Everything you need to know about finding a playground equipment supplier

Children’s playground equipment has come a long way since the days when the tyre tied to a tree branch and a sand-pit provided the only entertainment. These days there are so many ways to entice children to the outdoors and encourage their minds and motor skills to expand through interactive play. 

Playground equipment can be made of a variety of materials, each with its own advantages and disadvantages. Here are some of the more common ones:

Metal Playground Equipment

This is the staple of playground equipment around the world.
Advantages:

• Strength, weight, stability, durability and the wide range of new and second-hand equipment available.

Disadvantages:

• Being hot to touch in summer. Rust can make it a hazard in terms of staining of clothing, weakening of the metal and breakage can cause injury.

PVC Playground Equipment

These playground sets are usually modular.
Advantages:

• Easy to set up, colourful and attractive to children, smooth and moulded to ideal shapes.

Disadvantages:

• Lightweight equipment can tip over or be knocked down and can warp or harden in strong sunlight over time.

Wood Playground Equipment

Playground pieces made of wood are usually relatively inexpensive
Advantages:

• Strong, durable, can be painted in bright colours, can be home-made

Disadvantages

• Subject to termites, rot, weathering, cracking and splintering over time.

Choosing Playground Equipment

When shopping for playground equipment, it is a good idea to keep in mind the future requirements for the child or children using it. Therefore it is prudent to look for systems that can be expanded, heightened, made more interesting and challenging as the youngsters grow up. A modular system is excellent for this purpose because, not only does a growing system keep children interested in the playground equipment, as their motor skills improve, so should the challenge of the equipment they play on.

Do some research before buying and always ask the important questions:

• Safety first – what materials were used in its construction?
• What is the play value of this equipment?
• How can the play set be varied or expanded?
• In what ways can the equipment enhance the child/children’s development?
• What after-sales service is available for the play set you are selecting?

You can buy playground equipment in specialist children’s development stores, department stores, some hardware stores and online.

Find Playground Equipment Suppliers the Easy Way