How to Build a Community Play Structure

Nothing makes a group of kids happier than swinging on swings,
jumping off towers and sliding down slides. The bad news is that often
playground equipment is no longer safe or, worse, there is none: Less
than half of America's children have a playground within walking
distance. The good news is that parents, neighbors and corporate
partners are teaming up to build safe and creative playgrounds.

Difficulty: Moderate

Instructions

1. Identify what the playground problem is--antiquated swings, rusty slide, not enough equipment. Next, decide what the community wants to do about it. Replace the old stuff or build an entirely new structure?

2. Spread the word. The best spots to interact with parents are schools, recreation centers, soccer and baseball fields, afterschool programs and the YMCA. Hang up posters in pediatrician offices. Contact elected officials to gain their support.

3. Hold a meeting (see 373 Plan an Organizational Meeting). Form committees to coordinate fund-raising, design, scheduling and construction.

4. Come up with creative ideas to make money--you'll need lots of it. Sell personalized tiles to pave a walkway or bricks to build a wall. Contact organizations or companies that may be willing to lend construction expertise, write grants to raise funds or underwrite the entire effort. See 381 Plan a Fund-Raising Event.

5. Schedule a series of meetings to increase the number of volunteers. Publicize these meetings creatively: "Calling all swingers."

6. Identify a pool of architects familiar with playground design. Find ones who will donate their time to design the structure.

7. Set up a meeting with the kids who will use the playground and ask them what they'd like included. The architect should incorporate their ideas into the final design.

8. Submit the design to the city or town for approval. Expect safety issues, zoning issues and conformity issues to be scrutinized.

9. Solicit donations from businesses and corporate sponsors. Ask for monetary contributions toward the building of the playground or for the donation of building materials.

10. Develop a construction schedule. Decide what weekend is best to build the playground and then contact contractors and other handy people to pitch in.

11. Publicize the date that the playground will be constructed and ask everyone in the community (including nonbuilders) to get in the swing of things. Anyone can help by doing last-minute hardware store runs; keeping track of screws, bolts and nuts; and, most important, lending moral support.

Tips & Warnings

• Contact Girl Scout and Boy Scout troops. Ask them to coordinate a refreshment stand on playground building day. Perhaps they can earn a badge for their service.
• Dedicate the playground to a respected person in the community.
• See 372 Publicize an Event and 384 Hold a Barn Raising.

on 2/22/2006 I am a coordinator for my city's community-built playground and we are working with a company called Leathers and Associates, and they have been terrific. They sent a designer to draw out our playground from all the kid's ideas and they provide instructions for everything else, fund raising, volunteers, right up to the actual construction. I highly recommend them.