Article Link: http://exchangepress.com/article/buyers-guide-to-playground-equipment/5010965/
Playground equipment is likely to be your center's largest single non-staff expenditure. Therefore, it is important to make wise choices. This guide is designed to help you with this decision. Listed below are six factors to consider when evaluating outdoor play structures. This advice was provided by the playground equipment manufacturers and dealers listed in the directory at the end of the article.1. Appropriateness
Start with your center's goals. What are you trying to accomplish with your outdoor program? What do you want children to experience? Having clarified your objectives, evaluate how well different playground structures will help you meet them.
In general, the equipment you select should encourage children to engage in a wide range of social, motor, and imaginative play experiences. It should provide opportunities for both upper and lower body development. It should be appropriately scaled and equipped for the ages of children who will be using it. And it should comply with the spirit of the new Americans with Disabilities Act so that children of all abilities can enjoy access to it.
2. Construction
A variety of advantages and disadvantages are customarily associated with different materials used in ...