Purchase NO play equipment - until you’ve read this easy planning strategy that we’ve perfected over the last 30+ years!
If you are searching for an easy solution that will help you design, plan and budget out your custom play area with minimal effort, then you’ve come to the right place.
What every Landscape Architect, Park & Rec Director and School District Maintenance director ought to know… about the “new” play equipment business!
We’ve perfected the design and planning process over the years to make the process of designing and seeing your project through completion. Our website and this Planning process enables you to create a game plan and develop a road map for a successful play area project.
Right and wrong design strategies – and little pointers that will make your project a hit!
A unique process that gives you the freedom to choose from an ever expanding “stock” design library without the requirement of doing any of the work once associated with this process. We give you the benefit of having immediate access to our play equipment design - for FREE. Just go to our home page and log in the “LOGIN your play” area link. After a quick sign up, you’ll be taken to our design library.
But perhaps you still don’t see exactly what you’re looking for? No problem. Try visiting our newly updated FAQ’s page at www.miracleplaygroup.com/faqs that has answers to hundreds of our most frequently asked questions – all indexed in an easy way for you to find what you’re looking for.
If you still need more, just call us at 800-879-7730 or email us at info@miracleplaygroup.com
Hundreds of customers like you have access to this gift – but never discover it!
We've put together a checklist to help you plan your new play area. In a step by step process, we’ll help you create the perfect play environment for your next project. Whether you're working with a landscape architect or working directly with Miracle Playsystems, we aim to make the process an easy one.
Planning Checklist
1. Outline Your Needs
A great play environment should offer maximum play value, safety and value for the kids who are intended to use the equipment. Subsequently, it should reduce your liability and be easy and cost effective to maintain. A couple of other considerations :
- Why are you updating your playground? What are your expectations? In addition to providing a play area, what other objectives might you have? Generating community interest? Gaining community appreciation, etc?
- How much do you have to spend? Are you limited to a budget? Perhaps you’ll be phasing the project over a longer period of time? Maybe you’re generating money from a community fundraiser? Have you determined if the budget will be enough for product, surfacing and installation? There are many elements to a new project that need to be determined from the start.
Timing: When do you want to see this project started, installed and completed? Take the time to understand what you’ll need to handle in regards to: tentative scheduling for plans, review, equipment purchase, site preparation and installation.
We strongly encourage you to watch the video that we recently completed in Alameda, CA of a successful community build. You can view this by clicking on the following link: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R7H_cfRP__k
Still have questions? Try visiting our newly updated FAQ’s page at www.miracleplaygroup.com/faqs that has answers to hundreds of our most frequently asked questions – all indexed in an easy way for you to find what you’re looking for.
If you still need more, just call us at 800-879-7730 or email us at info@miracleplaygroup.com
Planning Checklist
2. Outline the Needs of You and Your Users
Once you’ve completed step one, it’s time to focus on getting clear on the details that include:
- Budget
- Age requirements – who is it intended for
- Deadlines
- Specific equipment requirements
- Access
- City/County approvals
- Measuring the site and determining the site size
- Phasing the equipment
- Number of kids the equipment needs to accommodate
Communities commonly get feedback from the neighborhood, kids, parents, etc on what they want from a new play area. The questions above are often answered best by those who will be using the play area. However, other times its most important to default to those who will be maintaining the equipment and determine their needs – after all, they’ll be keeping it in working order for the next 10-20 years!
Key Piece: Community involvement from the initial planning stages is one of the best deterrents to vandalism. To involve the community in the planning process will keep your play area in better condition, longer.
Still have questions? Try visiting our newly updated FAQ’s page at www.miracleplaygroup.com/faqs that has answers to hundreds of our most frequently asked questions – all indexed in an easy way for you to find what you’re looking for.
If you still need more, just call us at 800-879-7730 or email us at info@miracleplaygroup.com
Planning Checklist
3. Measure Your Site
Depending on the shape of your play area, it may be very easy for you to take the measurements on your own. In most cases, it’s a good idea to call us and have us meet you on site to determine what would work best for your play areas shape. A thorough site walk will help make the project go seamlessly – from install to continued maintenance, to user satisfaction.
Is your site flat?
The slope of your site is one of the most important elements to where you’ll need to locate your play area. If your desired area is flat it will work well. However, if your area is sloping drastically it will create significant effort and earthmoving with machinery to get it flat enough for you play area. We typically recommend a 2% grade in a play area. Remember – anytime you need to move dirt, it increases the cost of your project.
Man-Made Dilemmas
Water/Electrical/Cable: Buried utilities create a challenge when installing play equipment. We recommend contacting 1-800-USA-DIG before starting any project. They will come to your site free of charge of make sure that your play area is safe to dig in.
Is the play area easily accessible?
Be certain that the location for your new play area is easily visible by those watching the children on the play equipment and that there is ample parking and access to the park.
Still have questions? Try visiting our newly updated FAQ’s page at www.miracleplaygroup.com/faqs that has answers to hundreds of our most frequently asked questions – all indexed in an easy way for you to find what you’re looking for.
If you still need more, just call us at 800-879-7730 or email us at info@miracleplaygroup.com
Planning Checklist
4. Choose Your Equipment
There are countless play area options today. When deciding what type of equipment you’re most interested in, we suggest visiting our design library to look at some of the designs we’ve developed for communities around you. You can view these options by going to the home page of this website; in the upper right corner there is a “LOGIN” area. You can apply for a password and get instant access to our design files. This will take a lot of the guess work out of this next step. Some things to consider:
Equipment Types
Composite Play: This is the most common style of play equipment that most people are familiar with. These linked play areas offer a wide variety of active and social play environments.
Independent Play: Spring riders, Overhead challenges, Swings, and climbers fall into this category. Each of these items needs to be placed within appropriate distance of all other play equipment so it does not infringe on the use zones of your new play area.
Activities
Consider the following when choosing who you’ll be appealing to (age and skill levels):
- Will it accommodate the greatest number of kids?
- How much variety will the play area incorporate?
- Will the equipment cover your liability requirements?
- Will you cater to both age categories: tots and children?
- How much will this all cost?
- will the equipment meet ADA requirements for accessibility?
Safety
Be certain that you new equipment meets the following requirements… these are the bench mark requirements to commercial play equipment used in a public setting:
- CPSC
- ASTM (American Society for Testing and Materials) Standard F1487
- IPEMA
Overall Look & Feel
Do you want playground equipment that is muted or one that is loud in color? Do you need to consider avoiding gang colors or perhaps you’d like to play off of school colors?
Materials
If you’re by the ocean maybe you’ll want to consider a anti-microbial paint process that will resist mold and corrosion, in other areas, you may like the idea of wood products that are 100% recycled, or maybe steel with a powder coating is a the best option for your location. Look at your area and determine what’s needed and required.
Accessibility
The ADA requires compliance with access to a specific number of features and overall accessibility to playground equipment to all equipment in the play area.
We can create a design for you that will outline the quantity of above grade play areas that are ADA compliant and the number of ADA play features that are ADA compliant. There are specific requirements and it’s something you’ll need to be clear on with your rep prior to completing your design.
Other Considerations
When making your final decision, you may want to consider the following:
- How easy was it getting renderings, drawings and call back from your rep?
- Does your rep have access to certified installers that will make the install seamless?
- Do you feel confident that the rep will be around to service you for years to come?
- Can your rep provide you with an easy to understand maintenance and needs assessment program for the life of the product?
- What kind of warranty does the manufacturer offer and is it all inclusive?
Still have questions? Try visiting our newly updated FAQ’s page at www.miracleplaygroup.com/faqs that has answers to hundreds of our most frequently asked questions – all indexed in an easy way for you to find what you’re looking for.
If you still need more, just call us at 800-879-7730 or email us at info@miracleplaygroup.com
Planning Checklist
5. Choose Your Surfacing Option
Falls off play equipment account for the largest number of injuries each year on playgrounds. Such injuries can be reduced with an-absorbent surface
Surfacing Options
- “Loose-fill” material, most commonly seen as engineered wood fiber, is the most commonly known option. It’s also the most cost effective. Other forms of loose-fill include rubber mulch which has a high recycled content and can come in most any color. Wood surfacing is easy to install but requires top off on an annual basis. Rubber mulch is more expensive but does a better job at staying in the play area it’s intended for because it doesn’t blow away as easily as wood fiber does.
- Rubber tiles provide great fall protection with little maintenance. These tiles are mainly used for ADA access paths and high wear areas under swings or at the bottom of slides. Rubber tiles don’t have the design flexibility of other surfacing products because they are square in size.
- Poured-in-place (PIP) rubber surfacing is available in almost any color imaginable and is troweled on to accommodate any designs required. This is the most common style of rubber surfacing on the market.
Still have questions? Try visiting our newly updated FAQ’s page at www.miracleplaygroup.com/faqs that has answers to hundreds of our most frequently asked questions – all indexed in an easy way for you to find what you’re looking for.
If you still need more, just call us at 800-879-7730 or email us at info@miracleplaygroup.com
Planning Checklist
6. Request for Proposal (RFP)
Once you’ve measured your site, determined your needs, assessed your budget and come up with the style of equipment you want, you’ll need to assess the customized plans that Miracle Playsystems has generated for your project.
Drawings (2D, 3D and CAD files)
Miracle Playsystems, your landscape architect or your city engineer can provide you with a scale drawing (ACAD file) that shows site size and dimensions to scale. We even offer 3’ x 4’ color renderings that will give you a very clear idea of what the project will look like, inclusive of your actual background. This rendering is your to keep and useful during planning meetings and approval meetings. This is offered FREE of charge.
Specs (outlining the materials used and the age categories catered to)
Miracle Playsystems will provide you with a written specification manual of the materials that are to be used in your playground, compliance with regulations and industry standards, the engineering details of your play activities and safety features. If you’re sending your project out to public bid, this will be integral for you to include in your specs pages so that you can be sure you’re getting bids that are “as equal”.
Costs
Using your budget as a starting point, the drawings we created for you will include a cost breakdown that will include product, shipping, tax and install should that be needed.
Approval & Product Order
Before you sign a purchase order, you’ll need to carefully review the design specifications and obtain any required approvals from the community or approval council. Once approved and ordered, you’re new equipment will arrive at your site within 3-4 weeks.
Still have questions? Try visiting our newly updated FAQ’s page at www.miracleplaygroup.com/faqs that has answers to hundreds of our most frequently asked questions – all indexed in an easy way for you to find what you’re looking for.
If you still need more, just call us at 800-879-7730 or email us at info@miracleplaygroup.com
Planning Checklist
7. Installation of Your Playground
Budget requirements usually determine how you’ll be installing your new equipment. In N. CA we typically see professional installers doing the work because of the liability involved with installing this type of equipment. However, there are a few options available for installation, they are as follows:
- Professional installation by an insured and factory-certified crew. We have a network of installers we work closely with who do this for a living are a very good at it. Contact us to get their information.
- A combination of the above: e.g., site preparation by your own workers, followed by the professional assembly and installation of equipment.
Still have questions? Try visiting our newly updated FAQ’s page at www.miracleplaygroup.com/faqs that has answers to hundreds of our most frequently asked questions – all indexed in an easy way for you to find what you’re looking for.
If you still need more, just call us at 800-879-7730 or email us at info@miracleplaygroup.com
Planning Checklist
8. Maintain Your Playground
Key Things to Consider
- Be prepared to maintain your new equipment on regular intervals – just like a new car. The frequency of maintenance will vary depending on usage.
- Scheduled inspections are the best ways to head off problems before they occur.
Accessibility
New Play equipment allows accessibility for all!
Miracle Playsystems has always been committed to providing accessible playground equipment, so that children of all abilities can enjoy the fun. We’ve recently partnered with Boundless Playgrounds, a non-profit organization with the goal of making every playground 100% accessible for all children.
Every design that we generate in house includes the ADA count that gives you a very clear outline of how much of the playground meets ADA compliance codes. Whether it’s our interactive play panels, our fully accessible safety surfacing or our ramped access points that lead to fully accessible decks, we have you covered.
You can also research this information further at the U.S. Architectural and Transportation Barriers Compliance Board Web site at www.access-board.gov.
Still have questions? Try visiting our newly updated FAQ’s page at www.miracleplaygroup.com/faqs that has answers to hundreds of our most frequently asked questions – all indexed in an easy way for you to find what you’re looking for.
If you still need more, just call us at 800-879-7730 or email us at info@miracleplaygroup.com
Safety
Here’s a quick way to add tremendous safety to your next playground project!
Studies from ASTM show that more than 40% of play related injuries are related to inadequate supervision.
We suggest that play area supervisors station themselves in clear view of the play equipment and closely monitor the way kids play on equipment – especially when the equipment is brand new and kids are most excited about it.
Color Options
Purchasing Options
The top reasons it would have paid to read this article 3 months ago!
In today's economic environment, funding can be an obstacle to designing and building the play environment you envisioned. We understand this challenge, and have made it easier than ever to get the equipment you want… our financing and purchasing options, along with our significant discounts offered on special unites throughout the year make it easy for you to get your ideal play area.
We are also registered on the CMAS contract in the state of California. CMAS is a state issued contract that is available to any state agency to purchase equipment off of. The advantage of this contract is that it saves you significant amount of time and money and eliminates the need for you to go out to bid. See our video under Multimedia on the home page: “Kit Steven – How to get 25% more playground for 25% less money without going out to bid”.
Installation
Throw away your tools – you won’t need them anymore!
Using one of our installers will make your install process an easy one. If this isn’t an option, then our community build option saves you money, and helps build great community involvement. Take a look at our most recent community build near you by logging on to: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R7H_cfRP__k
Still have questions? Try visiting our newly updated FAQ’s page at www.miracleplaygroup.com/faqs that has answers to hundreds of our most frequently asked questions – all indexed in an easy way for you to find what you’re looking for.
If you still need more, just call us at 800-879-7730 or email us at info@miracleplaygroup.com
Maintenance
How much is playground maintenance costing your organization?
When you purchase a play structure or play feature from Miracle Playsystems, you are entering into a family that is known for having the highest customer service level in the industry. Period.
We started in the business on the installation side and know exactly what it takes to build and maintain the equipment in your schools and parks.
Still have questions? Try visiting our newly updated FAQ’s page at www.miracleplaygroup.com/faqs that has answers to hundreds of our most frequently asked questions – all indexed in an easy way for you to find what you’re looking for.
If you still need more, just call us at 800-879-7730 or email us at info@miracleplaygroup.com
Miracle warranties include
Download our Warrenty statement (PDF, 39Kb)
Still have questions? Try visiting our newly updated FAQ’s page at www.miracleplaygroup.com/faqs that has answers to hundreds of our most frequently asked questions – all indexed in an easy way for you to find what you’re looking for.
If you still need more, just call us at 800-879-7730 or email us at info@miracleplaygroup.com