Hi everyone!
We completed the North Front Street Park Playground in Woodburn Oregon on Septemer 8, with the help of just over 100 volunteers. The new playground is fantastic!
Success stories: Our design day is our best story - one of the kids in the nieghborhood drew a volcano in his dream playground, and the Game Time Playground Rep included the "Volcano Climber" in his proposal. The excitement in his eyes when he saw the volcano was beyond description.
We refurbished 5 picnic tables - volunteers removed the old lumber from the metal frames and replaced it with new lumber. I had actually ordered the wrong size lumber (my fault), and the team leader from The Home Depot Team called and arranged for an exchange. We got the right size lumber after about 30 minutes and the tables were reassembled...and they look fantastic!
Challenges: we had a lull in the action part way into the build...the footing holes weren't exactly where we needed them for the twisty slides, and some of the holes needed to be widened. We lost some of our volunteers while the holes were widened due to the "standing around" factor, but we encouraged them to stay and help us to completion. Thankfully lunch helped keep people around, and we had a core group of about 50 at the end of the day moving mulch as the very end.
Recommendations:
Use the KaBOOM Tool Kit...the road map really does lead you through the process.
Work closely with your Sales Rep and Professional Playground Installer for site layout, site prep and build day activities; they do this for a living and can really make things go smoothly. We introduced our Build Captains to them early in the morning and the installer took charge. The structure of the decks and posts went in much faster than I anticipated. The decks and posts were assembled and installed in about 60 minutes. This is my 4th community playground build, and by far the fastest I've seen the decks and posts assembled.
Designate some "runners" who can go and get things. Our parks maintenance staff went above and beyond by going to pick up supplies and materials throughout the day.
Make sure to get all the permits you think you will need. We had to secure a last minute permit for "Amplified Sound" for the DJ due to a complaint from someone in the nieghborhood.
Have an easy way to pay for stuff. Before the build day, we had a bunch of "Open Purchase Orders" for about $250 each at several vendors. When someone went in to buy items, it was a matter of having the vendor call my cell phone to verify the order. With the invoices the runners delivered, it is an easy matter to pay for those items the next week. This simplified the process of buying additional things like bolts, nuts, and washers for the picnic table crew.
A special thanks has to be passed on to the associates from The Home Depot stores...we had Team Depot representatives from at least 4 different stores, and many of these folks drove more than 50 miles to help us!
Overall, it is a great process, and the Community Services Department is planning their next build in May of 2008!
The tip about the open purchase orders is a great one. I ended up being the "runner" for most of our build day. It worked out fine, but using your idea could have allowed me to spend more time at the site.
You mention "refurbishing" picnic tables. Could you describe a little more? Also, does anyone know of benches or picnic tables at very reasonable prices? I am looking for furnishings for our playspace. It serves about 40 children at a daycare, ages 2-5.
Thanks!
The Picnic Table Refurbishing was done by a Side Project Team. Our project was held in a City Park, and the Parks Staff rounded up the picnic tables from parks across the city that needed the most attention. The tables that were refurbished are the type that have metal frames and 2" X 10" wooden seats and table tops. The Picnic Table team removed the old wood from the metal frames, and installed new boards. Removing the old wood was difficult because most of the nuts were rusted onto the bolts, and many of the bolts had to be cut...they were too rusted in place and the volunteers were unable to loosten the nuts. Once the old wood was removed, putting the new boards on went quickly and easily.
Your question about picnic tables can partially be answered on the KaBOOM website... check out the Side Projects section for plans and materials lists for picnic tables (even kid size picnic tables with games painted on the tabletop).
An alternative is to do a little shopping and calculate how much the frames, lumber, nuts, bolts and washers cost, and seek picnic table sponsors. You could sell picnic table sponsorships as a fund raiser for your playground...sell the sponsorships for a reasonabel amount of money more than the cost of matierials. You can encourage sales by having a local woodworking shop carve the names of sponsors on the picnic table boards with a router. You could even hold a Picnic Table Build Day at the Day Care. With a little creativity you'll find a way to "Make It Happen"!
I love the picnic table sponsor idea. I'm sure that plenty of parents and local vendors would love to have a little plaque on your table with their name on it.
I'm also glad to hear that the The Home Depot is so excited about building playgrounds that they look to help out whenever they can. Their associates are definitely always great to have on a build and to work with in general!!
Save and share this conversation by clicking the 'Bookmark This' button.