Playground Planning Guide

Playground Planning Guide INSIDE: Affordable Attainable AchievableSite Planning We believe that interesting and exciting great tips and advice on planning, budg- playgrounds encourage the imaginations eting, and more. Our goal is to provideHighlighting the importance of selecting just and creativity within our children. This organizations and schools with essentialthe right place to build your new playground. aids in the development of a child’s physical and creative knowledge and approaches toInstallation (Ways to Save) potential. We would like designing a stimulating to make this opportunity play scape. With the rightA look into a “Community Built” playground available to every child. tools and guidance, youand how this can allow you to spend more Playgrounds Etc has devel- can begin planning yourmoney on equipment instead of installation. oped this informational brochure playground now. We hope on the various stages of designing aBudgeting Tips complete play area from beginning to these ideas help you bring your end. Included in this pamphlet are playground ideas to life, and provide anKey components to keep in mind when exhilarating environment for children tooperating within a smaller budget to achieve play and learn, because they deserve it!the most bang for your buck.Equipment SelectionConsiderations for selecting the right playequipment for your play area and kids. 1410 W. Texas Ave Midland, TX 79701 Tel 432-687-6388 Toll Free 866-461-2814 WWW.PLAYGROUNDSETC.COM

Surfacing Pro’sRubber Mulch Industry leading fall height rating Helpful Tips Safest playground surfacing InstallationEngineered Wood Fiber There are several options to consider when installing your new playground equipment. Low initial cost The most popular way to have your playground East to install Site Planning installed is by our professional installers. All of our installers have Certified Playground Safety InspectorsRecreational Grass No two playground sites are the same. Every site has on site to ensure that your play equipment meets or its own unique features that can influence the design exceeds applicable safety guidelines. Our crew of Low maintenance of your play area. Some of the factors to consider at installers will handle everything from coordinating Easy to clean your site are ground slope, drainage, existing trees, deliveries, to the actual installation and can even vegetation, and shading. perform the final safety inspection.Pour in Place Rubber The location of underground utilities should also be One of the more affordable and enjoyable modes Unmatched appearance determined. Water, sewer, electric, gas, phone, ca- of installation is to participate in our “Community No maintenance ble, and sprinklers will all need to be avoided for an in Built” installation program. This program consists ground mounted playground. We have completed of us providing one or more supervisors to guide and Con’s numerous projects over various types of terrain. Be- direct your team of volunteers to successfully install cause of our extensive custom design capabilities, we your new play equipment. According to our customersRubber Mulch can help you create a playground that is as unique as this is one of the most enjoyable and rewarding pro- your site. cesses. Your volunteers might be members of a PTA, Displaces easily church or simply local volunteers. This process will Budgeting allow them to connect with the other members of theirEngineered Wood Fiber community while accomplishing a very unique goal of How much does a new playground cost? And how creating a brand new play space. The other great Displaces easily much can you afford to spend? Most of us do not feature is that it saves money that can be spent on have the luxury of a “money is no object” budget, so it other things such as more play equipment or otherRecreational Grass is important to determine exactly how much money projects that your organization may be involved with. you can spend on a new playground. Try to think Subject to vandalism outside of the box when budgeting by considering The final most economical way to have your grants, donations, fundraising and financing. playground installed is to simply do it your self. WePour in Place Rubber have many customers who choose to have their own There are several ways to approach budgeting. We at maintenance team or group of volunteers install their High initial cost Playgrounds Etc can help you design your ideal play- new equipment all by themselves. All of our play- ground and use that to determine what your budget grounds come with, easy to read, complete installationThis amazing playground was designed with should be, or you can provide us with your fixed budg- instructions. As our customer we are always happy totransportation in mind. Having a theme in mind is et and we can help design a play space around that help you over the phone with any problems that youa great way to engage the imaginations of your budget. In either case, site prep, new equipment cost, may encounter along the way.children. The other good thing is that theming freight, removal of existing equipment, installation andtruly takes more thought than money. surfacing all need to be factored into your final budget. We can also design a multi-phase playground that can be installed over time as new funds become available. This allows you to get some equipment now while raising money for more equipment later.

Selecting the Right Equipment Creative Color Schemes Age Group Child CapacityOur playgrounds are designed to fit into one of three Playground capacity is something that often gets over-age groups. For ages 2-5: we include equipment with looked. Playground capacity is determined by thelower decks and fewer overhead climbers. The equip- maximum number of children that are expected to bement for ages 5-12 will have higher decks, more climb- playing at one time. Each of our playgrounds areing activities, and overhead climbers such as monkey designed to accommodate a certain number of chil-bars. Although we strongly recommended that pre- dren. Most playgrounds are purchased based on priceschool age children have a separate play area from alone. Considering child capacity can be good news.other age groups there is a third category that will For example you may have decided that you need toaccommodate both age groups. This equipment has spend $30,000 on your new playground and only havebeen designed to include many different age appropri- 20 children to accommodate. We may be able to ac-ate activities. commodate that number of children for only $20,000. Let our Design Team Help!Although there are a lot of considerations when designing a new play area, the process should befun. If at any point you become overwhelmed with the process, we hope that you will contact one ofour Design Consultants. Our consultants have years of experience designing, building and re-modeling play areas and are here to help. Our consultants are Certified Playground Safety Inspec-tors who can answer virtually any safety question you may have. They can also lend advice and/orideas that may not have come to mind. Safety Zones Play ActivitiesThe safety zone of a particular play event is the overall Variety is the key to keeping kids physically and men-area needed to accommodate the equipment and the tally challenged. There are literally dozens of differentsafety zone around it. In most cases a 6 foot safety play panels, climbers, overhead ladders and slideszone lends adequate space for children who may fall that can be combined to create thousands of configu-while playing on a particular event. There are many rations. We also have many independent play activi-instances when safety zones can be overlapped as ties, such as rock climbing walls, syclone spinners,well as instances when they cannot. When deciding and spring riders which allow kids to get away fromwhat will fit in your specific play area our designers the congestion of a central play structure. Independ-can help you optimize space by strategically position- ent items such as see-saws are a great way for kids toing each play activity within your designated play area. build one on one relationships with other children. Safety Safety Surfacing The parents of Ft. Davis ISD installed 2 play structures from start to finish in 12 hours throughSince Safety is our top priority, we recommend that As you may know all playground equipment requires our “Community Built” program. You can seeyou view the Handbook for Public Playground Safety. some sort of safety surfacing to prevent debilitating exactly how by watching their video, by searchingThis common sense guide to playground safety will injury due to falls. There are many different types of Playgrounds Etc at www.youtube.commake you aware of some safety do’s and don’ts. Our surfacing materials available. We recommend usingconsultants are also available as a resource for safety materials that have been tested to comply with ADAconcerns. We can even come and perform a safety and ASTM guidelines. Some of these materials in-evaluation of your playground as most of our repre- clude Rubber Mulch, Engineered Wood Fiber, Artifi-sentatives are Certified Playground Safety Inspectors. cial Turf and Pour in Place rubber.

New Products Fitness is Fun To learn more visit us online at www.PlaygroundsEtc.com or call (866) 461 2814Xccent Play is our newest play-ground line designed with fitnessand fun in mind. This unique se-ries is focusses on challengingchildren physically to aid in theirmajor muscle development. Thisline encourages children to applycritical thinking skills throughanalysis and attentiveness. Withthe growing concern over child-hood obesity and health risks intoday’s society, the Xccent Playseries is a an economically soundinvestment for fitness and fun! 1410 W. Texas Ave Midland, TX 79701 Toll Free: (866) 461-2814 Local: (432) 687– 6388www.PlaygroundsEtc.com