The importance of playgrounds in the development of all children cannot be stressed enough. This is why commercial playground installation has now become a necessity in most communities. If you are upgrading an old playground, however, and you have a limited budget, you need to decide on what areas to work on. This way, your investments will be well worth it and well-appreciated.
Spot important areas
Before your upgrade, assess which area in your playground received the most traffic. This is probably the most worn-out area as well and there could be some safety issues already. By concentrating your efforts here, you can be sure that you are spending your money in the right areas of concern.
Upgrade your strongest asset
What equipment is most appreciated in your playground so far? How does your layout work for you? Compared to other playgrounds in the area, what characteristic makes your playground more special than any other playgrounds in your area? If you have limited money to spend on improvements, you can work on these areas first.
Simple upgrades work best
The simplest and most basic upgrade you can do is to make your commercial playground installation more accessible. For example, if you have a surfacing that may not be accessible to wheelchairs or strollers, you could opt for a more expensive but smoother one. The shift from rubber mulch fillings to poured in surfacing will not cost you too much money but could make a world of difference in terms of enjoyment to the children who use the playground.
Invest in key pieces
Aside from surfacing, you can also put your money in key equipment. For example, if most kids in your area use the slide and swing the most, you could add more swings to accommodate more kids at a time, and to upgrade your slides so that they are safe for the kids using your playground.
Check on safety and accessibility
When you are at a loss, always check on essentials first. Look at each and every one of your playground equipment. Is their integrity compromised? Do you see any rust or cracks? Remove and replace any equipment which can pose a safety hazard. If anything in your layout is hard to maneuver into when the parent or child is using a wheelchair or a stroller, you can install safe ramps or allow for more space in the pathways.
Check on equipment lifespan
Do you have a record of your past equipment purchases? Are any of them running very close to the end of their lifespan? It is best to have them checked and replaced even if they have not shown cracks yet. Always remember that your equipment pieces are exposed to the elements. The plastic pieces could be getting crunchy already.
Rethink your playground layout
If you have the money and the option to change everything up, rethink your entire playground layout. List equipment pieces which you think would be most beneficial to all children who will be playing there. Make your playground accessible even to babies and those who might have physical handicaps. Make sure all surfaces are safe, and if an equipment hangs dangerously high, you are armed with protective surfaces.
General Recreation is the leader when it comes to commercial playground installation. From playground equipment, site furnishing, and playground installation, we got you covered! Contact us today!
