Playground Design Explained: How To Design An Exciting Playground For Any Outdoor Space
Updated on: May 22, 2023
The responsibility for designing an outdoor space for a community of children is a big one! A successful playground design needs to include many elements to ensure it’s an enjoyable space for all children to use.
Any resource for children needs to be extremely practical and a playground is no different. From lack of shade on a sunny day to slippery surfaces, restricted movement and sensory overload, there are so many ways to get playground design wrong.
As a top UK playground markings company, we can give you the inside scoop on the critical things you should know. Get it right and you’ll create a design which transforms your outdoor area into an exciting play space for the whole community.
At Fun & Active Playgrounds, we offer bespoke playground design for playground equipment, playground markings, outdoor furniture and more. Whether you decide to manage the project yourself or hire in expert help, here are the top 9 things you need to know to create an outdoor space that’s enjoyable for all.
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Playground Design Explained: 9 Steps To Design An Exciting Playground For Any Outdoor Space
1. The 3Ws
Whether you’re planning a school playground design or a design for a park, nursery, community play area or another type of setting for children, the first thing you need to do is pin down the 3Ws.
Who – who is the playground for? Your first thoughts will be the different ages of the children who will use the space but there will be other types of visitors to your playground. From parents and carers to staff, visitors, after-school groups and more, there will be a range of stakeholders you need to consider.
And it’s not just who will use it. Who will clean and maintain the playground? Who will check the playground remains safe to use?
Don’t forget to determine where and when you will be carrying out your playground development project too.
2. Build a Team
All these questions mean it’s really useful to create a planning team for your playground design that includes a range of stakeholders. You’ll want to move beyond senior management to include the premises officer, children of different ages and personalities who will use the playground, probably an architect or playground consultant.
Someone like the PE lead or school nurse can provide invaluable help to ensure children’s physical development is fully supported in the final design.
You’ll also need to consider when the playground will be used and what for.
3. Survey
Before you make any concrete plans for the outdoor space, you need to ensure the existing land is fit for purpose. At this point you may want to hire in professional help to conduct a survey for you.
Safety considerations for a playground include everything from the direction of sunlight to access, drainage, the condition of the ground and more. These are really important elements which need to be explored across the existing site before further plans are made.
If you’re thinking of using our playground marking services, we can conduct a free survey for you. And of course, our highly-experienced design team will work closely with you throughout every stage of the project. You can even include a group of children from your community in the process. More about our design services.
4. Types of Equipment
Once you know your outdoor space will be safe to build on, you can start to give your plans a lot more thought.
When you think about a playground, the first types of play equipment that spring to mind will be ones which support active play, however you’re creating a play space for all children. You need to incorporate a range of playground equipment which covers the many ways different children play.
For example, there are lots of children who prefer less energetic play. These children may engage in reflective play, also known as quiet play. Our picnic table-tops are a great way to support children who prefer to be more reflective at playtime.
Meanwhile our wide range of playground markings and play equipment promote a vast variety of different types of play, including social play, active play, reflective play, imaginative play and more.
Here are the 6 main ways children play:
- Active play – this is energetic play where children like to tear around the playground and be really physical.
- Reflective play – children may spend time on their own or in a small group, quietly focused on one activity at a time.
- Sensory play – children are immersed in sensory stimulation. They use their hands, ears, eyes and more to freely explore the world around them.
- Social play – children like to spend time with others talking, interacting, and engaging in group activities with rules and roles.
- Imaginative play – children explore concepts and ideas through role play and games in imaginary worlds.
- Creative play – children enjoy expressing themselves creatively through the arts.
From climbing equipment for active play to playground pirate ships, sensory play panels, sand and water tables, musical instrument play panels, role play panels and more, our extensive collection of playground markings and play equipment makes it easy to see how many options there are available to ensure all types of children’s play are supported.
All play equipment should promote open-ended play, be as inclusive as possible and incorporate elements of surprise and discovery which keep play interesting.
5. Playground Furniture
You’re creating an outdoor space so you’ll also need to include outdoor furniture to finish the playground properly.
Benches, bins, picnic tables, planters, flowers and signs are all important elements you need to incorporate to ensure the finished playground is practical and appealing.
Don’t forget to consider seating and tables for adults and other helpful furniture such as outdoor clocks and welcome signs.
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6. Playground Surfaces
The surface you choose for your playground is really important. Like all of your playground equipment, it needs to be weather-resistant, robust and hardwearing. Your playground surface should also be anti-slip and free from hazards which could cause children to fall or trip as they play.
Once you’ve ensured the playground surface you choose will be safe, you can get really creative about what the playground surface looks like. Our playground markings are both fun and educational, incorporating national curriculum topics, inclusive ideas, and traditional games for children.
You may also want to think about markings for ball games such as football or basketball.
If you’re short on space, our play panels include space-saving, wall-mounted panels to make it easy to allocate a smaller area for ball games.
7. Zones
With so many different types of play in action, it’s important to zone the playground so children can play in comfort and safety. Each zone needs to feel like part of the playground, so again, you may want to seek help to ensure each space flows seamlessly into the next.
Lots of children engage in different types of play throughout each playtime so children should be able to move freely from one area to another. The playground should feel organic, appealing and exciting so it’s important to include various options en-route as children travel from one space to the next.
8. Safety
t’s crucial your playground design will remain safe in all weathers. Again, you may want to consult with an expert to ensure, for example, there is enough shade in sunny weather and places for children to shelter when it rains.
Whether children are running, playing in a group, or walking in a line, they should be able to move freely across the playground without encountering hazards. Your design will need to be child-proof so children are safe as they play.
Fencing, shrubs, secure gates, separate access for vehicles, visitors and parents all need to be included in the plans.
If parents and carers collect children from the school playground, now is the time to consider the practicalities this entails and build them into the design.
9. Use the natural world
Your finished playground should feel like a natural part of the environment which surrounds. Incorporating natural materials and the landscape into the design will help to ensure the design feels seamless. From apparatus that are partly built into the surrounding landscape to natural colours and surfaces, there are lots of ways to make your design part of the wider environment.
If that sounds like a lot to consider, get in touch with our design team. We can help you create an exciting, unique playground that’s perfect for your entire community. Request a free survey.
Jess Sparks
Jess is deeply committed to supporting our mission of positively impacting UK outdoor play environments to promote healthy lifestyles in children.
With a CIM Level 6 Diploma in Sustainable Marketing, Jess channels her passion for sustainability into her marketing role, using her skills to promote eco-conscious practices and raise awareness for our initiatives.
Jess’ experience within the industry is instrumental in driving engagement and supporting connections with those who require ultra-durable, high-grade playground markings both locally and internationally.