Understanding your site specifications and safety standards is an important part of planning your new playground. Great playground planning isn’t just about purchasing the best equipment. It’s about considering the entire play space and the needs of its users. Our team at Pelican Playgrounds can help you maximize your site’s full play potential. Here are some basic site considerations you’ll need to account for.
Playground Size & Shape
Ideally, your site should be large enough to accommodate both active and quiet play areas. When planning your new playground you can save on site preparation expenses by choosing a site that’s relatively flat and provides adequate drainage. Additionally consider ways in which you can create synergy with your environment and highlight natural features. It also helps to be aware of any existing utilities. Our crew will need to dig deep holes to install in-ground posts. Pelican Playgrounds can help arrange for dig safe to come out and mark utilities ahead of designing your playground.
Planning for Flow, Accessibility & Inclusivity
Next, ensure that every person, regardless of their level of ability, has equal opportunity on the playground. You can start by understanding the guidelines for accessibility under the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) and planning your playground to meet or exceed those guidelines, which include:
- Providing accessible routes into, around, and within the playspace
- Making all ground-level activities accessible
- Achieving satisfactory elevated-to-ground-based play component ratios
Also, you’ll want to make sure maintenance and emergency vehicles have direct access to your playground. Planning clear pathways and access points will promote good traffic flow on, into, and around the playground equipment.
Playground Safety Standards
When planning your playground, it’s important to work with a playground company that has Certified Playground Safety Inspectors (CPSI) on staff. Pelican Playgrounds has multiple CPSI staff and our reputable manufacturer has been making certified equipment for many years. When planning your new playground ensure that each piece of equipment meets or exceeds both U.S. and international guidelines for safety. At Pelican Playgrounds, this means our Playworld products meet the standards set by the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC), American Society for Testing & Materials (ASTM), European Norm (EN), Canadian Standards Association (CSA), Singapore Standard, and Consumer Products Safety Improvement Act (CPSIA).
Use Zones
Our CPSI-certified designer, Dana, will design your playground with use zones in mind (the amount of open space required around each piece of play equipment). Certain pieces of equipment cannot overlap use zones and there needs to be enough space from the playground to any buildings, walkways, or other boundaries. When planning your playground, we’ll also help your consider sightlines throughout the playspace to ensure that caregivers have clear visibility of their kids from any vantage point.
Risk Management Signs & Stickers
Different age groups have different recreational abilities and playground safety needs. Make it easy for everyone by posting prominent playground rules and age-destination signs and updating faded stickers on any of your existing equipment. Pelican Playgrounds will include all of these in your new playground design. Also, we can help you add or update your risk management signage for any existing equipment.
