KaBOOM! Forums

I checked with Dave Flanigan here at KaBOOM! He works with the Project Managers and has been building playspaces for a long time. Here's what he says:

There is not any standards per se about the size of the playground in relation to the size of the area.  However, here are some considerations:

1. What is the age range of the kids that will be using the playground (bigger kids need more space)
2. Do you want the playspace to include activities for all ages (ie, walking trail, exercise stations etc)
3. Will there be any athletic fields included in the park?
4. What other amenities will be included? (benches, shade structure etc)  

There is no trend that I have seen about condensing the amount of space.  More open space is always a good idea.

Are there any other experience playspace designers or builders who have other thoughts?

Just one thought on spacing equipment for schools though-- I would not try to squeeze in more equipment into any given space just because with schools, you have such a high number of kids out at any given recess that it is important to allow that room for movement...I would look at it differently with a school vs. a park.