HOW PLAYGROUNDS FOR DIFFERENT AGE GROUPS DIFFER

If you are having a playground built, you’ll want to make sure the playground equipment, playground surfacing and playground furnishings are well suited for the age of the kids who will use it. Toddlers have quite different play preferences and needs from pre-teens after all. Playground manufacturers typically make playgrounds for three age groups: 6 – 23 months, 2 – 5 years, and 5 – 10 years. So, how do these playgrounds really differ? Take a look.

PLAYGROUNDS FOR 6 – 23 MONTHS

Children in this age group are usually referred to as “pre-toddlers.” Playgrounds designed for their needs need to meet specific guidelines set about by two different organizations: the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC), and the American Society for Testing and Materials (ASTM). 

First of all, playgrounds for these very young children need to be designed to fit their tiny bodies. Seat heights are very low: 7 inches. Table heights are only 14 inches.

Playsets for pre-toddlers tend to have a lot of mentally stimulating elements, such as knobs and spinners that turn. You may also see tactile elements, such as shapes with different textures. Flooring is usually rubber and soft to protect the knees and hands of crawling children.

PLAYGROUNDS FOR 2 – 5 YEARS

Children in this age group are usually called toddlers, and the CPSC and ASTM have guidelines for playgrounds for them, too. The equipment can be a little taller and higher. Seats are 10.5 inches tall, and tables are 20 inches tall.

Playground equipment for toddlers is designed with the knowledge that these kids are more independent. You’ll see a lot of equipment that challenges kids to climb, balance, and pull themselves up. Surfaces and floors are still padded to reduce the chance of injury if a child falls.

PLAYGROUNDS FOR 5 – 10 YEARS

Kids in this age group are referred to as elementary students in the ASTM and CPSC guidelines. Equipment for them has seat heights of 16 inches and table heights of 25 inches.

Playgrounds for elementary kids allow for more independence. This is where you see swings, classic slides, monkey bars, and more involved climbing walls. Elementary playgrounds are what many people picture when they hear the word “playground.”

A playground built for the right age group will be safer and more enjoyable for the kids who use it! Always make sure you’re building for the right age range before you have a playground designed and installed. 

About Premier Park & Play

Premier Park & Play is a family owned and operated playground equipment supplier for schools, parks, child care centers, apartments, campgrounds and more in Massachusetts, Connecticut, Rhode Island, New Hampshire, Vermont, and Maine.

Our products include playground equipment, playground surfacing, site furnishings, shelters and shades, outdoor sport and fitness equipment, spray park / splash pad /water play, outdoor musical instruments, dog parks, bleachers and more. Contact us at premierparkplay@verizon.net.

The Power of Play

What are your favorite memories of childhood play? Chances are those memories happened outdoors and included a lot of nature-based activities like digging holes, chasing fireflies, building stick forts or sand castles, jumping in big piles of leaves, or just fooling around with dirt or water. Mud pies, anyone?

Is it possible to form those kinds of memories today? Childhood has changed. With all the screen time, the lack of access to green space, and the emphasis on direct instruction and increased academic focus  in early childhood programs and preschools, it can be hard to squeeze in unstructured outdoor play.  We need to remember the importance of play in the child’s physical, emotional, and intellectual development.

Play is how children understand each other and make sense of their world.  They learn so much from play that it’s often called the “work” of childhood. Studies show that children learn best in an environment that allows them to explore, discover, and play.

Outdoor play in nature has a powerful impact on a child’s development. Research shows that school playgrounds with trees, fields, shrubs, and vegetated edges encourage creative play and build skills that will be valuable in academic learning too.  

There are entire preschools centered on nature play. One of the first in New England was established in 2006 at the Denison Pequotsepos Nature Center in Connecticut.  Several Massachusetts Audubon sanctuaries offer preschool programs.  However, nature play can be designed into the playground of your preschool using equipment designed specifically for early childhood outdoor play.  Nature of Early Play products, available through Premier Park & Play, reconnect children with the natural world through interactions with dirt, sand, water, animals, music, and plants.  Products like the Outdoor Classroom, Nature Bowl, and Garden Roof House provide hands-on opportunities for exploration.  For more information about preschool playground products, please contact Doug Knotts at 617-244-3317 or email premierparkplay@verizon.net.

FUNDRAISING FOR YOUR SCHOOL PLAYGROUND

Are you planning to build a new playground for your school and wondering how you will pay for it? Fundraising may seem like the most daunting part of your playground project but it doesn’t have to be. These days there are many options from the time-honored bake sale to affiliate programs.  Consider a mix of traditional fundraisers, partnerships with businesses and parks departments, as well as grants.

Outdoor musical instruments at Angel Montessori School Playground

Here are a few ideas:

• Events. Go beyond the bake sale! Try something different:  a dog wash instead of a car wash, a silent auction plus picnic on your proposed playground site, a play-themed walk-a-thon.
• Buy a brick. Invite people to buy a piece of the playground – a sandbox, swing, trail, brick, or bench — to honor a loved one.
• Grants. Learn where to find grant money. There are catalogs of grant sources available online and even at the library.
• Partner with local businesses. Give your local car dealer, hair salon, or coffee shop a chance to show how community-minded they are. Display their names on a permanent sign.
• Affiliate programs. Programs like the popular Amazon Smile let shoppers select a charity to receive a small percentage of the purchase price of eligible items.
• Grocery store loyalty programs. Many grocery chains, such as the New England based Stop & Shop, let you assign the points from your loyalty cards to a school rewards program.

Premier Park & Play has built elementary school and Montessori school playgrounds in the New England region, especially Massachusetts, Maine, and Connecticut. We have lots of experience helping schools with fundraising for playground construction. We offer free consulting to help you find the right funding sources for your project and to help you develop your fundraising campaign. Contact us at 617-244-3317 or email premierparkplay@verizon.net.

School Playground Equipment - Choice and Installation

Educators know that play is one of the most effective ways for children to learn. That is why a well designed and installed playground is an indispensable part of a school. Here, we provide some suggestions for School Boards and PTAs to consider when choosing playground equipment and installing play structures on their grounds.

Carry out a needs assessment

Before you start reviewing the possible equipment or designs, it is essential to carry out a needs assessment. Some of the things to consider should include:

• Age of the children using the playground
• Size of the required play structures, as well as furnishings such as benches and planters, and outdoor shelters
• Number of kids who will use the playground
• Special needs to accommodate disabilities
• Constraints of your physical environment.

An experienced playground consultant can offer insights on other things that you need to consider before choosing the equipment for your playground.

Playground structure at Milestone Day School, Waltham, MA

Playground Equipment and Design 

The ideal playground should give children exercise, socialization, and learning opportunities. A great playground should have the equipment and design to stimulate kids’ sense of adventure and their need to explore and investigate. It should encourage kids to run, swing, climb, and then do it again! There is an undeniable link between a healthy body and a healthy mind, especially for growing kids. 

An excellent playground equipment supplier can help you choose the right equipment based on your needs. They can put together a playground design and construction plan to make your dream playground a reality!

Play Structure at St Mary School, Hampton, NH

Playground Installation - Safety and Accessibility

Every parent needs assurance on the safety of their children when using the playground. Playground safety includes not only the safety of the play equipment, but also playground surfacing, and the overall safety of the playground environment. An experienced certified playground safety inspector can give you a good assessment after a site visit. He can also ensure that your choice of playground equipment meets safety and accessibility standards established by ASTM, CPSC and ADAAG.

Premier Park and Play is a highly reputable provider of playground equipment and playground design and installation services. The company has designed and built many school playgrounds in New England. Owner Doug Knotts has over 20 years of park & playground industry consulting experience. He has a Master's Degree in Recreation, Sports and Leisure Management from Northeastern University and has been an NPSI certified playground safety inspector since 1995. Doug has a natural understanding of the things that would excite a child, and applies it toward the design of playgrounds. If your school is looking to install a new playground, please visit our website at premierparkplay.com and contact Doug at premierparkplay@verizon.net or call 617-244-3317.

Playground Equipment For Schools

The playground is often the place where school kids develop socials skills and learn valuable lessons about teamwork, trust, patience and following rules. That’s why Premier Park and Park provides not only playground equipment for schools, but also offers lots of advice and project management services in the design and construction of the playground.

One of our customers is Milestones Day School of Waltham, MA. Premier Park and Play provided playground design services in addition to supplying and installing playground equipment by Meglio Unionland. As the School’s Executive Director puts it: “The elaborate play structure design was a huge social project. Doug Knotts gave us the parameters and a plethora of playground components to pick from. Students voted on which structures they liked best and ultimately which ones were included in our playground. The final design was a collaboration between Doug and the Milestones staff.”

At Rockport-Camden Elementary School of Rockport, Maine, Premier Park and Play representative, Doug Knotts, again provided assistance in the design of the playground and playground equipment. He facilitated a "design the playground day" during which both students and parents were involved in the design of the playground. After the design process, Doug carefully planned the construction process which was finely executed by experience builders who completed the whole playground in two days! 

“We found Doug Knotts, to be professional, knowledgeable and incredibly easy to work with from the first meeting where we discussed our needs, to the final completion of the playground project. The many parents volunteers involved in the construction of the playground commented on how they enjoyed working with the builders. Our K-4 elementary students love the playground. I highly recommend for any school considering to replace or add on a playground to consider contacting Premier Park and Play."

From traditional playground equipment such as slides and jungle gyms to fantasy themed playground castles – and even larger than life outdoor musical instruments – Premier Park and Play can help you design, source and install the playground equipment that’s just right for you. We are committed to putting both the customer and safety first, making sure that all the playground systems we install are compliant with ASTM, CPSC and ADAAG regulations. To find out how we can help you design the perfect playground to meet your needs, contact us today.