15 Questions to Ask Before Buying Indoor Playground Equipment

Buying an indoor playground is a great upgrade for many businesses. Before you dive into the fun of picking out the equipment, you need to first narrow your options for your customers’ kids. The answers to the following indoor playground buying questions will help you to choose great equipment for your business and the families who will use it.

1. What Is Your Target Age Range?

Not all playground options work for every age group, and toddlers often require smaller play elements than older kids. You need to know the specific ages of kids who will use your equipment so you can check the age recommendations for any freestanding components or playground sets before purchasing.

Toddlers

If you expect mostly preschool-aged kids, you should consider a play space for toddlers. All ages can enjoy general playground equipment with elements for younger and older kids. These playgrounds for toddlers through school-age kids have things for every kid to do and are the most versatile options.

Equipment aimed at toddlers often features creative, cooperative elements and ways for kids to use their imaginations. For example, Kyle’s Cockpit lets toddlers pretend to fly a plane with a copilot, promoting friendships, cooperation and imagination.

Older Kids

Playground elements for older kids let them engage in fun activities in new and exciting ways. With options that include gamified experiences, kids can enjoy fun and friendly competition against themselves or others.

For example, The Hive is a highly popular obstacle course for older kids. They try to beat their personal best times or compete with others to see who can get through the course the fastest. Everyone wins, though, by having fun throughout the experience.

If you intend to install equipment for older and younger kids, separate the play area for the littlest ones with fencing or another clear barrier that keeps the areas apart. Parents will feel better knowing their toddlers have an isolated play area to interact with other preschoolers. Separate spaces also make it easier for parents to keep an eye on their kids.

2. Where Do You Want to Place the Equipment?

Most businesses like the idea of an indoor playground that they can have open during business hours without worrying about rain or snow. However, you may not have space or the proper layout for an indoor play area.

Indoor playground options include individual elements and complete playsets. You can even find small playground sets that offer multiple play options for kids in a compact space.

Outdoor equipment requires some special considerations. It needs to have weather-resistant construction materials. Plus, you may need to find a way to prevent parents from letting their kids on the outdoor play equipment when wet. Placing the play space behind a fence or hanging signage can communicate closure of the play area until after the equipment dries.

One option for outside use is a selection of outdoor play sculptures designed to withstand the elements while adding an artistic element to your business that encourages activity. You can choose to customize these sculptures to really make them eye-catching parts of your business.

Water play elements are best for use outside during the hot summer months. These are highly popular choices for recreation areas, hotels and gyms with swimming pools that need something to entice kids to engage and exercise. Even if you don’t have a swimming pool, you can still install a splash pad that does not require a body of standing water to provide kids with a way to cool off in the hot weather.

3. What Is Your Budget?

You want to make the play area appealing to kids who come to your business, but you should still have a budget in mind during the planning and research phase. You’ll find several choices for playground sets and equipment in all budgetary ranges.

The ATOM contained play spaces are compact and budget-friendly while still offering kids great play options. Elements within ATOM play areas include a hammock, slide, sit-and-spin, scoop climber, diamond obstacles to the second level, ripple platform, musical drums and a three-in-a-row game. All components of the ATOM fit into an enclosed space with a small footprint. You have the option to customize the colors to better fit your business’s brand.

Discuss your price limits with the playground representative to find the right options within your price range. Don’t forget to ask about financing options for the playground equipment to reduce upfront costs and help you to distribute the payments over time. Another option is to add pieces slowly over time, expanding your playground as your business grows and you can afford more elements.

4. What Material Do You Want to Use?

Materials make a difference in where you can use the playground equipment, the type of maintenance it needs and its appearance. For example, when choosing Play Soft® playground equipment, you can pick from one of three styles:

• Dura Frame: These systems have low maintenance requirements and a modern appearance. They don’t need post pad or netting replacements.
• Natural Element Collection (NEC): These playgrounds use wooden posts for a natural appearance and do not require post pad replacements.
• Traditional: These systems for indoor play use post pads, but changing these colorful pads quickly updates the appearance of the playground.

Construction materials should be high quality to ensure longevity. Durable construction ensures the playground will last for years of play while still looking great with regular maintenance.

Included in the material options are the colors you can choose. If your business has a particular color scheme you want to use across all elements in your building, look for playground materials that let you customize the colors and other parts of the final product’s appearance.

5. What Types of Play Do You Want to Encourage?

Playgrounds offer a myriad of options for types of play, from active to creative. Choose the play types that best fit your business profile and the kids who will use the equipment.

For example, if you have a gym or recreation center that promotes physical fitness, you may want to have challenging, interactive play elements in your playground to help kids associate movement with fun. STOMP equipment gamifies exercise and movement, making it more fun for kids of all ages.

Schools or daycare centers may prefer to offer creative options with other playground parts to ensure all kids have choices for play that build their imaginations. Pick & Play systems offer colorful play spaces designed for toddlers to engage in imaginative play in a themed space.

You don’t have to let your available space limit the play types you choose. Various options include playground sets with small footprints that provide multiple methods of play. You can even choose playground sets that take up a small space on the floor but extend upward into taller levels for kids to have more room.

6. What Maintenance Does the Equipment Require?

Look at the maintenance requirements for the playground equipment and determine how they will impact your staffing needs and ongoing budget. You may need to hire additional staff members to ensure parental supervision of kids in the play area and to keep it clean throughout the day.

Outdoor playground sets will have more maintenance and cleaning requirements because they are exposed to heat, sun, snow, ice and rain that can cause component wear even before kids play on the equipment. If you want outdoor equipment, consider all elements of its durability and maintenance requirements. You might consider protecting the space with canopies or a covered structure over the play space.

Indoor playground sets also require regular care and maintenance. Spills need immediate cleanup to protect other kids in the play area from slipping and falling. Health is also important to keep in mind when kids use playground equipment. Regularly cleaning indoor equipment with soap and water and sanitizing products can protect the health of kids who use it and promote a cleaner, longer-lasting play structure. Make sure to consider staff time and cleaning supplies in your budget when factoring in playground maintenance costs.

7. How Long Will the Equipment Last?

You want your play area to serve as an investment in your business that will help your company grow and ensure customer satisfaction. Equipment durability is only one aspect of longevity for your playground set. Good maintenance and the ability to replace individual elements can extend the life of your play area and help you maintain your investment for years to come.

The amount of use the equipment gets daily may also impact its longevity, making durable equipment that can stand up to regular play important to your return on investment.

8. What Is the Maximum Child Capacity?

The number of kids you typically have in your building will give you an idea of the size of equipment you need for the play area. Maximum child capacity should always exceed the number of kids who will use the equipment. Capacity levels ensure more fun for kids by keeping the play area from getting too crowded.

Large playgrounds can provide space for 100 kids or more. For instance, the P27711 model can accommodate up to 130 kids in a 21-foot-tall structure. Larger playgrounds will require more space for the equipment, so make sure you can fit the playground into your building or on your outdoor property.

Small playgrounds are great for quick-service restaurants or daycare centers that don’t have more than two dozen kids playing on the equipment at once. One type of small play space is the P26898, which allows up to 37 kids to play on two levels.

If you have busy times when the number of kids who wants to use the playground equipment may come close to total capacity, have a staff member keep track of those coming into the play area to avoid having too many in the space. Use a gate or rope divider to let new visitors know when the playground is at its limit. It also helps to display easy-to-read signage around the play area listing the maximum number of occupants.

Regardless of capacity, always have plenty of space for parents to sit or stand comfortably nearby within sight of their kids to encourage parental supervision. Consider including items like benches, trash cans and hand sanitizing stations to make it even easier on your customers.

9. How Easily Can This Equipment Be Installed?

Ease of installation will determine the level of disruption your business experiences when putting in the playground equipment. Ideally, you want to choose a playground provider that offers professional installation or construction of the equipment. Expert installation lets you avoid the issue of finding your own contractors to piece together the playground and dealing with conflicting schedules or disruptions.

Your business needs a commercial-grade playground to meet your company’s requirements for capacity, customization and longevity. You should also have expert installation to ensure the pieces are correctly placed and ready to use with as few delays as possible.

10. What Surfacing Will Be Used With This Playground?

Playground surfacing provides a soft floor covering to protect little feet from impacts. Outdoor playgrounds need surfacing that allows water drainage and cushioning. Indoor play area surfacing does not need to be weatherproof, but it should be easy to clean and offer comfort and style.

Common surfacing options for indoor playgrounds include modular tiles and pour-in-place surfacing. Both types of rubber surface material have different applications for play areas:

• Modular surfacing: Modular tiles have large sizes and stick to surfaces with SureStick Adhesive Glue. This surfacing option works well for fast installation and easy maintenance, and it allows for accessible play spaces that connect to ramps. The biggest benefit of this surfacing is the ability to replace a single damaged tile instead of needing to upgrade the whole floor.
• Pour-in-place surfacing: Pour-in-place surfacing comes in colors that can match your playground theme or business. It creates a smooth surface and allows for the creation of different shapes in a variety of colors to produce eye-catching patterns. Many businesses prefer this solution for its ability to create a smooth transition from existing floors to a recessed space.

Playground surfacing material should have smooth surfaces that meet ADA and local standards.

11. What Warranties Are Available?

Warranties are a way to see how well the distributor backs the products they sell. Find out about all warranties that cover parts, playground systems or installation, and keep records of the warranty information for your records.

Play Soft equipment has a one-year warranty that covers workmanship and product defects. Learn more about the specifics of the warranty by talking to a sales representative.

Knowing the warranty coverage of your playground equipment will help you avoid paying for repairs or replacements covered by a warranty and ensure you have quality equipment the distributor stands behind.

12. What Financing Is Available for the Playground?

Financing options can help any business better afford a playground. With lease-to-own options, you don’t need to pay for the entire set and installation upfront. By reducing your upfront payments, you can maintain cash flow for other purchases and make your playground a reality sooner instead of later.

Getting a lease option makes larger playground equipment more affordable, even if you don’t have capital on hand to pay for it all upfront. With larger equipment, your business’s play area can make more parents and their kids happier while driving more revenue to put back into your business and playground investment.

13. Are Replacement Parts Available?

Keeping your playground equipment in good condition may require replacing parts over time. Find out if the playground distributor offers replacement parts for its equipment, whether you can get a professional replacement of those parts and how often you should expect to make part replacements or upgrades.

Some commonly replaced parts include ball pit balls, netting, windows, domes, pipes, hardware, pads and signs. These parts may wear out faster in heavily used play areas. Requiring parental supervision and having staff stationed nearby may reduce damage to playground equipment by encouraging kids to use the playground equipment correctly.

For instance, staff can remind kids not to hang on nets for their safety and to protect the structure from damage. Vigilant staff can also quickly spot problems, such as damaged pads or nets, and close off that portion of the playground until the damaged part is replaced.

14. Does the Equipment Meet Safety Standards?

Look at the safety standards the equipment meets. Does it adhere to ASTM International standards for American products? Playgrounds open for public use fall under ASTM F1487-21. This standard outlines the use of materials that have resistance to rot, leaching dangerous substances or presenting ingestion or inhalation hazards to kids. Other elements of this standard include accessibility of playground equipment and the use of guard rails, netting or other fall prevention measures.

If you are installing the equipment in another country, evaluate the local standards and safety requirements in that region, so your playground equipment remains compliant.

Meeting safety standards may be a requirement for any additional liability insurance coverage you buy with the playground equipment. Check with your insurance provider for requirements on playground construction before finalizing the purchase of both the equipment and the insurance policy to cover it.

Regardless of the safety standards used for the playground, you should always ensure kids have supervision while using the equipment. Provide staff guidance or signage to remind parents and caretakers to watch their kids the entire time in the play area. With good supervision and quality playground equipment that meets safety standards, your business can help avoid many playground mishaps.

15. Will Your Equipment Manufacturer Help Draw Up Plans?

You will likely need assistance creating a playground layout that has everything your customers’ kids will want while fitting into your design scheme and budget. Consider whether the equipment manufacturer will help by taking the elements and components you want to create plans for the playground. An experienced manufacturer can make helpful recommendations based on your target demographic, business layout, budget, branding colors and more.

Soft Play engineers can draft plans and provide quotes within two weeks if you know what you are looking for in a playground. This type of rapid turnaround gives you the chance to get started quickly on installing a new play area in your business to your customers’ needs and attract more business.

Contact Soft Play® Today for Your Indoor Playground Equipment

Are you ready to start drawing up the plans for your new indoor playground? Reach out to the team of helpful representatives at Soft Play to get a quote for your project. Our playgrounds can help your business to grow while you support the physical and social growth needs of kids who visit your facility.