Every child dreams of having his own small, secluded corner. Build a children's playground on your country property and make this dream come true. This interesting structure will not only capture the child’s attention, but will also contribute to his physical and mental development.
It is not necessary to buy a ready-made playground; a playground can be easily built using available materials: boards, tires, logs, ropes, oilcloth and much more. All you need is a good idea and a little time to make.
Age of the child and playground equipment
The design of the playground is selected individually - depending on the age, gender and number of children in the family. If one sandbox is enough to organize the space of a two-year-old child, then a 10-year-old will need other entertainment. And by this time interests may change and digging in the sand will become uninteresting.
Playground for children 1-3 years old
A distinctive feature of this age is that during this period, most children still play alone, that is, without friends (if there are none in the family). This allows you to allocate a minimum amount of space for their entertainment.
Area near the terrace Source weller.ru
Outdoor play area Source pinimg.com
The minimum set that you can be content with will be a sandbox and a small swing on a spring or a slide at least 1 m high. The distance between them is organized so as not to block free access to each other. The height of the sides of the sandbox is minimal, such that a child can step over it independently.
Advice! It will not be superfluous to organize a canopy. The small size of the site will allow you to accomplish your plans with minimal costs.
Playground for children 3-7 years old
At this age, the child makes friends and group games begin. Activity increases, and, accordingly, the need for the design of the territory intended for his leisure time increases. The area of the playing area is expanding; if there is free space, space is organized for team, outdoor games (with a ball, catch-up, jumping ropes).
Playground for kindergarten children Source www.buyamishsheds.com
Organization of a playground for preschool children Source pinimg.com
The sandbox, as before, will remain relevant. The only thing that may be required is to expand its size. If a square of 1x1 m was enough for a baby, then preschoolers will need much larger sizes. They are determined depending on the capabilities of the allocated site - the more, the better.
Acceptable play structures are without complex elements: rope bridges, ropes, cableways. It is recommended to refrain from such elements for the safety of the child. The playground is equipped with a slide, swings, carousels, pull-pull, trains, cars with a rotating steering wheel and a chair.
See also: Catalog of companies that specialize in the design and construction of small forms.
Wood shavings or chips
Natural and absolutely safe material. It has the ability to absorb unpleasant odors and pleasantly complements the overall decor of the site. Just like sand, it is easy to replace if damaged.
When building an outdoor play complex, the use of wood chips does not require special knowledge and skills from the craftsman.
Playground for children 7-12 years old
The design of the playground for children of this age group is carried out in accordance with the level of their physical development. This allows you to organize entertainment for a minor without the presence of an adult.
Playground for children of primary school age Source weller.ru
Organization of a climbing wall for children 7-12 years old Source pinimg.com
Preference is given to games of a competitive nature, for which it is best to equip a sports and gaming complex:
- Handlebar.
- Horizontal bar.
- Rope.
- Swedish wall.
A labyrinth, a rope ladder, and a climbing wall will also come in handy.
Sand
Setting up children's play areas on a sand cushion is a relatively safe, however, rather outdated method. Thanks to new methods and universal coatings, sand is gradually disappearing from practice.
Despite this, the advantages of sand crumbs are obvious:
- Absorbs moisture well.
- Mechanical stress and temperature changes are not scary.
- If it becomes dirty, it is enough to just change a small amount of sand.
In addition, falling onto a sandy surface of sufficient height is safe for the child.
Children's playground for teenagers
Equipment for teenage playgrounds includes elements of the most popular team sports. Please note that at this age the child develops his own preferences, allowing him to choose the best option. These can be a universal horizontal bar, a wall bars or parallel bars with bars or narrow bars:
- Volleyball net.
- Miniature football ground with goals.
- Basketball hoop.
Playground for football fans Source alicdn.com
DIY basketball backboard Source masterclub.online
Here children can not only have fun in their free time, but also improve the skills acquired in sports clubs.
Installation of swing
I either buy swings at a construction hypermarket or make them myself. To work you will need:
- Drawing.
- Durable metal frame-rack in the shape of the letter L.
- Seat with backrest and handrails.
- The chains are thick enough to hang the seat.
- Fastening and turning mechanisms.
The assembly of finished garden swings is carried out sequentially and strictly according to the scheme.
Children's playground size
The size of a juvenile entertainment area depends on several factors. First of all, this is the area of the land plot and the location of outbuildings. Agree, the larger the land plot, the more spacious the playing area can be.
Also, the area of the playground depends on the age of its “owner”. If 10 m2 may be enough to set up a sandbox and a small grass area for a three-year-old child, to fully provide leisure time for teenage children, larger sizes will be required, ranging from 100 to 1,500 m2.
Cozy playground for a small child Source pinimg.com
Speaking about the minimum sizes of a playground for entertaining one child, we remember that they should be like this:
- 10-30 m2 – for children aged 1 to 3 years.
- 50-70 m2 – for preschool and primary school age.
- 70-120 m2 – play area for middle school children.
- 130-1,000 m2 – teenage zone.
When combined with an area intended for adult leisure, the area increases by 20-30%.
Important! We emphasize that the dimensions of the sites are given in the minimum equivalent with the location of 1-2 game elements.
Arranging a canopy will save your child from the hot sun Source pinimg.com
Rubber crumb
Along with artificial turf, it is one of the most modern surfaces for playgrounds. The crumb lies evenly and firmly covers the entire surface of the playing area.
It looks very original thanks to the coloring. The material itself is quite soft and elastic, safe if a child falls.
Choosing a location for a playground
The correct location of the playground in the courtyard of a country house affects the safety and comfort of the child. It is desirable that it meets a number of requirements:
- Maximum distance from outbuildings, communications, greenhouses and shrubs with thorns on branches (raspberry, hawthorn, rose hip, bush rose).
- The reservoir (if any) must have a fence that can prevent the child from approaching the water independently and from getting toys and balls.
- The playground is equipped in places that are clearly visible from where adults spend most of their time (windows of the living room, kitchen, gazebo, garden or beds).
- The choice regarding the cardinal directions is made taking into account its location in the most favorable places. A serious mistake would be to locate a children's playground in lowlands with constant dampness, in drafts, or in areas with high groundwater levels. The ideal location would be an organization near fruit trees (apple, plum), in diffuse shade. If there are no such places, you can arrange a kind of canopy that can protect your child not only from sunlight, but also from light rain.
- Try to lay out the playground on a flat surface. Even a minimal slope will lead to frequent rolling of toys and uneven distribution of water in the pool.
- If the above conditions are met, it is allowed to build a children's area near the main fence. In this situation, it can be made in the form of a slate board, allowing you to draw with chalk.
Material for covering a playground
There are many options for what the flooring of a children's playground in the courtyard of a country cottage can be. Both simple natural components and more advanced coatings of artificial origin are used with equal popularity.
The choice of natural coverings for the playground is no different.
Sand
The most popular type used for filling the base of a playground. Has a number of advantages:
- Low price. The cost of 1 m3 of river sand will cost no more than 1,500 rubles. Prices for regular, quarry, start from 500 rubles/m3.
- The construction of the site with sand is carried out in the shortest possible time.
- The entire area can turn into one, large sandbox, which is beneficial for younger children.
Disadvantages of the material:
- Constantly soiled clothes of small children.
- Getting wet quickly in wet weather.
- There is a high probability that the neighbor's cats will make their own toilet in it.
Children's playground with sand base Source landshaftm.ru
Advice! For arranging a playground, it is most practical to use sand of river origin. It is more flexible and soft. Pour 10-290 cm of crushed stone onto the base, then spread geotextiles and make sand filling. This design will be as strong, durable as possible and will reduce the likelihood of rapid germination of weeds.
Artificial materials
There are many more options for arranging a children's area with artificial materials. All of them have a longer service life and create a spectacular, aesthetic appearance. The cost of this choice will also differ. Let's look at the 3 most popular ones.
Rubber tiles
Made from recycled car tires, with the addition of coloring and binding components. Creates a soft, elastic surface, is pleasant when walking barefoot, allows you to choose the shade and size that suits the design of the area, and has excellent performance characteristics:
- Not subject to destruction under the influence of moisture.
- Not afraid of frost and soil heaving.
- Easy to clean and wash.
- The average service life declared by manufacturers is at least 15 years.
Price of 1 m2 of rubber tiles 300x300 or 500x500 mm. – 700-1,200 rub. depending on the thickness of the product.
Important! The main disadvantage of rubber tiles, which the manufacturer tries to keep silent about, is the likelihood of bending corners, which can be dangerous during active children's games.
Synthetic turf
Artificial fiber is produced using special technologies that make it elastic, soft, and absolutely safe for practical use.
In addition, this coating has an original appearance and resistance to mechanical deformation.
Plastic covering
A kind of analogue of paving or rubber tiles, made of safe primary processed plastic. It has no unpleasant odors and has high wear resistance. Due to the soft surface, it does not cause scratches or abrasions when dropped. Easy to use. Available in two variations:
- In the form of full tiles 300x300 or 500x500 mm.
- Modules assembled into a single monolithic covering. The installation principle is reminiscent of assembling puzzles.
Plastic covering for a playground Source filecdn.nonsprecare
The price of 1 m2 starts from 500 and can reach 1,200 rubles, depending on the thickness, the design of the locking connections and other characteristics.
Listed on the balance sheet of the owners
In this situation, the decision on improvement (repair) is made at a meeting of homeowners. To a greater extent, it is carried out on the “absentee” principle, apartments are visited and signatures are collected.
Having prepared such a document, you should send it to the management company and attach it to the application for the arrangement (repair) of the playground. The application is submitted in two copies: one is handed over to the office (secretariat), the second remains with you (the applicant). The goal will be achieved if the management company has money for these purposes. In the absence of finance, the implementation of the project may take an indefinite period.
If you receive a refusal, you can write a complaint to its manager. If this does not help, you will have to write further complaints. In this case there are 3 options:
- Register on the “State Services” portal and make an appeal on the “State System of Housing and Communal Services” or use the other above-mentioned methods: “Unified Portal of Citizens’ Appeals”, “Our City” application, contact with the Government of Moscow or another constituent entity of the Russian Federation.
- As a result of consideration of the application, an inspection commission will be created, and if violations are detected, penalties will be imposed on the management company.
- Federal Service for Supervision of Consumer Rights and Human Welfare (Rospotrebnadzor). Instructions for preparing citizens' applications are posted on the official website of the department. The government agency’s response to the appeal will be similar to that previously described.
- The prosecutor's office is the last resort. It is recommended to use it if the previously listed methods have not yielded results. If you apply there, in addition to the Housing Inspectorate and Rospotrebnadzor, the application will be sent to them first.
Important! If someone has already been injured due to the disrepair of the playground, they should complain to the prosecutor’s office.
Fault repair by a management company employee Source static.360tv.ru
