Category: Playground Equipment

Defining your playground equipment needs is the very 1st step to playground planning. Learn how to establish your age group, get an idea of how many children will use your play area, how much space you need when you should expect your playground equipment, and what your budget should be.

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Playground Equipment

Top 3 Elements of Play to Include on Your Playground

Incorporating all the primary elements of play is vital for maximizing the value of your play space. Playgrounds can look like a complicated mix equipment but when examined more closely you might notice something. Each piece of equipment is a variation of a few basic components broken apart, reimagined, and put back together in an infinite and diverse array of equipment. Today we are breaking down the elements of play. Hopefully, you can use this information to build a more challenging and satisfying playground.

Primary Elements of Play

Climbers

The first of the elements of play are climbers
The first of the elements of play are climbers.

Children climb constantly almost from the moment they begin to stand. That said, it’s no surprise that playgrounds are filled with equipment to climb. Climbers, the first of the elements of play, come in all shapes and sizes. They can be as simple as an inclined ramp or as elaborate as a spidery arrangement of cables.

Climbing provides children with more than just a means of moving from point A to point B. When children first begin to climb they are learning to perfect and coordinate the movements of their hands and feet. As children master basic climbing, they progress to more advanced obstacles. Eventually, they begin climbing higher, tackling more difficult equipment, and climbing across spaces with just their hands. Finally, they start to desire more challenging climbers that incorporate other elements of play.

Balance Beams

Two boys playing on a balance beam.
Balance beams come in several different shapes, materials, and sizes.

From simple balance beams to more advanced obstacles, balance is nearly part of almost every piece of playground equipment. Balancing elements of play provide children with a sense of accomplishment upon completion and children become inventive with balance equipment. They find their own ways to make it more challenging by going faster, returning without touching the ground, or balancing on one leg. Today’s playgrounds have climbing components suspended on springs and balance boards that move and swivel. Each type of motion requires a different skill set, adding variety and difficulty to any playground.

Motion Play

The third of the elements of play are motion components.
Motion play is the final component of the elements of play, and include spinners, spring riders, and more.

Components the involve movement are always the most popular equipment on any playground. Children crave motion that is both soothing and thrilling. Swings, spring riders, spinners, and other motion equipment are all cousins, providing a fun way to exercise. This equipment also teaches children the basics of physics as they move, pump, and twist to propel themselves through space.

How to Include More Elements of Play in Your Playground

When you are designing a playground be sure to look for ways to incorporate each of these elements into your playground to ensure a successful design. The more of these elements that a component requires during use the more challenging it will be. If you are building for little children, choose low, stable equipment, short slides and gentle spring riders. For older children, choose higher structures, more challenging climbers and that swing or flex and require greater balance. Providing a wide range of difficulty levels will broaden the appeal of your playground and ensure that each visitor remains entertained. A well-rounded playground should begin and end with the elements of play.

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Playground Equipment Playground Planning

5 Pieces Of Playground Equipment You Didn’t Know Were Banned

There’s no doubt that playground equipment has changed a lot since many of us were children. Safety focus, environmental concerns, and rapid advances in technology have helped create playgrounds that are better than ever. Playgrounds also have extraordinary longevity, with equipment frequently outlasting its safety rating.

Our designers and playground installation crews are constantly working to incorporate our customers’ existing equipment into new playground installations. After all, the most budget-friendly option is to always reuse what you can. We even transport donated playgrounds to smaller venues that can still use them. Unfortunately, sometimes well-loved equipment just isn’t up to today’s standards.

That’s one of the many reasons that each member of our installation team is a Certified Playground Safety Inspector. They frequently identify and remove equipment that’s still in good shape but no longer considered safe. This is one of their lists of playground equipment that just has to go.

Banned Playground Equipment List:

Wood Playground Equipment

In 2003, the Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) advised manufacturers to discontinue the use of wood equipment treated with Chromated copper arsenate (CCA). This compound has been is use for decades to prevent insect and fungi infestation on playground equipment. Unfortunately, CCA contains arsenic, which is toxic to humans and leaches into the ground.

There is some evidence to suggest that yearly resealing may reduce arsenic migration from the equipment. However, the CPSC recommends removing and properly disposing of this equipment. Odds are if your equipment isn’t made of redwood or cedar and was manufactured before 2003, it contains CCA.

Animal Swings

An example of animal swings banned playground equipment
This type of playground equipment has been banned since 1995.

Animal swings are large swings with shapes like lions, tigers, and bears (oh my). These are typically plastic molds and have a fun aesthetic. Unfortunately, since 1995, the CPSC recommends removing all animal swings from playgrounds. They are heavier than standard swings and cause serious injury when a child is struck by an occupied animal. Nevertheless, their durability and appeal means that we still occasionally see these lingering on public playgrounds.

Trapeze Bars

Trapeze bars are fairly common on private playgrounds. They typically consist of a single bar positioned between two hanging chains. Allowing children to swing back and forth, dangle upside down, and spin, trapeze bars are a liability for a public playground. Children can’t see what they’re doing or where they’re going when using this type of playground equipment. Due to their mobile nature, trapeze bars are extremely easy to fall off of (typically head first). Ground or playground-fixed turning bars are a safe and fun substitute.

Gym Rings

Similar to trapeze bars but less common, we don’t recommend this simple piece of playground equipment. Gym rings are actually serious athletic equipment for use under the guidance and supervision of a professional coach. In addition to being easy to fall from or pulled from during rough play, most children lack the upper body strength to properly use gym rings with other playground equipment. Additionally, the long chains are an entanglement hazard.

Tire Swings with Real Tires

Banned tire swings
Banned tire swings.

Our playground equipment experts advise against using real tire swings. Over all, manufacturers are turning away from rubber tire swings altogether. Aside from being dirty (rubber tires attract and hold onto dirt), water that gathers inside the tire can create a breeding ground for insects, mold, and mildew. To avoid this, users frequently slice drainage holes into the bottom. As a result, this compromises the strength of the swing over time. Additionally, rubber swings are heavier than their plastic counterparts. The weight of a few children added on can injure a child crossing into a swing’s path.

Why Ban Playground Equipment?

Regulations on playground equipment change for a variety of reasons. Earlier equipment was installed based on inspired designs that were not safety tested. On the rare occasion that equipment poses a serious threat to safety, a standard recall would be issued. Today’s equipment is rigorously tested and monitored by the Consumer Product Safety Commission. They perform ongoing research to continually improve safety guidelines and regulations of playground equipment.

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Playground Equipment

Ways to Refresh Your Playground Equipment in Time for Fall

Fall is perhaps the best season for using playground equipment, when picnic areas are not overheated by grills and children can play for hours without overexerting. However, as the weather cools and the days become shorter it’s tempting to spend more time indoors. On the other hand, less intense heat means that it is possible to spend more time outside with less risk from sun exposure. 

Fall is a great time for using playground equipment…as long as you do these few things:

It is simple to make playground equipment or park space more inviting during the fall months. General maintenance will be more intense as the leaves fall and clean up will become a more regular occurrence. While keeping your site free of debris certainly improves the aesthetic appeal of your site, keeping your space clean can also prevent injuries. Leaves can hide obstructions in the ground, like divots, rubbish or branches, and cause people to trip. Leaves also trap moisture and as they decompose, become slick causing people to slip and fall.

You will also want to monitor your playground equipment site to be sure that no areas are retaining water. Small puddles, a natural result of weathering and traffic, can form over time. As the weather becomes cooler, these damp patches can become frozen over and become slick. Filling in any depressions and generally evening out your surface will help keep your playground or park space safe and enjoyable for years to come. Remember it’s much easier to keep up with these tasks than it is to play catch up.

Most importantly be sure to take time to enjoy the space yourself. Whether at a school, park or church, outdoor spaces should be enjoyed by all members of the community. Spending time in the space yourself will help you identify areas of need and stay on top of general playground equipment maintenance.

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Playground Equipment

The Simple Guide to Swing Set Anatomy

Children swinging on a commercial swing set

Planning on purchasing a commercial swing set for your playground? It’s important to understand how to maintain them. We’ve compiled a guide to help you understand what goes into a swing set and how to maintain yours. Remember that nothing replaces your own common sense. Should you ever believe that something is wrong with any playground equipment contact a professional for assistance.

Basic Anatomy of a Swing Set

Swing sets com in a variety of styles but many components are universal. Understanding the basic components will help you maintain your swing set more efficiently.

Chains

Next, chains are typically made of galvanized steel and coated in plastisol, providing a softer gripping surface and preventing pinching. Always replace any chains showing signs of excessive wear, twisting or pinching

Hangers

Hangers are the component that attach the chain to the beam. These vary depending on the style of your swing. Inspect hangers yearly to ensure they are tightly attached and replace if they appear corroded or worn thin.

Pendulum

 Pendulums and other moving parts are susceptible to wear more than any other part of swing sets. Inspect them closely and replace if any portion has worn thin or if the part stops moving smoothly.

Connectors

A variety of connectors on commercial swing sets are attach the frame and swing together. Inspect these annually, tightening any loose bolts and closing any S Hooks that have become bent out of shape.

Swing Set Seats

Girl using a commercial swing seat on the playground
An example of an accessible swing set seat.

The most common swing seats are belt seats, which are a wide strip of galvanized metal coated in plasticine. Bucket seats are another popular option that provides basic support for young children, both are available in a variety of colors. There are also adaptive swing seats designs for people who can not support their torso, head and neck in a traditional seat.  

Additionally, always replace seats when they show signs of cracking, swelling, peeling or extreme discoloration. Also closely check the metal fitting that connect the swing to the chain and any safety straps should be in working order, replace if torn.

Swing Set Use Zone

Finally, the playground use zone around each item is determined and reflected in the final installed playground. Place nothing in the use zone of your swing set, including obvious paths of traffic, trash cans, over grown tree branches or bike racks. Moreover, never install anything on your playground without establishing the complete use zone for all of your equipment. More importantly, no playground is complete without a proper swing set!

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Playground Equipment Playground Planning

How to Choose Age Appropriate Playground for Your Organization

Finding the right age appropriate playground structure can be a challenge depending on what kind of organization you have. Maybe you’re a park who needs to serve a variety of age groups. Or a preschool how needs to serve a toddlers. We are frequently asked why our playgrounds are separated by age and what these separations mean exactly. Finally, here’s everything you need to know about how we determine how to separate playgrounds by age.

Age Appropriate Playground Shopping Tips

When shopping for age-appropriate playground equipment it’s likely that you’ve noticed that manufactures all use the same age ranges. These age ranges divide up play structures, but many people are unsure of why or how. The simple answer is that reputable manufacturers are careful to follow the playground safety guidelines set forth by the U.S. CPSC. These guidelines divide playgrounds into three age appropriate groups: infant to 2 years, 2 years to 5 years, and 5 years to 12 years.

These aren’t just arbitrary age divisions. Playground age ranges are based on the physical abilities and average sizes of children in each group. As children age, they are driven to build specific physical skill sets. Because of this drive, equipment that was fascinating at 2 loses some of its appeal by age 5.

You may have noticed that some structures on our site are labeled 2-12. Typically these structures exemplify the most challenging equipment available within the 2-5 year age range. You won’t find any overhead climbers or challenging upper body activities because they’re just not appropriate for children under 5. The BYO design team always does their best to make equipment as engaging as possible within safety standards. In many instances, these playground are a good compromise. However, they may be a little high for timid younger children and a little tame for rambunctious older children.

Creating a Community Playground

In some ways, schools have it easy, they know the exact age range and to an extent, abilities, of the children using their play equipment. Municipalities, HOAs and churches need play equipment that fits a much wider age range. Luckily, there are many options available to help create a playground that fits each child and every space.

The Two Structure Solution

Frequently, space is the number one obstacle for prospective playground owners. In those rare instances when a playground can be located in a large open space there are several options for creating a playground that suits all ages.

The simplest age appropriate solution is to create two separate structures, each dedicated to an age range. Aside from allowing the greatest creative freedom, this option also channels children into different areas of the playground based on ability. This reduces the risk that a large child will knock down, trample or be tripped by a slower toddler. Optimally, these independent play structures would be separated by a few independent play items to create a buffer between sizes.

One Age Appropriate Structure Solution

If space or budget demands that your age appropriate playground only have one structure, it’s best to choose a structure that meets the safety requirements of the 2 to 5 age range and incorporates a low slide as well as a higher slide. The overall playground can be dressed up with more challenging independent play items, such as monkey bars or rock walls to create a physically challenging and stimulating environment for all children.

Fun for All

Some play items never get old. Here are our favorite independent play items that appeal to all ages.

  1. Animal Shaped Climbers – Maybe it’s the thrill of riding a dinosaur or pretending to slay a dragon but thanks to their imaginative designs and relatively low profiles, these are our number one pick!
  2. Tire Swings– Okay, regular swings are amazing but tire swings are just, the best. While infants can’t ride on tire swings, any child old enough to hold will feel a little more secure. You can even swing with your friends! Because they move in 360 degrees and are accessible to most children, tire swings are king!
  3. Spinners– There are a few different versions of the spinner but they’re all pretty amazing. Because spinners come in so many sizes and styles pretty much any playground can find room for one or two.
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Playground Equipment Playground Planning

How to Design a Kids Fitness Circuit Worthy of Ninja Warrior

Kids Fitness Circuits combine state of the art equipment with clever design strategies that encourage children to be physically fit. Often, customers wish to purchase or design a custom play structure. Their main goal is to get kids outside and keep them safely entertained. What many don’t realize is that a cleverly designed play structure encourages children to push their physical limits. Other benefits include helping kids become more confident, fit and spatially aware. Kids fitness circuits are perfect for updating an existing playground with more challenging activities.

Kids Fitness Circuit Benefits

The short answer is that a kids fitness circuit can be anything that you want it to be. You can create a dedicated obstacle course style structure or implement circuit design principles into a more traditional play structure. A lot will depend on your vision, budget, who you’re building the playground for, and the space you have available.

Circuits that allow side by side play or circuit races, are great for elementary schools and larger parks. Smaller playgrounds can include a few challenging climbers and overheads that encourage children to take on more difficult tasks. Unlike other play structures, kids fitness circuits don’t focus on slides and platforms but rather on laying out individual elements in such a way that it encourages more stamina, greater strength and balance.

Improve Strength

Total body strength is the keystone of kids fitness. Encouraging greater strength requires presenting children with a variety of climbers and overheads that challenge children at different fitness levels. Incorporating a variety of hand holds and climbing objectives work different muscle groups and require various levels of coordination. Climbers allow children to develop upper and lower body strength but are less taxing than other equipment.

The most challenging strength building equipment on a playground will always be overhead climbers. Horizontal ladders and ring races challenge children to move across the structure using a swinging, right-left hand motion. Additionally, track riders and twisters encourage them to build momentum and glide. This helps children just learning to use this type of equipment build endurance and confidence.

Better Balance

The most obvious equipment for promoting balance is a traditional balance beam but contemporary playgrounds offer so much more. From spring loaded beams, to moving stepping stone style paths, balance play activities are more varied than ever before. These activities don’t require much upper body strength, they are still some of the most rewarding equipment on the playground.

Coordination and Endurance

Kids fitness circuits can consist of one large structure or several pieces of equipment strung together. However, individual elements are laid out in relation to one another is what really determines how challenging the playground is. The key to creating a fun and engaging kids fitness circuit is planning transitions between obstacles. Your fitness circuit is more challenging by stringing similar activities together. Or make them less challenging by transitioning between dissimilar activities (e.g., upper body followed by lower body).

Moreover, the type of transition between obstacles is another key element in design. When equipment transitions from one type of play to another, children are challenged to keep going, or start again if they stop. Structures that offer larger breaks between activities allow for more break time in between. There is no right or wrong type of transition, although the best playgrounds have both.

Children are naturally drawn to swinging, spinning and sliding so activities. These can be anything from spacewalks, cargo nets or fireman’s poles. Placing more transitional activities into more challenging activities is enough to keep children striving to master the most challenging equipment. Ask about a kids fitness circuit for your space today!

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Playground Equipment Playground Planning

Why Creating an Inclusive Play Environment Is So Important

Girl in a wheelchair playing with other children on a playground

Creating an inclusive play environment gives children the opportunity to grow and learn together. This environment must be fostered in the classroom and out. Providing accessible playground equipment is a vital part of creating a completely inclusive environment.

Moreover, when you include a playground that promotes inclusion, your students will have fun and socialize freely. Multiple inclusive play elements, like Adaptive Swing Seats, a Music Center, and play panels, give children the freedom to choose.

Inclusive Play Encourages Children of All Abilities

An example of an inclusive play and wheelchair accessible environment.
Inclusive play encourages understanding and connection between children of different abilities.

Dr. Jenene Burke, Expert of Inclusive Education, offers expert insight into this topic. When children make clear choices about play, you should support, encourage, and permit their determination where possible.

“Enjoyment of play by some children with impairments can be difficult to identify because of their communication differences. Children might, however, communicate the same feelings of fun and pleasure but in different.” The way children socialize represent their individual communication strengths.

Additionally, when you design your playground or look to make additions or renovations, ask yourself these questions. Is your playground structure and surrounding area design inclusive? Is it boundless or does it include an access ramp? Does the structure have an ADA Transfer Station and include multiple play events on all levels?

Most importantly, creating an inclusive play environment is not only about meeting ADA requirements. It allows children to succeed in and out of the classroom, now and in the future. Furthermore, according to ThoughtCo, “inclusive play fosters belief that children with disabilities do better in general education settings. Best practices in special education provide the most success for general education as well as special education students.”

Finally, learn more about how to promote fair play at your school or organization! Reach out for information on accessible playground equipment for your space. BYO Playground offers wheelchair ramps, wheelchair swings, and more. No child should be left to watch from the sidelines. That’s why we believe in inclusive play!

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Playground Equipment Playground Planning

What is Kids Exercise Week & How to Celebrate It

Kids fitness playground equipment

National Kids Exercise Week was founded in 2010 to promote family physical fitness. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, children should do at least one hour of physical activity per day. Thankfully, children may already meet this guideline by playing during recess at school or at sports practice. However, National Kids Exercise Week, Aug. 4-10, encourages parents to get involved with their children and be physically active together.

There are many ways that families can keep kids fitness and a healthy lifestyle a priority. Participating in outdoor activities together, such as playing informal soccer games in the backyard, are easy ways to get active with the kids. You can also take advantage of family-oriented activities and classes at the local YMCA. Another awesome activity is getting involved in a local fundraising race, like a 5K. It usually takes some time to prepare for this type of race, giving your family another reason to get active.

For preschool aged children, the CDC recommends everyday activity throughout the day. “During Exercise With Your Children Week, parents should get down on the floor – or on the grass out in the yard – and play whatever active game they can get their kids to play. Stay engaged as long as possible, and take plenty of breaks for water and snacks. “

Other Fun Kids Fitness Ideas

The American Society of Positive Care of Children recommends the following physical activities:

1. Aerobic Activity

Aerobic activity should make up most of your child’s 60 or more minutes of physical activity each day. This can include either moderate-intensity aerobic activity, such as brisk walking, or vigorous-intensity activity, such as running. Be sure to include vigorous-intensity aerobic activity on at least 3 days per week.

2. Muscle Strengthening

Include muscle strengthening activities, such as gymnastics or push-ups, at least 3 days per week as part of your child’s 60 or more minutes.

3. Bone Strengthening

Include bone strengthening activities, such as jumping rope or running, at least 3 days per week as part of your child’s 60 or more minutes.

Learn More About Kids Fitness

At BYO, we are committed to creating play for children, in turn helping to create an active, fun lifestyle from an early age. We take pride in our playgrounds and the benefits they provide children nationwide. Parents, we encourage you to take your child to a local playground for some family fun, go for a walk in the park and explore other ways to stay active as a family!

Be sure to check out our BYO Facebook and Twitter pages for more family-friendly activities that promote movement and fun !

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Playground Equipment Playground Planning

Sensory Play Benefits for Little Ones

According to Good Start Early Learning, “sensory play includes any activity that stimulates a young child’s senses of touch, smell, taste, sight and hearing, as well as anything which engages movement and balance.”

Hands-on play encourages children to explore, learn, and engage. The only limit to this type of play is imagination and the materials provided. Teachers should include this type of play in their daily curriculum to establish this form of learning early on. This helps children learn to naturally question things and come to conclusions on their own while they play.

Sensory play is vital to early learning because children learn best through hands-on experiences. With the right materials, teachers can encourage little ones to use their senses to explore and investigate through play their most familiar way to process and understand new information.

When sensory tables are included in the classroom and on the playground, children have multiple opportunities throughout their day to engage in activities that promote developmental growth. These tables can have one or more bins that house sand, water or other materials, like colorful rice or spaghetti.

Children playing with a sensory table
Sensory tables are great for daycares and early learning centers.

Within this sensory material can be just about anything: toys, shovels, cotton balls, pinecones, etc. The contents of the bins can be themed or seasonal. A Pinterest search of sensory play tables will prove that the possibilities are endless! Teachers can have fun with their sensory play activities and easily keep the curriculum exciting and new.

Learn More Sensory Play

BYO Recreation & Teachers’ School Supply has a variety of Sensory and Sand & Water products. Whether you are looking for indoor or outdoor, permanent or portable, we have the perfect item for you! Call us at 1-800-853-5316 to speak to an Early Childhood Specialist today! here are many options for sensory play indoors and out.

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Playground Equipment Playground Planning

The Playground Installation Process: A Play-by-Play Examination (With Real Examples!)

Completed Playground for Palencia Elementary School

Proper playground installation is an involved process that ensures the safety of your playground. BYO Recreation and National Playground Construction (NPC) worked together to install a complete playground project for a new elementary school in St. Augustine, FL.

Playground Installation Step-by-Step

Palencia Elementary School took advantage of BYO Recreation’s playground savings! They purchased a Desert Oasis playground structure and a fitness structure. Because of the substantial savings they had left over due to our annual Quick Ship Sale, they were able to purchase poured-in-place safety surfacing with their school logo.

Moreover, professional playground installation ensures that the playground equipment is properly installed and meets safety requirements. BYO Recreation’s installers are certified in playground safety standards, so there’s no guess work.

The installation at Palencia Elementary took two weeks. One week was spent on the construction of the two playground structures. The second week was for the installation of the Poured-in-Place Safety Surfacing. Both jobs involved a lot of demanding and rigorous manual labor.

Playground Shipping

Unloading Palencia Elementary School’s playground equipment.

First, the playground equipment is shipped freight in crates and on pallets. A project manager will organize shipment times and sign-off for optimized efficiency. When the truck arrives at the playground site, the installers unload the equipment with a forklift or by hand. After unloading the equipment, the installers check that all parts are present and in perfect condition.

Arranging Equipment

Laying out equipment and drilling holes for playground posts.

Secondly, the installers lay out the equipment in the use zone, an essential step in the installation process. This is how the installers know where the holes are going to go and make sure the distances are correct in relation to the other equipment. They start with the core of the structure first and work outwards.

Afterwards, the installers use an auger to dig the holes in the asphalt. This will enable them to install the posts in the ground with concrete. The concrete set overnight, then the installers began to lay the decks and other play components.

Playground Surfacing Installation

Installing a poured-in-place surfacing pirate ship logo.
Placing poured-in-place surfacing down for the Palencia Elementary School logo.

Once the playground is fully constructed, the Poured-in-Place installers begin the process of marking out the area. First, they start with mixing the rubber with glue and laying it out.

Next, they lay a thick base coat. For the space at Palencia, this took about two days including dry time. Lastly, they lay out the top coat, allow it to dry and then they will incorporate the pirate ship design. Poured-in-place surfacing mix must be temperature controlled, so this was a great project for Florida weather. Poured-in-place will not cure properly in colder temperatures.

Learn More About Playground Installation

Finally, to see photos of other completed playgrounds visit the BYO Recreation’s Gallery page. To learn more about BYO Recreation, NPC and professional playground installation call 1-800-853-5316 or visit www.byoplayground.com. Or, to learn more about playground installation, visit our services page.