Important Considerations for Your Church Playground
There are many reasons a congregation might look at upgrading an existing play area or adding a completely new playground to their property. There are also several things that you should consider when you’re ready to begin the process. As commercial playground professionals we’d love to pass on our years of experience and give practical advice to our fellow Christians looking to build a playground at their place of worship.
Why Should Anyone Invest in a New Playground or Upgrade Existing Equipment and Play Areas?
A playground is a place where children learn a lot about life and what better place to build those foundations, than while gathering with your church family before and after worship services and Bible studies? Your investment in a playground shows commitment to your children and is attractive to young families looking for a church home. Playgrounds also help improve the mental and physical health of children as they play, run, and exercise.
Put yourself in their shoes. When moving to a new area, what might make your family consider one certain congregation over another? You can provide a playground to meet the needs of your community that is both safe and that offers great value to the whole congregation. Consulting with an experienced playground design & construction company that can help guide you through the process is an invaluable asset.
Let’s look at a few more considerations.
AGE-APPROPRIATE EQUIPMENT IS IMPORTANT
Your new playground can provide age-appropriate equipment for the children in your congregation. Be sure to consider who are the primary users and will the users be those attending a weekday daycare at the church building, or will it be just for church use?
Having separate areas for the younger ages helps protect both them and others. Most equipment is divided into different age ranges, from toddler ages, to 2–5 year-olds, 5-12 year-olds, and older children as well.
Remember the Adults
Play helps children move and exercise to improve their health in so many ways. Older members can greatly benefit from movement and exercise as well! Giving our older adults a place to gather with friends and church family to practice balancing and exercise is an amazing benefit for congregations to offer. Improved balance, mental clarity, health, and more can be improved with regular exercise no matter your age. Outdoor fitness equipment is offered for those congregations that are interested.
Consider Accessibility
How many of your members would benefit from an inclusive and accessible play area? Not only can these accessible features be found in our secular community buildings, but also in our churches. Make sure all of your church members can access your church building and all of the playground equipment to play alongside their peers. What a blessing to your congregation and the parents of children in mobility devices that they find a place that puts their child’s needs at the forefront as well as those of others.
- Consider adding a ramped play structure for those in a mobility device.
- Consider the type of surfacing for ease of use by those in mobility devices (more about this later).
- Consider adding inclusive freestanding elements such as outdoor musical instruments like the Flower Chimes pictured. Not only is it aesthetically pleasing, but it also provides hours of fun for everyone no matter what their ability.
- Site amenities are an important addition to any play area. Those supervising and playing will need areas to get a break and rest such as shaded picnic tables and benches. Trash receptacles help keep your playground areas clean as well. Many customers consider adding bike racks, dog park equipment and trash receptacles as well.
Minimize Risk
Make sure your playground meets safety standards to minimize risk to children and your church.
We can do this by making sure the equipment you are considering is IPEMA certified. IPEMA is the International Play Equipment Manufacturers Association. According to their website, “IPEMA is committed to providing safer, more inclusive play environments for children and their families. Accidents happen – both on and off playgrounds – but the best playground products help mitigate risk and prevent serious injury. IPEMA believes this starts by upholding the industry’s highest compliance and safety standards through certification.” (https://ipema.org/2023/03/3-benefits-of-choosing-ipema-certified-equipment/) Be sure to check for this designation when purchasing equipment to ensure your purchase follows safety standards.
FROM TOP TO BOTTOM
Remember to plan for appropriate safety surfacing and safe usage. Some customers put a lot of consideration into choosing their play structure without thinking much about the safety surface underneath or the overall safety of the play area.
LET’S DO OUR BEST
Each safety surface material offered by reputable companies is designed to be shock-absorbing and to prevent serious injury. Each piece of equipment has a designated use zone to keep kids safe while playing. Unlike older playground equipment, modern equipment is designed to ensure a line of sight for all areas in the playground so that parents and caregivers are better able to monitor children while they move around the playground. On the playground make sure there are no sharp corners. Corners should be rounded and smooth, with rolled edges to prevent injury.
ACCESSIBILITY & INCLUSION
Prioritize Inclusion
Playgrounds should be a safe space for children to join with their peers to play, imagine, and have fun. Every child, no matter their ability, should have equal access to safe and fun equipment that improves their health and well-being. When your playground is inclusive, we allow all children to play regardless of any perceived limitations.
Consider your congregation. Who might be current and/or future members? What needs do you foresee needing to meet? Do you have any current users of mobility devices, any children who could benefit from accessible play equipment? Many times, play surfaces limit children from easily accessing playgrounds as pushing mobility devices through sand, pebbles, or other less accessible surfacing is quite the challenge as well as other challenges such as no transfer-height equipment.
We can all do our best to keep safety surfaces accessible and inclusive. Today the most popular safety surfaces are:
- Engineered Wood Fiber (EWF) (Loose Surface) Cheapest option up-front, but long-term it can be more expensive when maintaining it due to washouts and the need for replacement over time. Not great for accessibility.
- Poured in Place (PIP) Rubber Safety Surfacing (Unitary Surface) Best for accessibility, although it does get hot in the sun, the maintenance is minimal compared to EWF. It can be more expensive up-front but makes up for it over time with less maintenance. You can choose aesthetically pleasing colors and even add graphics for an overall exciting and even custom look! There are so many colors to choose from!
- Artificial Turf (Unitary Surface) Another great option for accessibility, it’s a unitary surface that stays cooler than PIP in the sun. Great for younger kids who spend more time on the ground. Plus, it looks amazing and very inviting!
- Loose Shredded Rubber (LSR) (Loose Surface) This is a recycled shredded wireless tire material. This option is more economical, although this is not the most popular option. It does have its drawbacks, such as the need to be refilled over time. One big positive is the addition of big pops of color with colored loose shredded rubber at lower costs. Most companies offer the choice of blue, green, brown, terracotta, or black.
CPSI Safety
Insist on Certified Playground Safety Inspectors (CPSI) when choosing a company to design and build your playground. This ensures your playground follows the safety standards that will be best for keeping everyone safe and having fun for the life of your equipment.
Plan for maintenance and inspections to protect your investment and users.
When budgeting for a playground, remember to keep maintenance in mind. Regular preventative maintenance and inspections will keep your playground in the best shape.
Warranty
Also consider the warranty for the equipment you purchase. The playground equipment can come with some amazing warranties. Be sure to check it out before purchasing. Look for companies that have been around and have a good reputation for safety and quality.
How to Get Started
- Decide what kind of playground or fitness area you want to add that will meet the needs of your community.
- Find a qualified playground company/contractor to design and install your equipment. Look for certified installers with experience in the playground industry. Make sure your project managers are equipped to handle the design and installation of equipment that’s compliant with industry safety standards.
- Budget for the cost of the playground or fitness area, surfacing, and installation. Costs will vary depending on size and more, but the benefit of adding a playground or outdoor fitness area to your church grounds will be well worth the investment.
See our article in Religious Product News publication
