A new Hilari Bell followed directly by a new OotS?

[conuly]

Sometimes, things are just wonderful.

WE are headed to the big library today, where the girls have never been. And then... to the playground! (Or somewhere else, I haven't decided.)

On the subject of playgrounds, how would one go about building a playground in a playground-less neighborhood? How much does that cost?

Comments

[polydad]

>how would one go about building a playground in a playground-less neighborhood?

Ooh! Ooh! Can I help?

Step One: Locate a piece of land that could be used for it. Unused public land is best, if available, though if you're in NYC it's non-existent. An empty lot with no construction on it would be second-best. If you'll indicate a nearby intersection I'd be happy to google around and see what I could find for you.

Once you've found a space, comes the fun part of figuring out what you can do in it. Given your location, the space would likely be of an odd size and/or shape, which would place major constraints on the equipment. Municipal phobias about lawsuits would have to be factored in as well.

best,

Joel

[adrian-turtle.livejournal.com]

By "building a playground," do you mean "turning a vacant lot into a playground that will be good for kids?" Or would you need to persuade the city to acquire land, tear down abandoned buildings, or do other preliminary work before starting to set up something that looks like a playground? How much does it cost? That depends on how big it is, the balance between equipment and open space, and how durable the construction materials are. A big structure designed for pretend-play as well as climbing (like a castle or a ship) tends to cost more than just swings and slides...but it also tends to appeal to more kids and somewhat older kids.

Your group will need to find a space and figure out what the local regulations are about land use and safety. Town Hall? Parks Department? Something like that would know. Modern playgrounds don't have dirt surfaces like they did when I was little. They sometimes have wood chips, which are safer. Matting made of recycled rubber is safer yet, for kids of an age to fall down a lot, but all that stuff costs. All that is before you even get to anything a kid thinks of as being meaningfully "playground." (Should we go to the playground with the climber like a pirate ship? Or do you want to get in the car and go to the playground with the big slides and the tire swing?)

Accessibility is a big concern, which sometimes gets overlooked in the initial design phase. If you have a playground proposal all ready to go before anybody notices how much it would cost to make it accessible for a parent in a wheelchair, you're likely to run into trouble. When money is tight (and money is always tight) people often balk at the idea of spending so much for the benefit of a few users. But if the first design proposal with the initial cost estimate is at least trying to be accessible, you can present it as a matter of fairness.

I can't vouch for any of these, personally. Sorry.
http://www.learningstructures.com/
http://www.leathersassociates.com/
If you know of a private school or preschool in your area that recently opened (or recently moved to a new location), they might know good local resources for playground design and construction. For this purpose, "recently" is probably about 3 years and "local" is probably about an hour's drive.

I know that volunteers can help reduce costs by doing a lot of the work themselves. (Maybe some scouts are looking a project?) Clearing a vacant lot and setting up playground equipment don't require much in the way of specialized skills. Local businesses may be persuaded to contribute money to something that obviously benefits the community and/or the environment. Is the playground intended to keep kids off the streets? Get them out in the fresh air? Get families to play locally instead of needing to drive to the next town?

[conuly]

You know, I never thought about making a playground accessible to parents, I thought all the work in that area was about making them accessible to kids (and, to be honest, I'm not sure what that entails other than special swings and occasionally sand tables instead of sandboxes).