Creating Safe Play Spaces

Any play area available to the public, schools or child care centres should be well designed. A well-planned play area is the best way to risk of injury in playgrounds. A well-planned play environment should take in to consideration children’s social, emotional and intellectual stages of development, as well as their physical capabilities and needs.

Seek professional design assistance with someone who is familiar with designing play environments for children.

Include all interested parties in preplanning to ensure that unnecessary hazards and expensive works to remedy hazards are avoided before construction. Any planning should involve the users themselves so don't forget to ask the children! Budget for the purchase of good quality equipment as well as ongoing maintenance costs.

Good planning also means that there is a system in place that can deal with problems as they arise. A system that reports on incidents and maintenance procedures needs to be established to ensure that the playground and surfacing is maintained to meet a level of safety that is affordable. Ensure that your playground safety management system complies with the relevant standards. (AS 4486.1:1997)

For more information on how to create a safer play area in your own backyard Contact Us or click on Home Safety.

• Design and Layout
• Access for All
• Physical Access
• Access, Inclusion and Participation
• Reach Ranges
• Tactile Ground Surface Indicators for the Orientation of People with Vision Impairment
• Supervision

Play is for everyone, it should not be limiting in its opportunities, experiences or to its users. Play is vital for all children, and children with disabilities have the same needs and right to play as any other child. For more information about the different types of play and the benefits of play click Safe Play.

Play spaces can provide universal enjoyment and unity for all children. The following are some considerations to assist in the design of more accessible play spaces for children with disabilities.

Physical Access

All equipment should be accessible to children with wheelchairs, walking aids or mobility issues. Physical access to use the play equipment should be attained through use of appropriate path systems. Walkways, ramps, hand rails and landings can provide appropriate access to the play area. Walkways should be large enough to accommodate the size of a wheelchair and should be gently graded with a firm surface.

Access, Inclusion and Participation

Access does not just define physical access; it incorporates and promotes the action of inclusion and participation, or the ability to play once you have physically entered a play space. This involves consideration of physical and social issues. Does the play space offer the opportunity for a child to be included in the activity? Are they able to interact socially with other playground users? Is there a meaningful role in the game or activity?

Reach Ranges

The reach of children in wheelchairs should be considered when designing a playground. All equipment should be reachable to children who are in wheelchairs. Often play equipment requires a child to sit front on to the activity. This can make it difficult for a child in a wheelchair to participate. Consider equipment where there is knee room underneath so they can sit comfortably front on to the activity, for example cubby shop counters or raised tables or benches.

Tactile Ground Surface Indicators for the Orientation of People with Vision Impairment

Adequate ground surfacing should be provided to ensure people with visual impairments are able to safely find their way to and around the playground. For example, there should be surfacing that indicates hazards such as stairways, roads, car parks, bus stops, overhead hazards, ramps, or a change in the direction of the pathway.

Supervision

Parents and carers should supervise children at all times while using play equipment. Appropriate features to aid supervision such as seating should be considered into the design of any play area. Many children with disabilities require an aid or support to play. Extra seating for carers near key play equipment and adequate room around activities makes it easier for carers to support and play comfortably together with a child.