Playground equipment is an important investment for your church, as the safety of the children in your congregation depends on high-quality play systems. It is important to survey your options and select the system that is right for your particular church and budget. Here, six manufacturers offer their best advice to you as you evaluate and select playground equipment for your worship facility.

1. Preserve “traditional play value” first and foremost. 
Traditional means slides, climbers, theme-play, swings and decks – things that kids interact with each other while using them. Remember children play first and learn second. Be sure the playground is for play primarily and for teaching lessons (religious or otherwise) second. If a boat can be integrated into the playground in a fun playful way, it can then be used to teach religious stories. If a series of decks lead to a slide, climber or some other play event, it can then be used to represent a mountain or the space under it can be used to represent some type of building of temple or religious structure as a teaching tool. If a panel is used for safety to prevent children from falling from a high deck first, it can then be crafted to tell a story or have a religious symbol represented in it.

Even before play value and price, safety has to be the most important consideration in selecting a play structure.

Next, it is very important to consider the materials used by the manufacturer.

Finally, when the playground is made with the right materials, all these things can be accomplished while minimizing maintenance, maximizing safety, and promoting active, fun play.
--John Ogden, Progressive Design Playgrounds

2. Purchase for the long haul.
You should always purchase the best equipment for the long haul. When making any substantial purchase, it is often foolhardy to buy the cheapest alternative. In play equipment, this can be disastrous. Quality play equipment is designed to take years of abuse from the weather and stand up to the energetic play habits of thousands of kids. Once installed, playground equipment should last your church a long, long time. So be cautious with your funds and look for the best quality. Ask your playground manufacturer representative for the names of customers and give them a call to see how their playground is holding up.

Also, if you're like most church organizations, your budget for a new playground is not unlimited. Still, you can design and install a spectacular playground on a limited budget simply by doing it in phases. Your playground equipment representative can design a playground for any budget and configure it in such a way that you can install it in two three or four phases. These phases can span an equal number of years, so your funding can be spread out.

Let's say, for example, that your fundraising efforts to date have accumulated $15,000 for a new playground, but the features and play events that you really want are out of reach at this level. The solution is to request a $30,000 playground design, configured to be installed in three phases: $15,000 now, $8,000 more next year and $7,000 more the year after that. You get the playground you want, but your financial outlays are more affordable.

Make your purchase only when you are satisfied that you have the best and safest product, and the next playground will be grateful to you a decade down the road.
--John McConkey, Landscape Structures

3. Evaluate all aspects of the equipment: price, warranty and materials.
You want to be able to keep this equipment for years, so don’t just jump at something that sounds too good to be true (low price for the amount of equipment), but that will fall apart in a year or two. Choosing a product with a good warranty also is important. Compare warranties among companies for their equipment, and look for a manufacturer that will be around long-term to back up their warranty.

Ask for samples and compare the quality of materials from play equipment manufacturers. Not all materials perform the same: wood can splinter and be affected by natural elements such as weather and insects; painted metal has the potential of rusting and is hot and cold seasonally. Yet, quality, solid, recycled plastic contains color throughout and is not affected by temperature or natural elements. Choose a material that looks good, but will also perform with excellence in your climate and for your children.
--Tabitha Beach, Play Mart, Inc.

4. Pray for guidance--stewardship applies to playground funds as well.
This is an important first point.

Having studied, designed serviced and developed playgrounds since the early 1970s, my experience tells me that the following are critical points to consider when doing a playground project.

Follow the Handbook For Public Playground Equipment with respect to equipment recommendations, design guidelines and installation requirements

Provide a wide variety of play experiences – buying a single large, multi-deck climbing structure, particularly for preschool programs, is not a wise choice

Buy play equipment designed and marketed for commercial use, not residential use. There is considerable risk and financial liability in having even good residential play equipment in a “public use” playground.

Select equipment made from materials suitable for your climate.

Purchase environmentally friendly equipment when possible. Remember, we’re given dominion to subdue and care for the earth, not destroy it; stewardship applies here as well.

For church boards and committees, listen to your early childhood staff members – they know children and they know what the playground should do for children. Work from a master playground site plan, not from a catalog. Use a company that can provide a turn-key project--any additional costs in taking this approach will be well worth the headaches and hassles you will avoid. Fund your playground adequately and have contingency funds available. Plan and budget for site preparation--removal and disposal of existing equipment, surfacing materials, concrete footings, etc. is a necessary part of almost any playground renovation. Plan and budget for on-going maintenance and upkeep.
--Eric Strickland, Grounds for Play

5. Select a company that has experience in the playground arena. 
An important part of a playground is the surfacing. There are many synthetic turf products that out there that claim they meet or exceed large fall height requirements, but this is usually based on the complete system, not the turf only.  Be aware and ask the right questions about the entire system before selecting. Most turf products, if installed correctly, can meet your HIC and GMAX (fall height) rating requirements. 

A typical installation begins with a compacted stone base (much like a road base). A pad, for extra safety and softness, can then be installed over the base before the turf. The turf is applied and in-filled to complete the play surface.
--Andy White, Challenger Industries

6. Consider all age groups.
Be sure to create separate play areas for kids in the two-to-five age group vs. the five-to-12 age group. Children have very different play patterns and behaviors at these stages, so it’s important to provide them with a play environment that suits their skill level. Also, be sure to use appropriate safety surfacing to help cushion inadvertent falls from the equipment.

Your playground designer can work with you to create an overall playground plan that can be installed in several phases. This allows a church to add a playground right away and then grow it as your budget allows. Having done several phasing projects with churches, it is always exciting to see the newest components being added, especially to the kids who think it’s like having a whole new playground.
--Anne-Marie Spencer, GameTime

Product Roundup

Octa Net 4142 Spacenet from Landscape Structures
Landscape Structures has introduced the new Octa Net 4142 Spacenet climber that gives kids a towering new perspective of play. The new Octa Net has four wing-like extensions that are each supported by an independent post. Spacenet climbers are intricate three-dimensional climbing structures made of ultra-strong Corocord cables. Playing on Spacenet climbers increases children’s:
* Strength
* Spatial awareness
* Hand-eye coordination
* Confidence in their climbing skills
www.playlsi.com

Xscape from GameTime
Xscape is a new type of playground equipment that is revolutionizing the way children play. Its sleek, modern design compliments any environment, and the benefits to children are distinctive and exceptional. Xscape features:
* Climbers
* Double-sided components
* Circuits
* Walls
* Rings 
The distinctive configurations invite totally original play patterns, as kids stretch, move and use the equipment in methods not found on traditional play equipment.
www.gametime.com

Imbarimba from Grounds for Play
Imbarimba from Grounds for Play derives from an instrument originating in central Africa and has an untraditional arrangement of notes.
* It is constructed to survive in the outdoor environment.
* The frame is made of TREX and polyethylene plastic.
* Special strikers are included for optimal sound quality.
* An optional vinyl cover is available.
www.groundsforplay.com

Village Indian Fort from Progressive Design
Progressive Design Playgrounds’ Village Indian Fort is an excellent addition to any playground.  It provides children with a high amount of themed play value to stimulate their imaginations while also helping to build necessary motor skills. The Village Indian Fort:
* Is made of very durable 100% recycled plastic lumber
* Will never rust, rot or splinter
* Will provide many years of play value for your budget
It is one of many Village Play creations Progressive Design Playgrounds offers. 
www.pdplay.com 

Star Chute Series from Play Mart
Play Mart’s “Star Chute Series” boasts nine-foot slides that slalom, veer, curve and elicit enormous smiles and ecstatic screams. The moon and constellations appear through spy holes in Galaxy Roofs and Panels. They offer play systems perfect for serving a wide range of age groups: 
* Mini Systems
* Mega Systems
* Fitness Systems for older children and adults
* Swings
* ADA-accessible components
www.playmart.com

EnvyLawn from Challenger Industries
The beauty of EnvyLawn with rubber or sand infill is its versatility and decidedly superior safety features. Synthetic turf:
* Can be installed over hard surfaces to provide a soft, safe playground
* Can be engineered for falls up to 12 feet
* Looks and feels natural, without the constant maintenance
* Is reliable – it can be played on year round, even after it rains
www.challengerind.com