Playgrounds of many kinds and sizes provide opportunities for children to have fun. A fantastic playground’s vivid colours and fascinating combinations may engage kids in ways they won’t find anywhere else, allowing them to let their imaginations run wild. While playgrounds have developed throughout time to include more safety and accessibility elements, any kid-approved play facility will contain many basics.

Understanding what makes a playground excellent and what to look for when building a new site requires expanding your Playground Equipment knowledge.

Names of Playground Equipment

If you haven’t been to the playground in a few years, you’ll notice that some of your old favourites have been changed or upgraded to meet modern needs.

Because of new safety rules, several types of playground Equipment have fallen out of favour or terminology has become antiquated. Some playground equipment has been phased out entirely due to a lack of compliance with new safety requirements. Even though the safety rules have changed, you should expect to find some recognisable playground equipment on newer locations.

1. Happy-Go-Round

Merry-go-rounds, also known as roundabouts or carousels, are a popular playground attraction that children love. These enormous pieces of equipment allow kids to jump on and spin around as fast as they can by pushing against the ground to build speed. While this form of playground equipment is still rather prevalent, the word “merry-go-round” is no longer sufficient to include the numerous different types of spinning playground equipment.

2. Seesaw

Seesaws, often known as teeter-totters, are another well-known piece of playground equipment. Traditional fulcrum teeter-totters must have a maximum angle of 25 degrees, according to the CPSC handbook, and half car tyres or other shock-absorbing materials should be utilised to cushion impacts. The safest seesaw includes a spring centre that prevents one rider from landing forcefully if the other rider slips off.

3. Massive Stride

A tall pole is installed in the ground for the enormous stride. Ropes with ladder-like bars dangle from the ceiling for children to hold. The concept is that kids grab the bars with their lives and run around as quickly as they can, occasionally “flying” or hovering above the ground while spinning. Aside from being inaccessible, the huge stride often results in children colliding with each other or the pole.

4. Monkey Bars 

Monkey bars are just a horizontal ladder held above the ground by upright poles in its most basic form. They let children to jump and swing from bar to bar like chimps. Monkey bars were also a common element of bigger jungle gyms, allowing children to climb and swing in various directions.

While monkey bars are still popular in playgrounds around the world, the original design has been updated and improved in so many ways — they’re no longer merely a horizontal ladder — that more precise terminology is sometimes required to describe them. When someone says “ring climber,” they’re referring to one of the several monkey bar variations.

5. Still Rings 

Playground rings, similar to those used in gymnastics and hanging on long chains, are still very much a part of the scene. With shorter chains, they’re commonly referred to as therapeutic hand rings. Children can strengthen their upper bodies by hanging from the rings and supporting their body weight.

Terms of Safety

Naturally, the safety of any playground should be a top priority. You might be scratching your head, wondering, “What is the height of a playground fall?” What is the difference between a playground safety zone and a use zone, for example? The following are the most crucial playground terminology to remember when it comes to equipment safety:

• Entanglement occurs when a child’s clothing or something around their neck becomes entangled in a piece of equipment.

• Entrapment occurs when a child’s body part becomes stuck in equipment, such as a railing, and the child is unable to remove it.

• The distance between the protective playground surfacing and the structure’s tallest designated play surface is measured in fall height.

• Safety zone and use zone: These are designated areas for children to safely move around and use the equipment. They are frequently used interchangeably.

• Fall zone: The area around equipment where a child is most likely to land if they fall off or exit the equipment.