Popular Equipment to Include in a Playground

When planning a playground you want to make sure you include traditional and popular equipment. A playground should be a place for children to come have fun and enjoy playing on the endless variety of playground equipment. When choosing playground equipment, there are a few must have items.

Slide

The slide is an important piece of playground equipment. Slides in the '50s and '60s were made of wood, which was dangerous because it caused terrible splinters. Later, slides were made of metal, which also caused problems when the metal was exposed to the hot sun during the day. Today's slides are usually made of hard plastic. They can be straight, curly or wavy.

Swing

The swing is a staple of playground equipment. Swings with plastic tubing covering the metal support chains are preferable because the chains can cause pinching injuries. Swings should be set at different height levels so that children of different heights can enjoy them. Also consider putting in toddler swings which have protective seats and bars to assist the toddler and parent in enjoying a day at the playground.

Monkey Bars

Another traditional playground staple is the monkey bars. Usually they are straight metal structures with horizontal bars going across the top. Children can swing from one bar to the next like a monkey. Today's monkey bars can also be made out of plastic with the rungs being made of coated metal. They may be wavy or straight across. Some monkey bars may even be attached to slides in a single playground structure.