If you want your property’s playground to become a favorite destination among families and kids alike, read on to learn which playground improvements promise the best boost in popularity and how to incorporate them into your space.
1. Add Fun Play Opportunities
Playground improvements can be more than completely renovating the equipment and redesigning the space. With many options available for playground designers, you can find what solution works best for you, whether meeting your budget or keeping the playground open for visitors during working hours. Notable improvements can help your playground attract new and returning visitors.
Decorate the Ground With Game Markings
Permanent painted game markings on the ground are a great way to improve your playground, both visually and functionally. Kids often bring or use chalk at the playground to use empty spaces, like blacktops and sidewalks, where they can play their favorite games. Adding these games as permanent features, applied in a clear, long-lasting and eye-catching way, lets children play even if they don’t have chalk handy. Some games include:
- Hopscotch: Hopscotch is a classic chalk game that offers kids several benefits, from coordination and balance to counting practice. Kids can use this game to play with others, share spaces, take turns and wait. Your design can include one or several hopscotch boards, depending on the space available.
- Four square: While four square requires a ball, it is another excellent collaborative game kids can play with strangers or friends. Kids will wait in line when it isn’t their turn and practice good sportsmanship when they get out. Including a permanent square designates a space for this game on your playground, so kids always have a chance to play.
- Tic-tac-toe: Kids can try their hand at tic-tac-toe for a more strategic game. They can mark their moves with chalk or things they find around the playground, like sticks or stones. Because only two kids can play at a time, it is another great way to practice taking turns, sharing and waiting.
- Shoots and ladders: Transform flat, open spaces into a classic board game where kids play as the pieces themselves. They can play together to race to the finish line while avoiding the shoots and aiming for the ladders to move forward.
Your organization can also transform open areas into spaces that inspire imaginative and creative play by painting paths and roads. Kids can pretend they are in a town with streets guiding them to different places. Features like this allow kids to expand their minds and create unique games themselves.
Make the Space Art- and Creativity-Friendly
Each kid has a different play style, and your design can include commercial or school playground improvements to enhance alternative experiences. While many kids go to the playground for physical activity, some might prefer other types of play, like pretend play or artistic expression.
Art and music are great for emotional and physical development. They allow kids to develop fine motor skills and learn how to turn their emotions into physical works. Many kids use art and music as a form of self-expression, which can help them develop a stronger sense of self. Consider bringing the arts to the playground by implementing open blacktop or chalkboard spaces where kids can draw or investing in playground equipment that makes noise and resembles musical instruments.
While this space is great for kids who prefer this play type, it can encourage all children to slow down and take a break from playing. Breaks are essential for teaching kids to listen to their body’s limits and care for themselves, whether they need to catch their breath or rest their muscles. Artistic or musical elements offer them a chance to slow down.
Consider Interactive Water Features and Splash Pads
Install an interactive water feature for a unique attraction that will help your playground stand out and become a favorite destination among kids. Fountains, sprinklers and splash pads are great ways to engage kids in the warmer months and keep them returning year-round. Pick water features with colorful designs, and consider adding LED lighting and visually appealing shade structures to elevate your cool-off station to the next level.
Water features are also great playground additions for creating more accessible and inclusive activities. You can work with designers to create a water feature that kids of all ages and abilities can play in.
2. Create a Unique and Memorable Visual Impact
If you want your playground to soar in popularity and bring in new visitors, your space needs to spark people’s interest from a distance. An iconic color scheme, statue or play structure can make your location memorable for years to come and spark valuable word of mouth.
Install Attractions
Whether it’s a kid-friendly train replica, a water-spraying octopus, a rocket-shaped swing or a giant lime green dinosaur installed for photo ops and attention-grabbing, creating a whimsical world for kids to explore is an excellent way to create visual appeal.
Integrate these wacky and wonderful designs into the park’s functionality for the ultimate immersion. For example, a beautiful butterfly shade structure can turn a plain rest spot into a magical fairy garden for kids.
Theme and Zone Your Playground
While playgrounds can have cohesive themes, many designers organize equipment and spacing into zones, depending on the type of play. This system can help keep different play types separate, allowing the kids in each zone to get the whole playtime experience uninterrupted. Zoning can be a great way to optimize the available space.
Zones include:
- Jungle gyms and monkey bars
- Toddler sections
- Areas with increased accessibility
- Sports fields and blacktops
- Open play areas
- Socialization and rest areas
- Creative spaces
- Nature areas
- Cool-off spots
Zoning is also an excellent solution for creating a playground that works for several age groups. Younger and older children have very different play styles and needs, so zoning can help develop areas that allow each to play thoroughly. For example, younger kids might love to swing but could have difficulty getting on them. You might implement a new swing zone for younger kids with a smaller set that accommodates their size.
To specify sections, consider using the attractions to signal what kind of play kids and parents can expect in each area. Pick colors and facilities with a younger feel for toddler zones, like lighter pastel-colored railings and a cute flower shade structure, and then make zones for older kids look more interesting with brighter colors and more exciting, dynamic character designs.
Zones are a great way to update the playground without disrupting the whole playground, especially if upgrading your playground in increments.
Use Color Strategically in and Around Play Areas
Refresh your playground’s look by repainting it or changing its color scheme. Many playgrounds use a specific color palette, along with chosen equipment or an overall theme, to help add to the aesthetic value. A multi-colored, rainbow color scheme is also an enduring fan favorite that’s easy to coordinate without special-ordering equipment and enthralling for youngsters.
Colors can influence how people interact with your playgrounds. Red, orange and yellow are associated with higher energy and are perfect for playgrounds that encourage physical activity and active play. Cooler tones like green, blue and purple help calm people and inspire creativity. You can use these colors on playgrounds where pretend play is popular.
You can also mix the color schemes across zones to encourage different types of play. Consider warmer colors in spaces where kids can engage in active play while establishing creative play areas with blues and greens. Different colors are a great way to distinguish between different zones and their purposes.
Diversify Play Opportunities for a Wider Appeal
Diversifying your equipment can upgrade your playground’s aesthetic by creating intrigue and curiosity in passersby. Various equipment types give kids more dynamic sensory stimulation and different play experiences, keeping them engaged when they visit and giving them something to look forward to. Diverse options also reflect well on your organization’s brand as a whole, demonstrating how you care about each individual’s needs and preferences.
Diversify equipment by considering some of the following:
- Swings, slides and monkey bars
- Climbing equipment and rope courses
- Sandboxes
- Playhouses
- Tunnels
- Open spaces like blacktops and fields
Each piece of equipment offers a new way to play and brings along unique benefits for the children. You could also diversify your playground by investing in more inclusive equipment that kids of all abilities can play with. Inclusive and accessible equipment helps promote empathy and other social skills as children play with more kids in various situations.
3. Appeal to Parents’ and Guardians’ Preferences
Appealing to kids’ parents and guardians can help you create a play experience the entire family enjoys. Ensure your location has plenty of clean seating and shade structures, a well-kept restroom, ample parking, safety mechanisms, and other amenities adults will appreciate while their kids play.
Make Caregiver Areas Inviting and Convenient
While kids will appreciate shiny new equipment and interesting characters, caregivers also have aesthetic and functional preferences. Comfortable spaces for caregivers to rest and relax should be visually appealing while offering optimal visibility for monitoring the children during play. Consider adding some adult-sized neutral-colored benches and tables where parents can gather and watch playing children.
Playgrounds are already critical social spaces for kids, but catering to caregivers helps them connect with others in the community. Adults can socialize and make friends at the playground while their kids do the same and get physical activity.
Bring Nature’s Beauty to Your Playground
Nature can benefit communities and individuals, especially cities or urban areas. Exposure to nature can help increase focus and reduce stress, so adding it to your playground can improve its mental and cognitive benefits. Nature is often a crowd-pleasing addition to adult spaces, so they’ll likely appreciate the soothing rustle of trees and gentle green scenery as it contrasts with the vibrant colors of the playground equipment.
Kids can use nature to inspire their curiosity or learn more about their world. They might use natural elements as part of their pretend play, turning trees into a magical forest. At the same time, they might notice new things, like caterpillars or the leaves changing color with the seasons.
There are several options for bringing nature to the playground. Depending on your location and space, you can plant trees, shrubs or plants. Your team can also invest in equipment that resembles nature, like playground pieces designed to look like trees and flowers.
4. Make Practical, Functional Equipment Appealing
With a few simple color and design choices, utilitarian fixtures can be visually stunning and add to a space’s ambience and thematic coherence. Trash cans can be painted to suit the playground’s color scheme, gates and railings can match monkey bars so they feel more integrated, and shade structures of various beautiful colors and shapes can give the space character and sun protection.
Provide Plenty of Colorful Shaded Spaces
Shade is essential at the playground, giving kids and caregivers a break from the sun and heat. Shaded areas allow caregivers to comfortably watch kids from a cooler space on the playground. These zones can encourage kids to take breaks by giving them a designated area to rest.
Trees offer great natural shade, but some playgrounds lack the necessary space for the number of trees needed to create good shade portions. Instead, playgrounds can invest in quality shade structures, which fit into your playground’s visuals and themes while providing extensive coverage from the sun and adverse weather.
Update Your Playground’s Light Fixtures
Many playgrounds and parks have light features to make the property more accessible after sunset. Upgrading your current lights can expand your park’s hours, especially during the winter when there is less daylight. Strong lights can encourage kids to get valuable hours of physical activity when they might otherwise not have time, promoting healthier habits.
Light fixtures in parks and playgrounds can also help deter crime or vandalism in some communities. Your playground’s design can promote healthier habits in kids while creating more welcoming neighborhoods.
Refresh Other Playground Amenities
Many playgrounds have features other than playground equipment and, upgrading them can benefit your visitors. Some amenities to consider include:
- Pavement and blacktop: From parking lots to basketball courts, playgrounds can include several types of paved areas that need refreshing over time. Winters can cause potholes and cracks in the pavement, decreasing the quality of these areas. Painted lines fade over time with exposure to the sun and weather. Repave and paint these areas for a refreshed playground that meets your visitors’ needs.
- Restrooms: Some playgrounds have bathrooms nearby, which can draw families with young children or people who want to spend longer playing at the playground. However, restrooms require regular maintenance and cleaning. Renovate your bathrooms or give them a deep cleaning to impress your guests.
- Seating areas: While benches and picnic tables can last extended periods outdoors with slight changes to their function, your organization can refresh these features annually with a fresh layer of paint, helping them fit into your playground’s theme and aesthetic. Inspect them regularly for rust or wear so you can replace them as necessary, ensuring visitors always have somewhere secure and comfortable to sit.
You likely want your playground and its features to remain the main focus, but offering additional services for visitors keeps them returning to your park again.
The Advantages of Upgrading Your Playground’s Visual Appeal
Implementing unique visual improvements to your playground attracts new visitors and offers kids new play experiences. It also encourages families to revisit the location and bring friends after seeing what fun the refreshed space can provide. This boost in intrigue comes with several overall benefits, both for visitors and property owners who have invested time and money in their playground makeover.
Benefits for Kids and Guardians
Improving the visual appeal of playgrounds offers several essential benefits to kids and communities, including:
- More community gathering space: Beautifully and functionally designed playgrounds invite families to connect and form meaningful relationships.
- Increased physical activity: A visually exciting playground makes exercise and childhood development more fun, supporting motor skills growth, balance, fitness and coordination in children.
- Improved social development: Aesthetic enhancements like play markers encourage collaborative games that teach essential social skills like sharing and communication in a welcoming environment.
- Enhanced emotional growth: Imaginative, colorful playgrounds offer opportunities for pretend play, helping children process emotions and build confidence while discovering their interests and strengths.
- Encouraged creativity: Artistic and musical facilities introduce new play experiences that allow children to enjoy exciting outdoor spaces.
- Increased inclusion: Incorporating inclusive equipment into the new design addresses the needs of kids of different age groups and abilities, helping everyone feel welcome and have an equitable play experience.
- Better caregiver satisfaction: Well-designed playgrounds include appealing, comfortable seating areas where caregivers can relax and socialize while supervising their children.
Benefits for Playground Managers and Owners
Investing in your playground’s appearance also offers many advantages to managers or owners:
- Increased property value: A well-designed and aesthetically pleasing playground can be more attractive to potential buyers, potentially boosting your chances of a sale and increasing your property’s overall value.
- Attraction of families: Beautified playgrounds attract families looking for safe and enjoyable recreational spaces, increasing foot traffic and encouraging longer visits, positively impacting surrounding businesses.
- Enhanced community reputation: Investing in playground beautification demonstrates a commitment to community welfare and quality, improving the reputation of property owners as responsible and caring stakeholders.
- Promotion of community engagement: Visually appealing playgrounds serve as gathering places for events, creating photo and social media post opportunities and strengthening neighborhood bonds.
- Reduced maintenance costs: Upgrading to new, durable materials for facilities like jungle gyms, shade structures and benches can lower maintenance costs, as high-quality installations are generally more resilient to wear and tear.
- Improved safety perception: A well-maintained, aesthetically pleasing playground enhances visitors’ perception of safety, making parents feel more comfortable allowing their children to play there.
- Increased accessibility: Beautifying playgrounds often includes making them more accessible to children of all abilities, broadening the potential user base and demonstrating your brand’s commitment to inclusivity.
- More marketing opportunities: Attractive playgrounds can serve as effective marketing tools, showcasing the property’s amenities in promotional materials and attracting potential visitors, customers, tenants or buyers.
Why Your Organization Should Invest in Playground Shade Structures
Shade structures are excellent resources for providing increased comfort at your playground. Shade is ideal for summer and sunny days when the heat can otherwise drive kids indoors. Shade structures can offer several other unique benefits to playgrounds, including:
- Blocking the sun: While blocking the sun reduces the temperature on the playground, it also protects visitors from the sun’s powerful UV rays. USA SHADE’s shade structures offer 97% UV ray protection for comprehensive comfort and coverage. Our shade structures are great for individuals at risk of suffering heat exhaustion, like young kids and the elderly, by reducing the temperature and increasing comfort.
- Providing shelter from the weather: Shade structures can provide cover when the weather unexpectedly turns, giving guests a place to rest and wait to continue playing. Our fabric shade structures block around 60 to 70% of water and other precipitation, so your property has a space to keep your visitors more sheltered during the rain. Additionally, the fabric allows for consistent airflow for continual comfort, even when the weather is nice.
- Lengthening equipment life span: Consider placing shade structures around your playground. While many designers use them to create comfortable shaded seating areas, you can also place them over equipment to provide shaded play solutions. Kids can stay cooler while playing, and the shade structures can protect playground equipment from fading in the sun, allowing it to last longer.
- Enhancing playground aesthetic: Our shade structures are customizable, allowing your organization to work with designers to create the shade structure that perfectly matches your playground’s look. We offer several fabric options to match colors and many designs and collections with unique shade structures that work well for playgrounds.
Shade structures are great shade solutions to apply to your playground to increase comfort and provide the best care for kids and their caregivers.
Invest in Quality Shade Structures From USA SHADE
Improving your playground’s design and visual appeal offers several benefits, and there are several unique approaches to finding the solution that works perfectly for your organization’s location and needs. As you implement improvements to your playground, consider the benefits shade structures can provide.
At USA SHADE, we offer high-quality and functioning playground shade structures you can use to provide increased comfort and aesthetic appeal at your playground. Our shade structures can fit in with existing systems, easily integrating into your playground for instant improvements. With our quick ship shade structures, you can have stunning sun protection in as little as four weeks.
Request a quote today and discover what USA SHADE shade structures can add to your playground.