5 Things to Consider about Kids Playground Equipment

Selecting your kids’ playground equipment is more than a fun project. There are safety considerations to keep in mind, as well as liability ones for when the neighbors come by for play dates. You'll want to be especially careful when buying used playground equipment, because a cheap price may not be worth it.

1 - Select Age Appropriate Equipment

Many injuries occur because children are allowed to play on playground equipment that's too advanced for their age group. The three main categories for equipment are ages 2 and under, ages 2 to 5 and ages 5 to 12. Choose the right one for your kids to prevent unnecessary injuries. It may cost you more if your kids range in ages, but resulting medical treatments from serious injuries will cost you even more money and emotional pain.

2 - Surfaces underneath Equipment

Some playground equipment are sold with surfaces that need to be installed underneath the equipment. Surfaces need to be thick and soft, in order to provide a suitable padding when, not if, your kids fall. Don't just put equipment on soil, grass or concrete and expect your kids to be safe. Soil erosion can cause instability of the equipment itself, and the area that your kids will fall on. Rubber mats work well, but so do sand and wood chips.

3 - Wood Constructions

No one knows for certain, but there are concerns about the use of pressure treated wood in many structures, including playground equipment. The chemicals used to preserve the wood may be toxic to you, and especially to your kids. You should be aware of those concerns, and avoid playground equipment constructed from wood until the medical community knows for sure what the long-term health effects are.

4 - Barriers

Any elevated portion of the playground equipment should have barriers to prevent kids from falling off. The risk of serious injury is so high, no matter what the age, that having barriers and guard rails is really not an option. In addition to the harm your kids can suffer, you need to factor in the use of your playground equipment by other children. You’ll most likely be liable for negligence, or worse, if the barriers are not there and someone else’s kid falls and gets hurt. The rails of the barriers should be less than 3 1/2 inches apart so that young children don’t get their heads stuck in it.

5 - Proper Spacing of Swings

When swings are too close together, your children may collide into one another and injuries may occur. Swings won’t collide if they are at least 24 inches apart. If you’re buying used playground equipment, you can measure the distance from the outside of one swing to the outside of another. Facing the swing, you would be measuring the 2 inner chains. You should also measure the distance between the swing and frame. That space should be at least 30 inches apart.

Manufacturers should include detailed information about sizes, materials and spacing of new playground equipment. You’ll have to do a bit of detective work when buying used equipment.