Questions to Ask When You Are Planning Your Next Commercial Playground

Planning a new playground opens the door to endless possibilities for fun, play and exercise. There are so many elements to consider. Who are you hoping to attract to your playground? How would you like them to use your space? How will participants interact with the elements when they are on your playground? As you answer these questions, you narrow the vision of your playground and actual structures and a plan begins to form. Here are a few elements to consider when you are in the early stages of planning that may help you focus your efforts:

Choosing the Color

You may be familiar with how important color is in childhood development, learning and play. Read our blog on Why Color Matters in Children’s Environments. There are other elements to consider if you are choosing the primary colors of your playground. What are the colors in the surrounding area? Will your equipment stand out against the background? Those colors change with the seasons, so consider what color would work in all weather. 

Surfaces with Purposes

To help answer the question of how you want people to use your space, you could help designate certain areas by using different surfaces. We offer options that range from Poured in place Rubber, Artificial Turf to Concrete. This can ignite and encourage specific activity areas, outdoor gyms, or court games like basketball, dodgeball or even pickleball. 

Trash Receptacles

The need for different amenities in an outdoor space can often overlap with exactly the same needs of an indoor space. Where there are people congregating, there will be trash accumulation. Making sure there are clearly-visible, regularly-placed receptacles will help encourage your funseekers to clean up after themselves. We see it all the time in communities that truly appreciate their outdoor spaces, they make an effort to help keep them clean!

Seating

While the first idea surrounding a playground is considering all the activities that will take place, your park goers will also need places to rest. Providing seating and even tables will encourage people to engage with your park at whatever level they can. 

Shading

Related to rest, active people will also need shade, especially in our blustering summers. Not only should you consider planting trees and constructing overhangs for seated areas, but shade is also needed around courts and activity locations. Staying cool while being active can prevent heat stroke and other dangerous conditions. 

Bark Parks

While many human parks also welcome furry friends, our best friends deserve their own parks as well. Bark parks are almost always full of owners and dogs playing and exercising wherever they are located. Many of the same elements come into consideration for a dog park: color, surface, trash, seating and shading. However, giving them a tweak for dogs means adding obstacle courses, biodegradable waste bags for any messes, and dog-sized water fountains.

Planning a playground, outdoor space, or dog park is one of the most exciting experiences because it is planning for people’s (and dog’s) amusement. Figuring out what makes your park a unique experience for your outdoor enthusiasts can be just as exciting as experiencing the park itself.

At Southeast Outdoor Solutions, we’ve been planning, building, and maintaining playgrounds and active outdoor spaces since 1989. Between the ideas we have dreamed up and the inspiration our customers bring to us, we have made some engaging, useful and well-loved spaces in Georgia and the Southeast. If you’re interested in working on a new project for your school, church, daycare or city, we can help you from the very first question to the very last detail. 

Reach out to our team today and let us help you Build It!