Commission (CPSC) recommends separate play areas for preschoolers from ages 2 to 5 and school-age children between ages 5 and 12. As a rule of thumb, 40% of your equipment budget and space should be allocated to preschoolers and 60% to school-age children. Adjust this ratio depending on the mix of ages using your playground.

Equipment types
Most play equipment falls into one of two types. First, composite playstructures are connected and offer a wide variety of active and social play challenges. A well-designed structure can accommodate a large number of children in a relatively small area. Second, swings, climbers and spring riders are typical of independent playthings, which should be located a safe distance away from a composite structure. The best play areas offer both types of equipment to satisfy the needs of a greater range of users.

Play activities
When selecting specific events, consider:
* Developmental benefits
* Variety
* Liability issues
* Age-appropriateness
* Cost
* Inclusive play (accessibility)

Safety
Most manufacturers comply with the CPSC’s Handbook for Public Playground
Safety and ASTM (American Society for Testing and Materials) Standard F1487 guidelines on equipment design, layout, installation and maintenance. However, when comparing equipment from several manufacturers, you will want to consider all the details, as not all products are equally safe or durable.

Aesthetics
Do you want playground equipment that blends into its surroundings, or do you prefer a structure that makes a bold statement? What shapes will look best on your playground?

Materials
Consider the materials used in the equipment you are contemplating. For example, wood has a natural look but it is likely to crack and requires significant maintenance. Some steel products rust quickly in damp or salty areas, making aluminum or stainless steel a better choice for structural parts. Vinyl-coated metals offer users protection against temperature extremes. And plastic parts should be made of high-quality resins with additives to prevent color fading and UV-degradation.

Accessibility
The Americans with Disabilities Act Accessibility Guidelines (ADAAG) reinforces today’s prevailing emphasis on mainstreaming children of all abilities. Compliance with “equal access” features and overall accessibility to playground equipment is required by the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA).The guidelines for accessible play areas require looking at play areas as a collection of individual play components to determine the minimum amount required to be accessible. Minimum requirements are based on the number of ground level and elevated play components provided.

Other issues
When making a final purchase decision, consider these important points:

* Ease of installation (and availability of professional installers, when needed)
* Follow-up support services available from the representative
* Durability of materials
* Manufacturer’s playground-specific maintenance program
* Manufacturer’s warranty
* Cost of ownership over the life of your equipment
* Manufacturing and delivery time

One of the best ways to review the choices is to visit existing playgrounds, both old and new. See how the equipment wears over time, talk to the maintenance crew, and seek references from other churches that have purchased similar equipment.

5. Choose Your Surface
According to the Consumer Product Safety Commission, falls to the surface account for nearly 70% of all playground injuries. Such injuries can be reduced with a shock-absorbing surface that has a critical height rating equal to or above your play equipment’s highest accessible part.

 “Loose-fill” material with a retaining edger is one option. Engineered wood fiber, sand, pea gravel, rubber products and other bulk materials are the least expensive and are easy to install, but they do require more maintenance to meet CPSC guidelines. The CPSC Handbook shows “critical height” values for adequate protection for the most common loose-fill materials.

Resilient tiles or other factory-engineered materials provide a guaranteed critical height value and require little maintenance. Such tiles are mainly used for wheelchair access paths and high wear areas because of cost considerations.

Poured-in-place rubber surfaces are available in a wide variety of colors and shapes. These surfaces are usually more expensive but are extremely durable and require significantly less maintenance than other surfacing options.

Costs of these surface materials vary widely, and can account for up to 50% or more of your playground’s total cost.

6. Prepare Your Plan
Once you’ve made critical decisions on your site and equipment, it’s time to formalize your plans so you can move ahead to implementation.

Your landscape architect, city engineering department or other professional can provide you with a scale drawing that shows site boundaries, dimensions, orientation, overall improvements and site details of the playground area.

It is important to create a written specification of the materials that are to be used in your playground, compliance with regulations and industry standards, the engineering details of your play activities and safety features.

Using your budget as a starting point, create a detailed breakdown of planned expenditures for your site, equipment, installation and future maintenance.

Before you sign a purchase order, you’ll need to carefully review the design specifications and obtain any required approvals. The final decision on what to buy and where to buy should come from the person or committee that has been most involved in the planning process and is ultimately responsible for the playground’s success. Playground equipment is like most other products —you get what you pay for. Selecting the lowest price will often not give you the best value.

7. Install Your Playground
Budget requirements usually mean that installation decisions are made during planning stages. Some choices are:

• Volunteer installation, often with the supervision of a professional installer.
• Professional installation by an insured and factory-certified crew
• A combination of the above (e.g., site preparation by your own workers, followed by the professional assembly and installation of equipment)

If you choose the volunteer route, secure the services of a professional installer to supervise your installation and inspect the finished equipment. Before you begin installation, volunteers should be instructed to carefully review safety precautions as well as sign a liability waiver to protect your organization in case of an accident.

Last but not least, throw a grand opening party to help children and adults “bond” with their new playground.

8. Maintain Your Playground
It’s hard to think about inspections and repairs when you haven’t yet built your new playground. Still, industry estimates blame poor maintenance for at least one-third of all playground injuries — which means that early maintenance planning can minimize pain, suffering and lawsuits over the long haul. Budget time and money for safety surface maintenance. The frequency of maintenance may vary depending on usage, but all materials require it. Prioritize your repairs list with those most serious at the top. Schedule inspections using detailed checklists from the manufacturer.

John McConkey is product manager for Landscape Structures, www.playlsi.com.

Product Roundup

BCI Burke’s Satellite Climber
BCI Burke has taken the popular Satellite Climber and created a variety of new freestanding and component configurations to offer more design flexibility. These new satellite climbers encourage children to climb in, up, and around, as well as create a gathering spot to socialize. Satellite Climbers offer a wide array of benefits, including four-point climbing to help children develop:
* Balance and coordination
* Upper and lower body strength
* Problem-solving skills
www.bciburke.com

Play Mart Safe Surfaces
Play Mart offers a wide variety of safety surfacing options to provide a safe play area for the company’s recycled plastic play systems. Surface options include:
* Loose-fill (shredded rubber or engineered wood fiber)
* Solid (rubber tiles or poured-in-place rubber)
* Rainbow of color choices for coordinated color schemes
* Shredded rubber (recycled tires) safety surfacing combined with the exclusive Recycled Plastic Play Systems (100% recycled HDPE - milk jugs) for a completely “green” play area
www.playmart.com

NCPAI Qualified Contractors Program
The NCPAI Qualified Contractors Program was created as a way for professional playground contractors to distinguish themselves as:
* Licensed
* Certified
* Insured
* Specifically knowledgeable in building playgrounds
NPCAI Qualified Contractors set themselves apart from other installers. Qualified contractor credentials are all the assurance a playground purchaser/owner needs in order to make an educated decision about whom to hire to build their equipment. You can view the entire qualified contractors listing online.
www.playground-contractors.org

Prayer Path by Praygrounds
The Prayer Path by Praygrounds puts prayer and the word of God into public view.  Available as a standard set of 13 signs, the set is perfect for anywhere on a church’s campus. Using the acrostic ACTS (Adoration, Supplication, Thanksgiving and Supplication), the set may also feature:
* Path to salvation
* Sinner’s prayer
* English or Spanish message
* Customized logos
The Prayer Path engages both believer and nonbeliever alike at exactly where the Holy Spirit wants to speak to them at that very moment in time. 
www.praygrounds.com

Shady Playgrounds from KidStuff Playsystems
Kids need shade on the playground to filter out harmful UV rays. New from Kidstuff Playsystems is playsystem 6600ss for ages 2 to 5 with a built-in 18' x 18' sun shelter. The 6600ss is IPEMA-certified and includes many of the most popular preschool play events, including:
* Two slides
* A safe snake climber
* Crawl-through tunnel
* Balance beam
* Two play panels
The sun shelter filters out 95% of the UV radiation and reduces the temperature up to 20 degrees. 
www.kidstuffplaysystems.com

Recess Ridge by GameTime
For almost 80 years, GameTime has been helping churches all over the United States create the perfect playground for their needs. The Recess Ridge unit offers maximum play value in limited space at a reasonable price. For maximum affordability, GameTime can design a unit to fit a church’s
* Space
* Needs
* Budget
Local representatives are equipped to handle any special circumstances a church may face.
www.gametime.com

Kompan Moments Ark
The new accessible Kompan Moments Ark, for children age 2 to 5, has a variety of PlayActive features on the port and starboard, as well as on the upper deck. Children can climb the ropes to reach the wheel or rest on the hammock near the rear berth. The Ark includes:
* A slide
* Two steering wheels
* Binoculars
* Trumpet
* Seats to spark kids’ imaginations
Providing engaging, challenging and durable playgrounds ensures that kids play harder, stay longer, and come back more often to satisfy their natural need to play.
www.kompan.com

Dinoflex
Dinoflex recycled rubber playground surfacing tiles are designed to provide an impact-absorbing surface. They are made from recycled tire rubber and are easy to maintain, water permeable and slip-resistant. A self-aligning interlocking system provides for fast and accurate installation. The system features:
* Physical properties controlled and consistent throughout play area
* Easy repair and maintenance
* Easy installation and modification of play area
* Uncomplicated packaging and transportation
www.dinoflex.com

International Play Company
International Play Company designs, installs and manufactures indoor and outdoor play structures for churches. IPC is dedicated to creating customized play systems to meet a church’s space and budget requirements. The Construction Zone play structure features:
* Pendulum Walk
* Moonwalk Climbs
* Suspension Bridge
* Construction Zone Murals
* Themed Horizontal Rollers.
 Churches can create a play environment in a style to suit its particular needs.
www.iplayco.com

Romperland Playsystems
Romperland Playsystems now offers cable components, including:
* The Eagle’s Nest
* The Bird’s Nest
* The Hawk’s Nest
The Eagle’s Nest provides a challenging climb that requires the use of balance, strength and agility. The Bird’s Nest is designed for younger climbers and is ideal for motor skills and balance development. The Hawk’s Nest is an extended version of the Bird’s Nest adding extra climbing adventures. 
www.romperlandplay.com

Evos from Landscape Structures
Landscape Structures Inc. has introduced Evos, which has a three-dimensional spherical design that offers each kid an infinite number of ways to enter, exit and move through the playsystem. With Evos, play is possible in every direction, and no two play experiences are ever the same. The collection of challenging Evos play events:
* Builds physical strength and agility
* Develops spatial awareness and balance
* Increases coordination and problem-solving skills
Kids enter the Evos world and an entire universe of gliding, climbing, spinning, maneuvering and inventing opens up to them.
www.playlsi.com

Pilot Rock Children’s Table
This picnic table from Pilot Rock is built with dimensions to better fit children and their activities. The seats are 12 inches high and the top is 22 inches high to accommodate children up to 10 or 11 years old. The company has built this Model UTK table with the same all-welded frame construction of its full-scale tables. This children's table can be 4, 6 or 8 feet long, using
* Lumber
* Aluminum
* Colorful 100% recycled plastic planks
Pilot Rock Park Equipment is designed and manufactured in the United States by R.J. Thomas Mfg. Co. Inc. 
www.pilotrock.com

Shade Structures
Shade Structures recently premiered their fabric shade structure at Robert E. Lundigan Park in Burbank, California. This yellow and turquoise Mariners fabric structure:
* Utilizes a breathable HDPE mesh fabric
* Allows for cool air circulation
* Blocks out up to 96% of the suns harmful UV rays
The fabrics perfectly match the colors of the equipment beneath and help prevent children from being burned as they play. The structure, which measures 40 feet by 40 feet and peaks at a height of 17 feet, adds a unique and colorful focal point to the park.
www.shadestructures.net

Environmental Molding Concepts
Environmental Molding Concepts (EMC) has been upgrading the appearance of playgrounds since 1997. EMC:
* Prides itself on its quality of product and customer satisfaction
* Is at the forefront of new testing and expanding its product line
* Serves markets throughout the nation and overseas
Their tiles range from decorative tiles with no fall protection (for walkways, pools, etc) to protection from 10 foot falls. EMC’s various thicknesses are ideal for playgrounds. EMC offers safety with style you can rely on.
www.emcmolding.com

SAF DEK by Pathway Surfaces
Pathway Surfaces, Inc. developed SAF DEK’s rubberized, poured-in-place, recreational safety surface more than 20 years ago. SAF DEK is designed to meet the latest CPSC guidelines and ASTM F1292 standard test requirements, offering:
* Maximum performance
* Minimal liability
SAF DEK is mixed and applied on site, providing a customized seamless and porous system to meet project specifications. Because it is composed of at least 75% recycled rubber, SAF DEK is gentle on the environment, as well as on knees and elbows.
www.safdek.com