Should You Go for a Wooden or Plastic Playground Setup?

From castle-like wooden play structures to themed plastic backyard playgroundequipment, the world of playgrounds has exploded with options and designs of different play structures. The following is a list of different types of the best playground equipment in the market that will excite your child’s imagination for hours on end – just keep in mind that it might be hard to get your child back into the house once you install these fun backyard playgrounds:

• Plastic Play Set: A traditional plastic play is a fun backyard play toy. However, many companies are now creating fantastic play sets that are themed from natural landscapes to space age rocket ships. These innovative play sets include the same traditional features such as swings and slides. On top of these many use bridges that can be anything from a series of tubes that they grab or crawl across to a pirate ship’s swinging rope bridge. Plastic play sets vary as dramatically in price as they do in themes and features; the cost can range anything from $200 to $3,000 for the best playground equipment. Keep in mind these structures are low in height and will require thick commercial playground surfacing. We would suggest a ¾-inch or 1-inch thick playground mat that is interlocking in nature. Plastic play sets are light and bound to be moved, so modular play-area surfaces are highly recommended.

• Wooden Cottage: Many wooden structures come in premade playhouse kits that include pre-primed walls, framing, and precut parts to minimize the hassle of installing them as much as possible.. These are less active play sets that mimic buildings, from mayor’s offices to firehouses. Many of these also feature specialized accessories, i.e. a firehouse play set with special firehouse signs and engine doors with a brass fire bell for a vintage look. These cottages are more expensive than plastic playhouses because they are built to be more durable, starting at prices of $1000 and upward. Wooden cottages are much taller and falling accidents are far more probable in these installations, therefore we would suggest playground surfacing that is thicker and tested to meet the fall heights of the tallest accessible point. Also the play-area surfaces must be protective when needed. Mulch, wood chip or sand move and that makes loose-fill a terrible choice for those really concerned about safety. A playground mat that is interlocked properly or pour-in-place rubber are far more reliable of playground surfacing for wooden cottages.

• Wooden Play Set: For the more active child, wooden play sets offer exciting possibilities and features that allow for jumping, climbing, swinging, and running. These structures often feature plastic slides, swing sets, ladders, and even rock climbing walls. These play sets are also very durable, which is necessary when they support the weight of the children climbing all over them. Many of these play sets are pre-cut and pre-drilled so that they are ready to assemble. At costs of $1000 and higher, the wooden play set is comparable with the wooden cottage. The difference between two wooden options lies in if you want backyard playground equipment to be climbed and actively played on or if you want a more calm and imaginative play structure. These are commercial structures and require commercial floors to protect kids from serious injury. We highly suggest using playground surfacing that is ASTM 1292-04 certified. Play-area surfaces installed below wooden play sets are far more critical in nature and frankly not using proper flooring is a tremendous error in judgment!

When using these backyard playgrounds, it is important to have play area surfaces so that any tumbles from the higher levels of the play set are less likely to incur serious injuries. One of the best ways to prevent harmful and permanent damage is to install rubberized flooring underneath the play set, many of which are an easy DIY installation with interlocking tiles. Some interlocking tiles require connector pins that fit into holes on the side of the play tile so that the adjacent tile can lock onto the corresponding pins.. Using playground surfacing, you will gain anti-slip properties, comfort when walking, as well as cushion from any scary tumbles. When purchasing play area surfaces, it is important to check and see if the tile has a 5 ft. or 6 ft. fall height rating listed. This means that if a child falls from a 6 ft. distance, there is less possibility of a grievous injury due to the amount of cushion and resilience from the rubber surface. They are also very affordable due to their modular feature, especially since installers and adhesives are not needed. Unlike pour-in-place if a tile becomes damaged in any way, it can just be replaced rather than the entire flooring. An affordable playground mat will ensure that your child stays safe on whatever backyard playground you install.

Choosing between plastic or wooden play sets is a difficult choice, especially because the price range does not vary drastically between each material. Picking the best playground equipment for your family depends on their personal play attitudes, if they are more active or if they are more imaginative. Plastic play sets are more transformable to fit any fantastical theme, but wooden play sets are durable to withstand years of children climbing all over them. Both materials can create excellent play sets but the most important thing is to ensure that they are safe for your family.