Children's playground in the country

It is no accident that most Russians consider the summer cottage to be the most popular holiday destination for the whole family. On your site you can not only grow vegetables and fruits, but also actively rest or relax in the fresh air, arrange gatherings with friends, invite relatives to barbecue. But any owner of a summer house or a personal plot with children understands that kids and teenagers are not interested in beds with tomatoes alone. A playground will help solve the problem of outdoor leisure for children of different ages. Regardless of whether you intend to purchase a ready-made version, order the production of a playground for your own project or do it yourself with your own hands, you need to prepare for any variation. We hope that our large selection of open-air playground projects will help you understand the design, safety, methods of manufacturing and filling this irreplaceable game complex for families with children.

Playground Model Selection Criteria

Currently, manufacturers of turnkey solutions for arranging outdoor playgrounds offer an incredibly wide selection of models. And when making a game complex to order, there are no restrictions at all. From such a wide choice it is just right to get confused. Let's try to limit the scope of choosing a suitable model to the following criteria:

• the age of children and their addictions in spending leisure time in the country or in a private yard;
• free space that can be used to install the game complex;
• financial budget for the project.

Age and childhood addictions

Let us dwell in more detail on the age criterion, given that it largely determines the interests of children in active or passive recreation:

• kids do not need large and complex game complexes, just sandboxes with a canopy or awning as protection from the sun, simple swings and a small slide;
• preschoolers (up to about 6-7 years old) like swings of various modifications (suspended and type “scales”), slides, possibly a small “climbing wall” or a sloping surface with a climbing rope, simple sports equipment;
• From 7 to 12 years old, children may be interested in a thematic game complex that meets their interests. Game modules in the form of a pirate ship or Indian wigwam with many different devices will become a favorite place for outdoor activities. Buying a turnkey solution in this case is the most favorable option;
• a platform for adolescents over 12 years old is created not so much for games as for sports. Swedish walls and horizontal bars, elementary street exercise machines should be designed for height and weight of an adult. This will allow you to use the site for as long as possible and adults to engage with older children.

What to do to families in which several children of different ages? The answer is simple - to get a ready-made game solution for the playground, arranging the components according to the taste and preferences of children. Such modules can be supplemented over time or canceled on the contrary, modifying the site, but not completely redoing. In terms of costs, this option will pay for itself with long-term service and meeting the needs of all family members.

Place for a playground in the country

The correct choice of location for the location of the playground will affect the level of its safety and comfort. Ideally, a place for organizing children's activities should meet the following requirements:

• must be removed from farm buildings, greenhouses and hotbeds, thorny bushes, communication lines;
• if there is an artificial pond, pool or any other type of pond at the cottage, then the site must be separated from it by any type of fence - from a hedge to a low fence;
• the site should be visible to adults, i.e. Visible from the place where most of the time parents spend;
• you should not place the site completely in the shade (in the northern part of the site) or completely in the sun, ideally, the shade should “cover” from one aunt to half of the site (it can be tree branches or an awning, as well as a building in the form of a house or any other object with a roof, a canopy);
• it makes no sense to place the site in ravine places, on slopes, in places where groundwater flows (after rain the site will dry for a long time, and constant dampness will not add comfort from using the complex);
• the game complex is best placed on a flat surface (if there is even a small pool on the site, the water will be unevenly distributed, toys will accumulate in one place);
• the site can be located near the main building or the fence of the site, you only need to take into account the distance reserves for swinging the swing (if any) and the descent from the hill.

Parameters of the playground and its safety

Only at first glance it might seem that no preparations and calculations are needed for the construction of a playground on the site. Be sure to draw on paper or in the design program the location of all elements of the game complex and mark the distance between them. Do not lose sight of even the smallest items. The safety of children and the durability of the structures, the comfort of the operation of the complex and your costs of remaking or replacing parts, elements will depend on the location of objects on the playground.

Depending on what area was allocated for the arrangement of the playground, a complex for games will be selected, the number and size of its components. If there is not enough space, it is better to prioritize and choose the most important elements for creating a playground than to try to “load” a small space with a maximum of game elements.

When preparing a detailed plan for the location of all elements of the game complex on paper or in a program, consider the following safety rules:

• there should be a free running zone in front of the slides and some types of stairs (if a ready-made complex is purchased, then the manufacturer usually indicates acceptable values ​​in the equipment passport);
• in front of all types of swings and carousels there should also be free space (about 2 meters around the perimeter), but a lot depends on the size of the structures themselves and the so-called "zone of maximum swing" (you can also find out the exact information from the manufacturer and do this before buying ready-made game decision);
• a small free space must be left around all sports equipment;
• the size of the game complex itself should be in accordance with the age and height of the child. If for a preschooler there is enough slide for sliding 2 meters high, then for schoolchildren and adolescents this value needs to be "raised" to 3-3.5 meters. The size of the sandbox, portable pool, and other items should match the number of children in the family and their age.

In addition, it is necessary to leave a small margin in the space of the playground, taking into account children who may come to visit. In this regard, ready-made game complexes free you from the need for calculations for an ergonomic and safe arrangement of all elements. You will only need to take care of the free space around the entire complex.

From a safety point of view, it is also necessary to make sure that the game elements of the court you made do not have sharp metal corners, and that all wooden surfaces are carefully sanded, varnished or painted. For safety, swings and carousels are not easily dug into the ground, but concreted and covered with soil.

The content of the children's complex and the material of manufacture

The occupancy of a playground depends on its size, age and number of children, their interests. As a rule, a game complex includes the following elements:

• sandbox;
• swing (various suspended structures, rocking chairs, bungees);
• carousels (swing "scales");
• sports equipment (stairs, horizontal bars, rings, ropes, bars);
• trampolines;
• inflatable pools (seasonal element);
• house.

Some items can be purchased separately, some are easy to make yourself. If you plan to buy a ready-made game complex, then you need to study the options for their manufacture. In modern complexes for playgrounds, the following materials can be used:

Wood. Large manufacturers of ready-made solutions for playgrounds use precisely wood for the execution of the basic elements of their structures. Metal or plastic act only as additional raw materials (most often for the production of slides, spirals). Natural, strong, durable and safe material easily fits into any landscape design of a summer cottage or private courtyard. But game complexes made of natural wood are not cheap

Plastic. Complexes made of plastic are presented in a more affordable pricing policy. But a lot depends on the manufacturer. Russian companies using high-quality non-toxic plastic that can withstand high loads and wear, offer beautiful, bright, but not cheap models of gaming complexes. Chinese counterparts will help to save, but there will be no guarantees in the quality and performance of materials. In any case, when buying any game complex, you need to check the quality certificates, learn about the values ​​of maximum permissible loads and how to seasonally care for surfaces.

Inflatable complexes. This is an option for the smallest. Compact, portable and inexpensive complex is absolutely safe. But this is a seasonal option, which is usually represented by a pool with a slide, a trampoline or a dry pool with balls.

Playground cover

Another important aspect from the point of view of safety and comfort of use is the correct choice of coverage for the playground. It should be unstable (not to injure the child in the event of a fall, and the children will certainly fall, this fact must simply be accepted and try to reduce risks), non-slip, environmentally friendly and easy to maintain. To cover the playground in the country or in a private two, the following options are most often used:

Lawn. What can be more natural and more pleasant to the touch than evenly trimmed grass. Choose for sowing a variety of lawn grass resistant to trampling and uniform density of seedlings. Most likely, children will want to run barefoot on such a platform. Of course, such a coating has its drawbacks - the uniformity of seedlings must be monitored and grassed in trampling places. It is necessary to water and trim the lawn in a timely manner. After the rain has passed, it will be impossible to play on the court for some time - you can slip on the wet grass.

Sand. For the site, it is best to choose sand of large fractions in which the children's foot will not be buried. Natural and affordable material perfectly protects children from injuries in the fall. The disadvantages of such a coating include the difficulty of cleaning and the need to wait for drying after rain. And the sand will be distributed throughout the site constantly. But you do not need to arrange an additional sandbox. Usually sand is poured with a layer from 2 to 10 cm, and below it is a mound of granite screenings 5-7 cm high, covered with geotextile and geogrid.

Bark. Such coverage is very often used for playgrounds in America and Europe. In our country, this natural and inexpensive material can not yet be called a popular way to create coverage for playgrounds. The bark is environmentally friendly, does not stick to the body and clothes, perfectly softens the fall. But the site with such a coating will not be easy to clean. And she has a short service life - about 2-3 years (but replacing it will completely cost inexpensively). As a rule, a bark-coated area is constructed as follows:

• dig a hole about 20 cm deep;
• cover it with geotextiles;
• about 15 cm covered with sand;
• again covered with geotextile;
• the remaining 5 cm is covered with bark.

Artificial turf This is a roll material with an elastic base. Artificial grass perfectly imitates the natural surface. But it does not need to be watered and trimmed. After rain, this coating dries quickly enough. Artificial lawn softens shock from falls is not as good as sand or natural grass, but it has high wear resistance, durability, not trampled and easy to clean. Such a lawn does not stain clothes, does not stick to the body, but is quite expensive. When choosing artificial turf, consider not only the height of the "blades of grass", but also their density - the lawn should not hamper the child's movement. As a rule, artificial turf is laid on a concrete base.

Rubber tile. You could see a similar covering on many city playgrounds. This is the most practical and durable version of artificial flooring for the playing area. The coating material is slightly springy, which minimizes the effects of falls and shocks. The coating is easy to care for, it is easy to clean, dries quickly, is able to pass moisture. Laying tiles can be done on any surface (even on the ground), quickly and easily. The material has high wear resistance and durability with proper operation. Tiles of different colors, with various images, are produced. As a result, the rubber coating can be used not only as a protective layer, but also as elements for games, the study of colors and shapes.

Bulk rubber coating. Like tiles, a rubber coating is a mixture of crumb rubber and a polyurethane binder. But unlike tiles, such a flooring has no seams, and for its installation special equipment is needed. Therefore, in the framework of a private home, this type of coverage for playgrounds is used infrequently.

Modular plastic coating. The coating is assembled from separate modules fastened with a special lock (according to the type of laminate laying). Installation is simple and quick on almost any type of substrate, even the ground. The coating is mobile - if necessary, it can be disassembled and reassembled in a new place without losing the original presentation. Plastic, which is used for the manufacture of such modules, does not fade in the sun, passes moisture (due to special perforation), withstands quite serious loads and mechanical stresses. The cost of coverage is relatively expensive, but it pays for the duration of operation.