Indoor playgrounds provide many unique benefits for kids to experience. Playing without screens or other electronic stimulation has numerous health benefits for kids, and an indoor playground allows that to happen even in bad weather.

Want to learn how to design a kids’ indoor playground? Check out the key considerations below.

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Read the full article or jump to a specific section to learn more about how to create a playground plan:

• When to Consider an Indoor Playground for Kids
• Make a Budget
• Determine the Size and Space
• Think About Its Use
• Consider the Age of Your Audience
• Choose Your Theme
• Types of Equipment to Include
• Safety Considerations
• Let Soft Play® Transform Your Space

When to Consider Opening an Indoor Playground for Kids

If your business is considering constructing an indoor playground for kids, you may wonder if it is the right time or place. Thankfully, you can do some research to help you figure out the best environments for indoor playgrounds and know what to expect once your equipment arrives. Consider these factors in your research:

Weather

Though this may not be what you initially think of, consider the weather in your area. If you live where it’s sunny every day, kids may not be a need for kids to play indoors often enough for you to gain a profit. However, if you live somewhere that experiences all four seasons, it often forces families to get stuck inside unexpectedly. An indoor playground would be beneficial to your business.

Demographics

Ensure enough families with young kids live in the area, and that your business would benefit from an indoor playground. If you are looking to install one into your fast food restaurant, gym or retail center, take a survey to see how many customers have kids first. You should also look into the ages of kids in your area to know what age level to make your indoor playground.

Events

Consider how your indoor playground could be the spot for kids’ parties and events in your area. Promoting your play area as a birthday party space or something similar, it may give you the unique edge to bust into the market.

Fitness

Indoor playgrounds have several benefits, but the main one is that play spaces keep kids moving and being physical. Look at the other choices kids in your area have for getting active, especially indoor options, and determine how you could stand out amongst those competitors.

Make a Budget

The budget for your indoor playground should accommodate certain factors. Supply costs will vary in different parts of the world, so look into how your expenses will line up when determining your budget.

You should also determine how many kids you estimate your indoor playground will handle. You can specify how much the final project will cost using a formula based on the cost per child. The age you are tailoring your indoor playground should also be clear before you set a budget. Different age groups will require varying types of equipment to keep them entertained.

The play theme you want to incorporate will also affect the price, so if you are trying to keep your budget as low as possible, consider whether you need a theme.

Determine the Size and Space

Evaluate your available space for installing an indoor playground. Your ceiling must be high enough for the kids to toss a ball in the air without causing damage. You could also consider adding space for parents to sit, eat and use the restroom.

To determine exactly what structures you want, add a centerpiece component and work your way out from there to fill in your space.

Think About Its Use

There are many factors to consider when building an indoor playground, including its application. This aspect will help you realize the play space’s importance and the different uses it can have, which will affect its design:

1. Safe space: Indoor playgrounds give kids a safe space to play with kids their age who they can relate to and learn from. An indoor space also protects kids from slipping on cold or wet surfaces, and the surfacing can be made softer without the fear of weather damage.
2. Creativity: Numerous structures come with the option to build or design pieces that allow kids to exercise their creativity. Kids will also have many obstacles and surfaces to use their imaginations.
3. Learning: Indoor playgrounds help kids learn new skills like teamwork, sharing, friendship, problem-solving, patience and more. Whether playing with their friends or alone, they will learn new things about themselves, others and the world.
4. Social skills: Kids will build social skills while using your indoor playground. Some playground components may require two or more kids to operate, allowing them to learn how to work with another person and build friendships with them.
5. Health: Kids need exercise to develop their motor skills, and indoor playgrounds provide a fun way to engage in physical activity. Fitness at a young age sets kids up to be healthier for the rest of their lives.

Perhaps the most important consideration is your industry and if your indoor playground makes sense with your business. Decide which of these categories it falls into:

Amusement and Attractions

Indoor playground structures can enhance amusement park experiences by providing immersive play for visitors. As with any relevant market in the play space sector, the key to success in the amusement and attraction industry is targeting the right demographics and implementing inclusive design.

Aquatic and Water Parks

Water parks provide an immersive sensory experience for kids and allow families to enjoy those experiences together. Your playground equipment should thrill families with adventures they’ll want to return to. Your structures should provide a highly valuable, fun time for all families. You can incorporate many aspects of a water park with an indoor playground, including:

• • Splash pad: This part of the water park has very little standing water, if any, which allows kids — especially young ones — to get into the water without knowing how to swim. They can use elements like water tunnels, climbers or water walls. The floor is also soft, so kids can walk around barefoot.
  • Water walks: Water walks make kids feel like they are walking on water. The floatable features can come in various designs and configurations to fit your park’s needs.
  • Floatables: Adding a large, unique floatable to your park is a simple way to excite kids. You can customize your floatable to be any size, with anchor points in any area with at least 36 inches of water.

Daycare

Daycares are always looking for ways to help the kids who come there grow and develop mentally, socially and physically. Several types of developmental-inspired play structures can help maximize developmental outcomes healthily and safely:

• • Soft-sculpted foam: Soft foam structures provide an element of safety unique to indoor play areas for kids. Whether predesigned or custom-built to fit your space, the soft foam will create a fun, vibrant experience.
  • Independent play systems: These stand-alone systems are unique in that they are just one item for children to play in rather than several separate pieces, like most playgrounds are. Independent play systems are ideal for toddlers, who make up most of the daycare demographic. These structures also fit in smaller spaces, which many daycares will likely need.
  • Small play structures: Daycares are often limited to a small space, but independent systems and small play structures can offer plenty of fun with reduced room available. They are also a great option for tighter budgets.

Entertainment Centers

Indoor playgrounds can make a great addition to your family entertainment center and increase sales, attract customers and build your brand. Once you determine how traffic flows through your space, you can decide what part of your business would best fit an indoor playground.

Whether you own a kids’ museum, mini golf facility or indoor trampoline center, an indoor playground could greatly enhance your business. Consider adding any of the following features to elevate it:

• An interactive challenge course
• A themed playground
• An immersive experience
• A toddler play system

Places of Worship

Kids can often have trouble getting involved or feeling interested at church, but indoor playgrounds are a great way to do just that. In fact, adding a playground can boost church attendance and make families feel more welcome. Indoor play areas can have many benefits for your congregation beyond just appealing to the kids:

• Welcoming families: When parents can tell you care for their kids, they will feel more welcome and comfortable in your church. Indoor playgrounds combined with childcare volunteers can create that bridge.
• Kid safety: Providing an indoor space for kids in your area to play in is a unique opportunity to boost safety, especially in places with unpredictable weather.
• Learning opportunities: The kids in the church will learn more about themselves and others while playing together. You can also incorporate religious elements so that they can learn more about faith while playing.

Restaurants

Take your customers’ dining experience to a new level by adding an indoor playground for kids to play in while waiting for their food or after they finish eating. Parents will appreciate the distraction for their kids and the chance for them to socialize. You can also create a play space that includes your customized branding.

Consider the Age of Your Audience

Understanding your demographic is crucial when designing your indoor playground. Before you choose which age(s) you’ll tailor your concept to, determine which age groups in your community could most benefit from an indoor playground. Whether you are building your playground for toddlers or older kids who are more independent, it is important to understand their needs and capabilities before you begin building. You could even build playgrounds that accommodate teenagers and adults — everyone should be able to play.

Here are some examples of how you could distinguish between these age groups:

1. Toddlers: Kids under 5 are learning so much about life and how the world works. Their motor and social skills are just beginning to develop, and play helps them advance those abilities. Since they are more likely to fall and need more stimulation, their equipment should be soft and brightly colored.
2. School-age: Six- to 12-year-olds have developed basic motor skills and practiced their social skills for some years. The equipment should challenge them mentally, emotionally and physically. It should facilitate relationship-building with other kids their age.
3. Teenagers: Teenagers tend to be far less physically active than younger kids. Play allows them to break free of anxiety-inducing environments and escape the screens. Building an obstacle course or race course for teens will help facilitate that.
4. Adults: Adults benefit from adventures that are rejuvenating and completely different from their normal routine. Participating in adventure playgrounds also allows them to connect with their kids.

Choose Your Theme

Understanding how to build a playground around a theme will set your space apart. Choose colors and a theme that will draw attention to the play area while working well with the rest of the surroundings. Your theme should also suit the kids you are creating it for. For young kids, you could take a fun route like a wild safari or under-the-sea concept.

Whatever your establishment is used for, it is important to coordinate your theme and colors with your company’s or organization’s brand. You can even integrate its logo, mascots or other symbols into your design plans to make the playground feel more cohesive.

Create an Engaging Layout

Your indoor playground layout should maximize fun and safety. It should ensure a smooth traffic flow, allowing kids to play without crashing into each other or the equipment. The main areas of interest or the coolest feature should be spacious enough so many kids can enter it and enjoy its full range of effects.

When picturing the layout, you should also consider the contrast between active play areas and quiet zones. It’s crucial to ensure quiet areas are sufficiently far away from noise or have a shelter that makes them feel solitary. In active areas, there should be enough space for kids to express their energy and structures to keep them secure as they play.

In addition to active and quiet areas, there should be sufficient open space where kids can run around and play imaginary games with friends. Guardians and caregivers should also have a place to sit and watch over their kids. All areas in the layout must be visible to them, and in closed spaces, there must be a window or gap for parents to watch their kids.

Types of Equipment to Include

Once you consider all these factors, it’s time to choose what kind of components you will include in your indoor playground. We have various systems that will provide turnkey, custom-designed solutions to fit your needs.

Dura Frame Systems

Dura Frame systems fit your needs, budget and vision, and they have a layout designed with superior engineering. The framed structure can be customized to align with your indoor playground plan and be attractive to the kids. There are several benefits to choosing this type of system:

• Easy maintenance: The Dura Frame system has an easy-to-maintain structure. Its sturdiness helps it last a long time with minimal maintenance, and the design makes it easy to keep clean, saving you money on upkeep.
• Simple design: This type of system features a structure that uses post systems that are 3 1/2 inches in diameter and require no additional parts, which keeps you from replacing post pads or netting. The design is polished and will complement other decor and elements in your space. If your facility’s look is already sleek and modern, this system will enhance it.
• Customizability: The simple design makes it easy for you to customize the structure. Feature your brand colors and incorporate your organization’s theme with various powder coat color options.
• Play: Dura Frame systems promote spontaneous play and let kids use their imaginations to go on adventures. They often incorporate slides, climbers and multiple interactive options so kids learn about themselves and those around them.

Natural Elements Collection (NEC) Systems

NEC systems provide a new and innovative way for kids to play. The structures challenge kids in a fun and natural way that helps their motor and cognitive skills develop while they grow confidently. They enable you to build an indoor playground that makes the fun functional.

NEC systems are totally different than Dura Frame systems and bring their own set of benefits to the table:

• Function: NEC systems boast a natural wooden design with wooden posts that measure 4 1/3 inches in diameter. Because of the wood structure, it takes longer for wear and tear to set in and lead to parts replacement. This saves your business time and money.
• Aesthetic: The wood design offers a modern and industrial aesthetic and can enhance a space that already embodies a similar vibe. The wood can go along well with numerous themes if you plan on setting a specific concept for your indoor playground.
• Environmental-friendliness: The NEC system boasts organic play elements with a smaller footprint than traditional playgrounds.
• Play: Kids can face challenging climbs, twists and turns and various textures in an NEC system, which will attract their entire family to your business and indoor playground. The structure lets kids use their imaginations thanks to its whimsical and open layout. The transparent layout also benefits parents as they can easily see their kids from outside the structure.

Soft Sculpted Foam

Soft sculpted foam structures are perfect for younger kids in indoor, outdoor and water-play areas. Kids can climb on and interact with durable, fade-resistant sculptures available in different sizes, colors, themes and materials. These elements add an imaginative and educational benefit to any indoor or outdoor space as kids engage with various life-size animals and nature-inspired structures.

These products are ideal for a wide range of locations, budgets and overall size requirements because they’re completely customizable to fit your needs and give you flexibility when designing your play space. From our in-stock options to branded or licensed sculptures, we can help you leave a memorable impression on families enjoying playtime while making it easy for you to clean and maintain your area.  Other benefits of these products include:

• Long-lasting fun: We design our sculpted play elements to withstand high-traffic environments and maintain their quality and condition over time. They also contain a strength-to-weight ratio comparable to steel to handle high pressure.
• Inclusivity for younger kids: Our soft sculpted foam structures are suitable for a younger audience above six months, letting toddlers enjoy engaging play even if they’re not quite ready for playgrounds designed for school-age kids.
• Boosted imagination: From butterflies and cars to trees and dinosaurs, kids can explore their creativity and learn to engage with others as they play make-believe and make connections to the world around them.
• Convenience: Our soft sculpted foam elements are lightweight, making them easier and cheaper to ship and providing a seamless setup at your location.

Traditional Systems

Traditional play systems offer a more conventional approach to indoor play, leaving the door to customization wide open. These structures come in designs that are a blast for the whole family and can work for various ages:

• Design: Traditional play systems look entirely different for each customer, but at their core they offer 2-inch posts and pads that can be paired with your choice of netting. The system components can come in numerous colors to fit your theme, brand or both.
• Customization: We offer various posts and pads for Traditional play systems, meaning the type and color are completely up to you. You can choose whatever works best for your brand, theme and budget. And if you ever redesign your space, you can swap out post pads for new colors to give your entire system a new look fast.
• Budget: Because of how customizable the Traditional play system is, you can create a space that fits your budget however big or small. We have multiple add-ons that can enhance your design, like ladders, scoops, rope swings, monkey bars and spinning barrels, but these aren’t necessary if they don’t fit your budget. You can mix and match components however you like to create an exciting and interactive playground that works for you.
• Maintenance: All Traditional play systems are long-lasting, but you have the option of choosing between polyester netting or TuffNet for added durability if it fits in your budget.

Safety Considerations for Your Indoor Play Area Design

One more major factor to consider when building your indoor playground is how to make your play space as safe as possible.

Most Common Safety Risks

It’s important to be aware of indoor playgrounds’ potential risks so you can know best how to prevent them when designing and building yours. Some common ones include:

• Playground surfaces can easily breed bacteria.
• Kids can injure themselves if the playground equipment doesn’t provide an open layout for adequate supervision.
• Kids can trip and fall while on equipment.

How to Minimize Safety Risks

You can take many simple steps to minimize safety risks. Leave plenty of space between playground components. The number of kids you expect to be on the playground at once should be able to use the equipment without overcrowding.

You should also clean your playground thoroughly and frequently to avoid bacteria buildup. Perform regular inspections to ensure there are no underlying, potentially hazardous issues.

Let Soft Play® Transform Your Space

Considering a playground plan for your business? Partner with Soft Play for help through every step of the process. With over 30 years of experience, Soft Play has a wealth of knowledge on developing the most innovative products and secure designs.

Contact us today to get started on your dream indoor playground.