A playground can mean anything to children, whether a simple one with basic equipment and toys or a bigger space with added features where they can run around. What matters is that you can have a playground at home to give your child an avenue to play outdoors. It’s a commitment to design a playground, but it’ll certainly be a worthy investment as your kids grow. 

That being said, designing your playground can be challenging to start. There are so many factors to consider, like the playground accessories you will use and the children’s safety. Given that a playground becomes a perfect haven for your kids, it is best to guarantee the best playground design.

In this post, you’ll find everything you need to know when designing your kids’ playground at home. 

Consider The Age Of The Users 

The ideal time to consider designing a home playground is when your kids are still toddlers. That way, they’ll have many years ahead of their early childhood to enjoy the playground. Otherwise, if you buy one when they’re nearing their pre-teens, they may no longer make the most use of the playground. 

With that in mind, before designing, start with your kids’ age levels first. It will help you tailor the playground successfully to their present and future developmental needs. 

For instance, the playground shouldn’t be too short or small, so your kids can still use it even if they’re a bit older. Choose play equipment for the younger and older kids so that no one gets left out when the same group uses it, especially when you are throwing house parties. 

Have Ample Space For Some Shade 

No matter how nice and enjoyable the playground may be, you won’t see your kids using it as much if the heat is unbearable. That is why an outdoor playground is best if it has trees to provide adequate shade. However, if you don’t have trees in your backyard, you can be more creative.

For example, you can have a sandbox pit with a roof or a small sitting area with enough shade. It’s all about comfort, and with those shaded areas, you don’t have to worry about the kids getting dehydrated instead of having fun. 

Prepare The Land 

Your home playground needs to be designed on flat terrain. You wouldn’t want to build and design your playground where the land is uneven. Uneven surfaces may collect rainwater and become stagnant, which is bad for these reasons: 

  • It could make your playground’s foundation deteriorate faster; 
  • It could also be the perfect breeding ground for mold, mildew, and mosquitoes; 
  • It makes your playground slippery, which could be a safety hazard.

If your backyard is sloped and it’s hard to have a flat surface, your playground will have to be designed more intricately, so the builders can install a proper drainage system.

Determine Your Budget 

Once you already have a clearer picture of how you want your home playground to look like, you can proceed with assessing your budget. You can go with gorilla swing sets, simple slides or see-saw.  It’s important to make a comparison to see whether the design you’ve made fits your budget. If it doesn’t, a good builder will always be able to make a few changes, so both budget and quality can be satisfied. 

Along this line, the most important thing for you to be aware of is that most of the expense usually goes into playground equipment. Once that’s covered, the other costs of building a home playground include the following: 

  • Installation fees; 
  • Site preparation; 
  • Added amenities; 
  • Land and playground surfacing. 

This list isn’t to be taken as absolute, as there could be added expenses. To get the best idea of the estimate, it is best to ask your builders.

Triple Check The Safety 

Safety is of utmost priority when designing a kids’ playground. Therefore, it’s important not to skimp on the quality of the materials and the equipment you will be using for the home playground. Choose from reputable suppliers so you don’t have to second-guess the quality. 

The last thing you’d want is to have accidents with your children all because you’ve overlooked certain safety aspects. Triple-check the design to ensure with 100% certainty this criterion is met. 

The Bottomline 

Children are naturally drawn to playgrounds. It only takes a walk around the park to observe how kids instantly want to play whenever they see one. If your budget and space permit it, why not consider building your playground at home? Instead of raising kids that become glued to the screens, your kids can enjoy playing and running around as they should. It doesn’t always have to be the grandest playground. The best home playground is the one that makes your kids the happiest and most content.