A Road Map to Successful Playground Planning: From Vision to Reality
Designing a new playground for your community takes careful thought and consideration. Whether you’re looking to add a new public park, refurbish an existing playground, or refresh a school yard play space, taking the time to thoughtfully plan out your project helps ensure the long-term value, safety, and impact that the space will have on the community.
Thinking about everything that goes into planning and building a new playground can be overwhelming, but it doesn’t have to be. Parkworks has assembled the ultimate road map to successful playground planning to help guide you through every step of the process, from concept to installation.
Define the Vision and Community Goals
Before you get started, it’s important to establish the vision for the new playground and identify the goals of the community. You’ll want to understand who the playground is for and how it will be utilized. Will it be geared towards toddlers or school-age children, or a mix of both? It's also important to factor accessibility and inclusivity into the planning process, as this will impact equipment selection and layout when it comes to the playground design.
Hosting engagement sessions with the local community or sharing surveys is a great way to get input from the members of the public who will actually be using the space and will help them feel like they’ve also had a say in the planning process. Pay attention to specific themes or items that community members are looking for, such as nature play elements or specific colour palettes, that could be incorporated into the design.
Solidify Your Budget and Explore Funding Opportunities
After gathering insights from the community, you’ll then move forward with solidifying your budget for the project. Identify where the funds for the playground will come from, whether that be a local municipality or school district, funding and grants, or a combination of sources.
Many communities rely on the support of additional funding and grants to help supplement the budget for their playground builds. Having the community involved through fundraisers or other sponsorship opportunities is a great way to help bolster the funds required to build a new playground, raise awareness, and generate excitement.
It’s important to remember that your budget isn’t just for the playground equipment itself. Other elements to think about include, but are not limited to:
- Demolition of existing equipment (if applicable)
- Site preparation
- Installation of new equipment
- Other Site Amenities (furnishings, shade, etc.)
- Surfacing
- Landscaping
- Maintenance
The cost of all of these things can add up quickly, so if you’re worried about not having enough budget to fully cover the costs right away, consider a phased approach to the build to stretch your budget over time. This could involve installing different play features over the period of a few years or adding site amenities down the road after the initial playground installation is complete.
Choose the Right Park or Playground Location
The next step in successfully planning a playground is choosing a site. If you’re planning to replace an existing playground, then this step of the process should be straightforward, as the new playground will likely be built on the existing site. For a brand-new playground, however, it’s important to evaluate the proposed build-site based on things like:
- Accessibility – will the site be easy to access and navigate? Is it easily accessibly by public transit?
- Visibility – are there good sightlines for supervision throughout the dedicated area?
- Parking – is there ample parking available?
- Proximity to other amenities – what else is in the area that might attract visitors?
You’ll also want to conduct a site assessment on the proposed space, checking on things like soil conditions, water drainage, grading, existing vegetation and trees, and sun exposure. The results of this assessment will help determine how much of your budget will be required to prepare the site for a new playground to be built. It’s also important to check for local zoning or permitting requirements and ensure that you have those details in order before starting to build the playground.
Design with Parkworks
When it comes to designing your new playground, you’ll want to work with a trusted playground partner. We're here to help create a design that reflects both your goals and your budget.
Parkworks’ expert design team will help you create a beautiful space that will meet the needs of both you and your community, while taking into consideration things like creating age-appropriate play zones, and ensuring that the playground includes inclusive features and is ADA compliant.
If your community expressed a desire in having nature play or water play integration, the designer will be able to work this into the design in a way that feels intentional and blends all of the play spaces together. They will also keep safety top of mind, ensuring that the flow of the final play space is creative yet still functional.
Select Materials and Equipment
Selecting the right play equipment and other materials for your playground can feel overwhelming, but a skilled designer will be able to help you make choices that will benefit the play space for years to come. Parkworks’ expert designers will help you choose durable, low-maintenance play features will help ensure the longevity of the playground. Incorporating different colour palettes and themes that will stand the test of time is a great way to ensure that your playground will continue to look amazing, long into the future.
Choosing the right type of playground surfacing is also an important step in the process. While there are lots of safe surfacing options to choose from, it’s important to remember that they each come with their own pros and cons. Taking the time to really understand the needs of your community is a great way to determine the best kind of surfacing for your playground. Pour-in-place rubber (PIP) is a great choice from an accessibility standpoint but typically comes at a higher cost. Engineered wood fiber (EWF) can come with a lower cost initially but may require more maintenance and upkeep down the road.
Plan for Permits, Procurement, and Installation
Once a design has been finalized and equipment has been selected, it’s time to start the installation process! Understanding your installation timeline is essential to ensuring the playground is completed on time with minimal holdups. Make sure you have all the appropriate permits in place and that you have a trusted contractor lined up to move the installation along once everything has been signed off.
You’ll also want to make sure that you’re communicating with suppliers and installers to ensure that the entire project stays on schedule.
Promote the Project and Build Excitement
Throughout the entire playground build, you’ll want to keep the community updated. They will undoubtedly be excited about a new amenity in their neighbourhood, so sharing progress photos, videos, and project countdowns is a great way to continue building excitement.
Many communities will want to get involved in one way or another, whether that be through community-led fundraisers or awareness campaigns, so providing community members with the opportunity to be directly involved in the project can help give them a sense of ownership and pride.
Consider hosting a groundbreaking event to mark the official start of the playground build and a grand opening or ribbon cutting when the play space is finished. Engaging local schools and businesses is a great way to bolster community involvement and get kids excited about having a new playground in their neighbourhood.
Maintain for Long-Term Success
Once your playground is complete and open to the public, there are still a few more things you’ll want to do to ensure the long-term success of the play space. Creating a routine maintenance plan is a great place to start.
Keeping the space maintained and free of debris will not only help extend the lifespan of the equipment, but it will also help ensure that the play area is safe for kids who might be using it year-round.
Parkworks has put together a handy Fall maintenance guide that is a great resource to use when putting your own maintenance plan together
You’ll also want to allocate time for routine playground inspections and upgrades as they are needed. Organizing volunteer days for the community to come together and assist with seasonal care is a great way to keep the community involved, even after the playground has been completed.
Ready to build a new playground in your community?
A successful playground starts with a clear and concise plan, expert guidance, and community support. Whether you’re building a brand-new playground or are looking to refurbish an existing area into a fresh, updated play space, following the steps outlined above is a great way to ensure that your playground is safe, inclusive, and built to last.