MSV601
Home & Garden
6m+
14.8 m2
8 Users
Outdoor playgrounds for preschools
A well-designed preschool playground isn’t just a place to burn energy - it’s a dynamic classroom where children develop skills they’ll use for a lifetime, from tying their shoes to making their first friend. By focusing on low-height challenges, sensory-rich materials, and social opportunities, you create a space that supports every child’s unique journey - not just their physical growth, but their emotional confidence, curiosity, and love of learning.
Most popular playground equipment for preschools
Get started with our best products for preschools - or find our full catalogue below.
NRO509
Water Seesaw with 2 Splash Tables
2+ Years
27.5 m2
21 Users
NRO613
Play Panel 2 - Music
1+ Years
14.9 m2
6 Users
PCM003322
Play Panel 3 - Learning
1+ Years
17.8 m2
10 Users
Additional 6 products
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Here's how a playground can make your preschool better
A preschool playground is not only lots of fun for the children, but also helps your institution in real, practical ways.
Children learn to listen and follow directions (like waiting their turn or following simple rules), which makes classroom time easier for everyone.
Playtime teaches routine and transitions, so children get better at switching between activities - a skill that helps them (and their teachers) every day.
Playing outside uses up their energy and helps them focus later, so they’re more ready to sit, listen, and learn when they come back inside.
Parents see their children growing and playing well together, which makes them feel good about choosing your preschool.
Designing a preschool playground that fits your needs
From small to large, here's how to create your ideal preschool playground
1. Pick affordable surfacing
Surfacing can consume a significant portion of your budget, but there are cost-effective options that still meet safety standards. Sand is a low-cost choice that’s easy to install and provides a soft landing for falls. It also doubles as a sensory play material, adding extra value. Sand does require regular top-ups and raking to keep it level and safe, but the overall savings can easily offset those maintenance costs.
If you’re concerned about accessibility, you don’t need to cover the entire playground with expensive rubber surfacing. Instead, focus on creating inclusive access points - like a ramp or a stable path - to connect key play areas. This way, children with mobility challenges can join the fun - and you save resources on rubber coverage.
2. Focus on high play value
Instead of buying several standalone pieces, choose a single, modular play structure that offers a variety of activities. For example, a compact hut structure with a sand table and sensory panels can accommodate many children at once. For inclusiveness, look for ground-level activities (such as play panels) and add several entry points to prevent bottlenecks. This way, you get more play opportunities in a smaller footprint, reducing both cost and space requirements.
After all, you don’t need a large, expensive playground to keep preschoolers engaged. A versatile play set combined with some creative planning can create a fun and engaging area for all. Playing with loose parts such as buckets, shovels, pots, balls, fabric, to name a few, encourages creativity and cooperation at minimal cost. Even natural elements like logs, stumps, and boulders, can be sourced locally (or even donated) and provide endless climbing and balancing opportunities.
3. Plan for long-term savings
Services like landscaping, installation, and maintenance can consume a significant portion of your budget, so smart planning and small choices can lead to substantial savings over time.
For example, consider landscaping with low maintenance requirements, like native plants or mulch, to reduce watering, mowing, and cleaning costs. Consider whether you need the playground professionally installed or follow the provided installation guidelines. Additionally, train the staff to perform regular visual inspections of equipment, which helps prevent costly repairs and extends the life of your playground.
Research-led solutions for every climate and culture
The global gold standard in early childhood play
With over 50 years of experience across more than 90 countries, our preschool solutions are engineered to meet and exceed the world’s most stringent safety certifications, including EN 1176 and ASTM. Every playground we design is backed by the KOMPAN Play Institute - our dedicated research center that studies how specific play movements impact physical, cognitive, social and emotional development in early childhood.
By combining the science of play with - utilizing recycled ocean waste and sustainably sourced timber - we provide preschools institutions with high-performance environments that offer among the lowest total cost of ownership and highest possible play value for the next generation.
It's engaging, they are excited, they want to be outside in all weather.
Rebecca Payne, Headteacher - Boothville Primary School
How playgrounds help preschoolers grow
Toddlers and preschoolers grow through play. Preschool playgrounds matter because these early play spaces teach movement, social skills and emotional control. Scaled climbers, balance paths and sensory corners provide toddlers and preschoolers with safe opportunities to test their bodies, practice sharing and calm big feelings - building confidence and friendships, one curious step at a time.
Building confidence in movement Low climbers, balance beams, and stepping stones help toddlers navigate their bodies in space, reducing clumsiness and building the courage to try new physical challenges.
Risk-taking in a safe space Preschoolers learn to assess small risks (e.g., climbing a smaller platform) in a controlled environment, fostering independence and resilience.
Cooperative play Preschoolers transition from parallel play to collaborative games (e.g., taking turns on a nest swing, building sandcastles together). This teaches negotiation, patience, and teamwork.
Empathy and friendship Shared play equipment (e.g., a small slide or seesaw) encourages children to notice peers’ needs, like waiting their turn or helping a friend climb.
Emotional regulation Outdoor play helps children manage big feelings - running, jumping, and sensory activities like digging in sand provide outlets for frustration or excitement.
Unstructured exploration Loose parts like sticks, balls, and fabric scraps (in supervised settings) allow children to invent games, fostering creativity and adaptability.
Here's a little help to plan your preschool playground
Planning a preschool playground can be overwhelming, but you don't have to do it alone. We've gathered helpful guides and resources to support you every step of the way - from the first idea to installation and long-term care.
Frequently asked questions
For toddlers, sand is the most common and budget-friendly choice because it is a soft, easy-to-install material, that it doubles as a sensory play material. However, it does require regular maintenance (raking and top-ups) to stay safe and level.
If you’re looking for higher safety and accessibility, poured-in-place rubber is an ideal choice. It provides excellent cushioning, is wheelchair-friendly, and requires minimal upkeep, though it is the most expensive surfacing product of all.
You don’t need to cover the entire playground in rubber. Focus on high-traffic or high-risk areas (like under climbers or slides) and use sand elsewhere to keep costs down while ensuring safety.
Designing for mixed preschool ages is about giving clearly signaled, age‑appropriate choices in one safe place so each child finds the right level of challenge, sensory input, and social opportunity.
Zone areas by skill level: Divide the site into clear zones for quieter sensory play, gross‑motor activity, sliding/climbing and social/dramatic play. Signage and surface colour/texture should mark transitions, allowing children (and adults) to navigate easily.
Zone areas for easy access: Young children need extra support when playing, so ensure you allow enough space for at least a couple of adults to access the play area. Here, you should also consider creating a line of sight for supervisors to monitor zones from a seating point.
Ground‑level first: Prioritise rich, ground-level play opportunities so younger toddlers and children using mobility aids can join in easily. Add a few graduated elevated elements with ramps or low platforms for those ready to climb.
Sensory variety: Include tactile, visual and auditory elements. Such examples include music panels, textured surfaces, sand and water play, etc. Sensory pay increases attention and play duration in toddlers.
From preschool to high school
From toddlers to teenagers, we create school playgrounds that fit all age levels and abilities throughout the school years.