Commercial Playground Equipment & Swing Sets for Sale

TOP 3 THINGS TO CONSIDER WHEN PURCHASING A PLAYGROUND

What should you keep in mind when planning the right playground for your community or organization?

Purchasing a commercial playground is a big investment. The members of your community, school, or church have dedicated their time and resources to raise the funds necessary for such a large purchase. In return, you want to make sure the playground you choose is a quality product that is built to last, while serving the needs of all your members, young and old. Here are several tips that you should consider when choosing a commercial playground that is the focal point of a fun, outdoor play area.

Playground Tip #1

OPPORTUNITY FOR ALL AGES & ABILITIES

Playground components offer ways for young children to become more steady on their feet while they practice balance and motor skills, and for older children to build strength, flexibility, and endurance. It’s important that your commercial playground is built with activities and accessories that are appropriate for all age groups. We can work with you to create a custom commercial playground that is compliant with the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) and accessible for children who are living with disabilities. Included in the accessibility guidelines are the need for ground-level play components, as well as accessible routes to each type of component. You can read more in the Accessibility Guideline for Play Areas document, created by the United States Access Board.

Playground Tip #2:

SAFETY STANDARDS

When you’re plotting out the location for the new playground on your organization’s property, pay special attention to what is referred to as the use zone. You see dimensions that show a playground as 31’ by 22’ and think, “Yes, we’ve got space for that!” But a quality, reputable playground manufacturer or dealer will also provide requirements for use zones. This extra square footage is a necessary safety precaution to ensure that children on swings don’t collide with a tree or that children winding down the slide aren’t carried by their momentum into a surrounding fence. It also provides a wide space for children to walk around the play structure without getting kicked or injured by those using the equipment. It is recommended that your play area is set upon a shock-absorbing surface, such as rubber mulch, artificial playground turf, or Poured-in-Place (PIP) Rubber. This will lessen the impact if a child falls onto the surface. For additional information on purchasing a playground that will keep the children in your community safe from injuries, call our knowledgeable team.

Playground Tip #3:

MAINTENANCE

When choosing a commercial playground, you’ll have options that are constructed of vinyl, wood, or metal. They all have advantages and differences. For example, metal playgrounds are the most expensive option and wooden playgrounds offer a natural look. If your priority is ensuring that your playground remains durable and attractive for years, vinyl is a better choice. Metal playgrounds can be victim to rusting and chipped paint. Wooden playgrounds will need to be stained or painted periodically, as well as sanded down if excessive splintering occurs. With vinyl construction, your playground will maintain it’s attractiveness with a quick power washing each year. Less time for maintenance means more time for fun!

ENCOURAGE OUTSIDE PLAY

The importance of spending time outdoors and being physically active is more important for our children than it has ever been. The #1 health concern that parents have for their children today is childhood obesity. According to the American Heart Association, one in three children are overweight or obese, a statistic that has tripled since 1971. A contributor to obesity and one of the main reasons that children spend less time on physical activity is the rapidly growing trend of “screen time”. Young children can spend as much as 5-7 hours a day watching TV, playing video games, using the Internet, or smart phones. Of course, being physically active is important for building strong, healthy bodies, but there are other physical and mental benefits to playing outside regularly that you may not realize.

MENTAL BENEFITS OF PLAYING OUTSIDE

• Open spaces help children to recharge and release pent-up energy after long periods of learning, making for better academic progress.

• Inattentiveness or hyperactivity can be greatly reduced, keeping children alert.

• When children are exposed to green spaces, stress levels fall and good moods increase.

• Playing outside enhances social interaction and helps children develop relationships.

PHYSICAL BENEFITS OF PLAYING OUTSIDE

• Helps in developing large and small motor skills.

Large: Running, jumping, and throwing

Small: Hand-eye coordination, grasping, and holding objects

• Promotes the building of cardiovascular endurance.

• Breathing fresh air can help slow the spread of infections. This is especially important during the

cold and flu season.

• Outdoor light helps to set your internal clock, which leads to better sleep at night.

• Spending time outside can improve distance vision and lowers chances of being nearsighted.

• Increasing exposure to sunlight and vitamin D, can help prevent bone issues, heart disease, and diabetes.

ADA ACCESSIBLE OUTSIDE PLAY

According to ADA, an accessible playground is one that offers a range of play experiences to children of varying abilities. There must be:

• An accessible path from the building or parking lot to the edge of the play area.

• An accessible path from the edge of the play area to the play equipment.

• Surfacing that complies with ASTM 1951 (Determination of Accessibility of Surface Systems Under and Around Playground Equipment).

Once a child is in the play area, they must be able to access the play equipment by either moving out of their mobility device onto the playground structure (such as a transfer station) or by direct play structure access in their mobility device (such as a ramp).

WE TAKE PLAYSETS SERIOUSLY CPSI & ASTM

Playgrounds are the perfect place for children to explore and let their imaginations run wild. Feeling the fresh breeze as they swing or slide through the air is truly euphoric. One thing that can ruin their fun is an unexpected bump or fall serious enough for a hospital visit. Unfortunately, these types of trips occur more often than they should. Each year, thousands of children are admitted to the emergency room for injuries that happened on playground equipment. Preventing playground injuries is easier than you may think. We keep childrens safety in mind when making playsets. By following ASTM guidelines and having a CPSI on staff, it helps us keep safety at the forefront.

WHAT IS A CPSI?

We have a certified playground safety inspector on staff. Certification is an act of professionalism. By seeking certification, you join the thousands of people who are committed to fostering the highest standards of ethical and professional practice in the delivery of park and recreation programs and services.

CPSI stands for "Certified Playground Safety Inspector." This certification is offered by the National Recreation and Park Association in coordination with the National Certification Board. All international venues are through the International Playground Safety Institute, LLC on behalf of the NRPA. CPSIs are certified to inspect playgrounds for safety issues and to ensure inspected playgrounds meet current national industry standards developed by the American Society for Testing and Materials (ASTM) and Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC).

PUBLIC USE PLAY EQUIPMENT FOR CHILDREN OF AGES 2-12 YEARS

Our Commercial Playgrounds adhere to the requirements of ASTM F1487-21 Playground Standards. In order to ensure the safety and well being of all children who play on commercial playgrounds it is important to follow these guidelines as we do. These standards help to create a safe usable space for all children. Below is a summary of the standard required to meet ASTM guidelines.

ASTM F1487-21 Standard Consumer Safety Performance Specification for Playground Equipment for Public Use

This consumer safety performance specification provides safety and performance standards for various types of public playground equipment. Its purpose is to reduce life-threatening and debilitating injuries. The range of users encompassed by this consumer safety performance specification is the 5th percentile 2-year-old through the 95th percentile 12-year-old.

Home playground equipment, toys, amusement rides, sports equipment, fitness equipment intended for users over the age of 12, public use play equipment for children 6 to 24 months, and soft contained play equipment are not included in this specification.

Products or materials (site furnishings) that are installed outside the equipment use zone, such as benches, tables, independent shade structures, and borders used to contain protective surfacing, are not considered playground equipment and are not included in this specification.

This specification does not address accessibility, except as it pertains to safety issues not covered in the DOJ 2010 Standard for Accessible Design.

PLAYGROUND SURFACING MATERIALS MEET ASTM STANDARDS

Our Playground Surfacing Materials adhere to the requirements of ASTM F1292-22 Playground Standards. Our surfacing passes the required tests to ensure all safety standards are met for your commercial play area. Below is a summary of the standard required to meet ASTM guidelines.

ASTM F1292-22 Standard Specification for Impact Attenuation of Surfacing Materials Within the Use Zone of Playground Equipment

This specification establishes minimum performance requirements for the impact attenuation of playground surfacing materials installed within the use zone of playground equipment. This is specific to surfacing used described in Specifications F1148, F1487, F1918, F1951, and F2075.

This specification establishes an impact attenuation performance criterion for playground surfacing materials; expressed as a critical fall height. 

This specification establishes procedures for determining the critical fall height of playground surfacing materials under laboratory conditions. The laboratory test is

mandatory for surfaces to conform to the requirements of this specification. The laboratory test required by this specification addresses the performance of dry surfacing materials.

The critical fall height of a playground surfacing material determined under laboratory conditions does not account for important factors that have the potential to influence the actual performance of installed surfacing materials. Factors that are known to affect surfacing material performance include but are not limited to aging, moisture, maintenance, exposure to temperature extremes (for example, freezing), exposure to ultraviolet light, contamination with other materials, compaction, loss of thickness, shrinkage, submersion in water, and so forth.

This specification also establishes a procedure for testing installed playground surfaces in order to determine whether an installed playground surface meets the specified performance criterion.