Playground Planning
How to Plan your Playground Project?
8-Step Playground Planning Checklist
To help you decide what type of playground is suitable for your project and concept, we have created a step-by-step playground planning checklist that will prompt your thinking process and guide you in the right direction. We recommend approaching playground construction projects using the 8-step playground construction plan below:
Budget and Funding
Theme, design and desired aesthetic
Users and target audience
The purpose of the playground
Zoning and range of play types
Safety Surfacing that matches the playground-style
Timeline and building
Government Regulations and Safety
How to Successfully Plan a Playground Project
Planning a playground construction project can seem daunting - but it doesn’t need to be. The best way to create a successful playground plan is to familiarise yourself with the many elements associated with playground planning.
Factors such as budget, design, purpose of the playground, layout plan, equipment type, and safety considerations can all impact the direction of your playground construction plans. A playground planning checklist can help you keep tabs on each element, enabling you to make informed decisions surrounding your playground plans.
Step 1. How to budget and apply for funding?
The process of planning and designing a playground is like any other large construction project where budgeting is a significant and decisive factor. Playgrounds come in many different sizes, and knowing your budget and how to prioritise your budget from the start is vital. The larger, the more WOW, Stay and Develop you can achieve.
How much does a playground cost? Well, there is no simple answer to that question, but we are here to guide you in the right direction: Check out our playground cost breakdown to get the overall idea.
External funding is also a possibility. We are happy to help you find funding opportunities that sponsor playgrounds in your area and help you fill out the actual application. We do that by creating the design of your idea, costing it up, and making your concept come to life with computer-generated imagery.
Step 2. How to choose the desired playground style?
Once you have decided on a budget, it is time to unleash your inner designer and turn to themeing, conceptualising, and choosing your preferred aesthetic. When planning your playground’s aesthetic and style, the choice of material is crucial. While rubber, composite, and metal often have a more manufactured, colourful, vibrant look, wooden materials are often seen as more natural. Natural wooden aesthetics bring nature to the urban or fit the natural area, while classic play equipment signals play very clearly from a distance. Futuristic fits an urban area and is often transparent, thereby fitting in to the environment.
Materials and styles to be inspired by
A Natural Wooden Aesthetic
You should consider a natural style aesthetic to bring nature into an urban location or if you want your playground to blend beautifully into a natural setting or park. KOMPAN Nature Expedition has a bent and curved design, giving it a natural and organic expression. It is made of Pinetree, also available in an FSC-certified option. KOMPAN Robinia also has a natural, organic, twisted, and winding look: straight out of a fairytale.
The Classic Playground Aesthetic
We all know that colours speak to our playfulness. Bright colours draw us in. And that is what a classic playground aesthetic does; it conveys play on many levels for children and grown-ups and magically draws you in. Perfect for schoolyards, kindergartens and holiday or public parks: A classic playground aesthetic always creates new and brings back childhood memories and happy days.
In this step, it is vital to consider the surrounding features and areas. Is there a distinct landmark or something unique about your location or city? Then a custom design might be the right solution for you.
Please also consider placing site amenities for observing groups of parents to sit and relax. Excitement and play can tire little legs out, and somewhere to recharge batteries, get a hug, or eat packed lunches is always a good idea.
Futuristic Playground Aesthetic
A futuristic playground aesthetic has both a transparent and organic look and feel. A futuristic playground install can take center stage or blend in with the surroundings depending on the size and colour combination. A futuristic aesthetic is timeless and works very well within an urban setting. Think downtown Manhattan in New York, the finance district around the Barbican Centre in London, or Copenhill in Copenhagen.
Step 3. How to nail your playground target audience’s needs?
Playgrounds for 1-3 year olds
Playgrounds for 3-6 year olds
Playgrounds for 6-9 year olds
Playgrounds for 9-12 year olds
Step 4. How to define the purpose of your playground?
When making playground construction plans, the purpose of the project should be at the forefront of your decision-making process. The playground layout plan needs to be framed around the purpose of the site and will impact what playground equipment you should include. Requirements can change depending on the location of the site and the age group you’re looking to target.
Chances are, you want to WOW children to your site, entertain them for as long as possible, and see repeat visitors. You also probably want your playground project to support physical, creative, cognitive, and social/emotional development. Right?
Let us explain:
Different Playground Purposes Explained
How to plan a schoolyard playground?
When the bell rings and it’s time for a well-deserved break, many children run out of classrooms into the playground in one burst. Therefore, a school playground must include a play design with a high play capacity to accommodate many children simultaneously.
How to plan a preschool playground
When planning a playground design for preschoolers, versatility of stimuli is key. A preschool playground must facilitate various different types of play, such as swinging, spinning, balancing, climbing, social play, and collaborative play.
How to plan a campsite or zoo playground
Often, the main attraction at a zoo, campsite, or other leisure activity, is the playground. Your primary consideration should be creating a show stopping attraction with high levels of WOW factor that will be talked about for years to come.
How to create inclusive and accessible playgrounds?
Playgrounds are not just about a specific age group. To involve everyone in the community, inclusiveness and accessibility in your playground design are vital factors. Creating a playground fit for all abilities and all ages is about being mindful of the diverse needs and behaviours of the users. This means looking at location and transportation when drafting your playground plan: public transportation, ample parking and accessibility via a non-obstacle path.
How to design responsible playgrounds?
We all carry the responsibility of lowering carbon emissions. When planning your playground project, we'll give you the option to actively reduce carbon emissions by choosing one of our sustainable playground solutions - Born Green or Made Green. We urge you to have a conscientious approach at the top of your agenda when going into your playground construction details.
Step 5. How to zone your playground?
Including zones within your playground layout plan is one of the most effective ways to maintain a sense of order and reduce conflicts. If your playground project is large enough, we recommend making different zones for different age groups. From experience, we know that tweens and teenagers prefer to play and stay on the playground away from smaller children. Including zoning within your playground equipment plan makes it easy for children to find the area that is most age-appropriate for them. The more play structures and equipment variety, the longer the children stay. This is, of course, also determined by the size of your planned playground project.
Step 6. How to choose playground surfacing material?
Surfacing can be used to zone your space and enhance play. Surfacing is a significant part of your playground construction project and is just as important as site design and play equipment.
Incorporating the playground theme into the surfacing can enhance the overall effectiveness of the site e.g., rails under a train or water splashes under a ship
Sand and engineered wood fibre are cheaper surfacing options, however they require regular top-ups and daily maintenance
Flexotop is a more expensive solution but requires less maintenance in the long run
Step 7. How to time manage your playground project?
Having a good overview of your timeline is critical when planning a playground. Most playground suppliers need at least 3 months to fully prepare and service the equipment you're interested in. This is especially true for larger or custom-made playgrounds, where the turnaround times can span up to 6 months. Therefore, do not postpone contacting the supplier, even if you have not fully finalised the floor layout and equipment list of your playground.
Below are the three main stages of the planning process:
Stages of planning a playground
1. Designing – Approx. one month
When creating a playground for you, we need time to design an excellent playground that matches your specific needs. During this time we calculate costs and create a rendered visualisation that shows you exactly how the final design will look. This takes approximately a month if we nail it in the first round.
2. Manufacturing – Approx. one month
Our playgrounds are explicitly made to your wish. So, we will start manufacturing it when you have decided. For a playground of core products, this takes four weeks. Longer for highly customised and super large products. For the latter because we must draw the manufacturing drawings first.
3. Construction – Approx. one month
Step 8. Understanding playground safety and regulations
Learning about your local government regulations and safety precautions can be cumbersome but a necessary means to an end. You have to ensure your playground is a safe space with safe play for all users. Your local playground consultant is more than happy to take the burden off your shoulders. The Royal Society for the Prevention of Accidents (RoSPA) offers helpful information on playground safety.
When does playground planning go wrong?
1. Mismanaging the timeline and process
Rushing to build a playground often makes the playground planning process go wrong. Like building a house, a playground takes time to scope and develop. That is why we recommend starting your planning well before your opening date and being realistic about the deadlines. The rule of thumb is to allow for 3-6 months for the whole process before the intended opening date.
2. Disregarding age-appropriate play and zoning
Jumping to choose products based on looks and what one recognises can also lead to poor playgrounds. The result may be an empty playground in which very few children play. For example, the playground does not stimulate the play that motivates the targeted age group.
Alternatively, the playground is not divided into zones in which the younger children can play quietly and with a sense of security without older children present, as this age group's play – is often louder. The rules of thumb for catering to the desired age groups and dividing the playground into zones see the sections above.
3. Not including variety and stimulating play value
Thinking too little about the stay factor can also lead to an empty playground. Stay factor can, for example, be stimulated by different kinds of play, swinging, sliding, spinning, climbing, playing sports games, etc. Stay factor can also be made by including progressive play designs. Where it can be used in a more advanced way as the children start to master the simple way of playing on it. For example, play structures like a Supernova or a Cliff Rider can be used in a more advanced way as the children start to master the first ways.
4. Not accounting for the suitable user capacity
Including too little capacity also leads to too little use of the playground. Choosing a large product is appealing, but younger children might hesitate to go to the playground if a few teens are on the structure. That is why we recommend making different zones on the playground, including more play designs, and placing them all over the area.
We are happy to discuss your ideas and ensure that we bypass the pitfalls of your playground planning.
Got questions about how to plan a playground?
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