Welcome to The Playground Post
This is your biweekly dose of playground knowledge from someone who's spent 20 years inspecting them.
In this issue, I’ll talk about how community feedback is an essential part of any successful playground.
I’ll also discuss how strategic planning can lead to a more successful playground purchase.
All that and more lies ahead in The Playground Post.
Monitoring Minute
What Community Complaint Spikes Really Signal
If you manage a playground, you know that injury risks are a part of life. Even with the best preventative maintenance in the business, there’s always an odd chance that a kid will fall from a swing and sprain their ankle. One hopes that parents will properly teach their kids not to be risky while at play, but sometimes, those risks do lead to injury.
Playgrounds like this one don’t get to where they are without community input.
That said, when parents start asking each other, “Why are kids getting hurt on this playground?” this is when one should home in on the specifics of what people are saying (unless, of course, you want your playground to be known as “The one that kids get hurt on all the time”).
Feedback from the community always tells a story, and the more you listen, the more opportunities you’ll be able to act on.
This is the second time this week I’ve seen a kid trip and fall!
Sounds like a potential issue with your playground’s surfacing.
Why are kids coming off the playground with scrapes?
Time to check equipment like tunnels and slides for jagged, rough edges.
These are just a couple of examples. Responding to community feedback doesn’t just build trust; it gives you the chance to make your playground better based on what real people are seeing.
By keeping a running list of feedback, you can more easily discern trends in the type of issues people report, which can tell you what needs to be fixed or improved.
One Thing to Check on Your Playground This Week
Summer is in full swing, and with high temperatures come higher risks of heat-related illness. Playing when it’s sunny out is a great way for kids to get active, but parents should take care to closely observe their little ones for the common signs of heat stroke, which, according to the CDC, include shortness of breath, confusion, and profuse sweating. Keep water readily available so kids can hydrate and cool off.
Additionally, be sure kids have adequate amounts of sunscreen applied, especially if they’re going to be outdoors for a while. Sunburns are truly no joke. And, as always, be mindful of hydration. Kids should always have easy access to cold water so they can continue running around for hours at a time.
Installation Insights
When Planning a Playground, Timing is Everything
In most regions of the US, the months of March through July are often considered the best time of year for installing new playgrounds. The spring and summer months are often hot, but the ground is typically soft enough that digging holes for things like posts and anchors isn’t overly difficult. Of course, one can buy playground equipment year-round, but when it comes to installing it, winter tends to be one of the least ideal times, especially in areas like the Midwest and Great Plains, where the ground often freezes.
When planning a date for a playground installation, there’s another crucial factor that’s important to pay attention to: the weather. In my experience, one of the biggest factors behind delays in install jobs has been poor weather conditions, which usually come in the form of torrential rain or thunderstorms. If your goal is to have your playground ready to use on day one, try to carve out a few days with clear weather in the forecast. Kids and parents will thank you for it.
Clear skies and sunlight are a playground’s best friends.
At the end of the day, no one can predict the weather, but you can make educated decisions about when purchases and installs happen. Generally speaking, it’s better to make strategic decisions than rushed ones, and this is especially true when it comes to playground purchases.
That's it for this issue.
If you’re looking to purchase a playground, ask yourself:
Where can I save money?
Am I able to drive to pick up my equipment?
Can I recruit some handy parents or parishioners to help install the playground?
Are there crowdfunding or grant options I can take advantage of?
These are the sorts of questions that sometimes prove necessary to make playground plans come to life.
If you have any questions on how to get your playground to the finish line, reply to this email and I’ll give you my take.
A playground is a big purchase, and when it comes to completing a project, there’s no such thing as a dumb question.
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Talk soon,
Nic Breedlove
Certified Playground Safety Inspector
20 years in the game. Still learning.