How to choose suitable playground equipment for kindergarten?

The selection of kindergarten playground equipment is crucial to the growth and development of young children. Appropriate playground equipment can not only provide children with happy play time, but also promote their physical functions, cognitive abilities, social skills and other aspects of development under the premise of safety.

When choosing, safety is undoubtedly the primary consideration. We must strictly follow various safety standards to ensure that the equipment materials are non-toxic and environmentally friendly, and the structure is stable and reliable. At the same time, according to the characteristics of different age stages of young children, small classes are suitable for relatively simple and low equipment, the middle class can increase a certain degree of difficulty, and the large class can challenge more advanced facilities. Fun and educational are also indispensable. Novel shapes, interactive functions, and designs that can exercise cognitive and exploratory abilities will make the playground more attractive. In addition, full consideration should be given to space utilization and equipment diversity, and a reasonable layout should be made according to the size of the venue. Various types of equipment should be provided and updated in a timely manner to create a colorful, safe and suitable playground environment for young children.

Guide to the selection of kindergarten playground equipment

Safety

1. Comply with safety standards
* Ensure that the playground equipment meets relevant national and local safety standards. For example, in our country, amusement facilities have strict national standards, such as the platform height and railing spacing of the slide. The height of the slide platform is generally no more than 1.5 meters, and the distance between the railings should be less than 12 cm to prevent children from getting their heads or bodies stuck.
* Check whether the equipment has safety certification marks, such as CE certification (European standard), which indicates that the equipment has undergone rigorous safety testing.

2. Material safety
* Give priority to non-toxic and environmentally friendly materials. For example, plastic equipment should use food-grade plastics to avoid harmful substances such as bisphenol A. Wooden equipment should be treated with anti-corrosion and moisture-proof treatments, and preservatives containing toxic chemicals, such as arsenic, should not be used.
* Metal parts should be treated with rust prevention to prevent children from coming into contact with rusty surfaces and getting hurt. At the same time, metal edges should be rounded to avoid sharp corners that scratch children.

3. Structural safety
* Check the stability of the equipment. For example, large equipment such as climbing frames and swings should have a solid foundation or support structure. The hanging points of the swing should be able to withstand sufficient weight and will not loosen during use.
* The connection parts of the equipment should be tight and reliable. For example, the connectors of combined amusement equipment should be hidden or have protective devices to prevent children from contacting small parts such as screws and nuts to avoid swallowing or injury.

Suitable for children's age characteristics

1. Small class children (3-4 years old)
The coordination and balance ability of small class children are relatively weak, so it is suitable to choose low and simple equipment. For example, a small slide has a gentle slope, generally around 30°, and the height of the steps is low, which is convenient for children to climb.
You can choose some equipment with simple interactive elements, such as small musical percussion instruments, such as wooden fish, handbells, etc., and place them in a corner of the playground, so that children can feel the fun of music during the game.

2. Middle class children (4-5 years old)
The motor ability of children at this stage has improved, and slightly more complex climbing equipment can be selected. For example, a climbing frame with a certain height and difficulty, with climbing handles of different shapes on the frame, such as round, square, etc., to exercise children's hand grasping ability and limb coordination ability.
Sand pits are facilities that middle-class children like very much. They can play creative games such as digging and stacking in the sand pit, which can also promote the development of children's tactile sense.

3. Senior children (5-6 years old)
Senior children have stronger motor skills and desire to explore, so they can choose equipment with higher difficulty. For example, large-scale combined amusement facilities, including slides, climbing frames, swings and other elements. The height of the slide can be appropriately increased to about 2-2.5 meters, and the types of slides can be more abundant, such as spiral slides, straight slides, etc.
Some challenging equipment can be equipped, such as balance beams. The length of the balance beam can be 3-5 meters and the width can be about 20-30 cm, so that children can exercise their balance ability and courage.

Fun and educational

1. Fun
The shape of the equipment should be novel and colorful. For example, the slide can be designed into an animal shape, such as an elephant slide. The main body of the slide is the body of the elephant, and the slide part is the trunk of the elephant. Such a shape can attract the attention of children and stimulate their interest in games.
Some interactive features can be added, such as a water slide with a spray device. In the summer, children can pass through the spray area while sliding down the slide, which increases the fun of the game.

2. Education
Choose some equipment that can exercise children's cognitive ability. For example, set up number or letter puzzle mats on the playground, and children can recognize numbers and letters while jumping and walking.
Equipment with scientific exploration elements is also valuable. For example, set up a small water wheel on the playground, and children can observe the flow of water by turning the handle, understand the working principle of the water wheel, and cultivate children's observation and exploration spirit.

Space utilization and diversity

1. Space utilization
Choose equipment according to the size and shape of the kindergarten playground. If the playground area is small, you can choose some combined and multifunctional equipment, such as combining slides and swings together, or choose equipment that can be folded and stored to save space when not in use.
Reasonably plan the layout of the equipment to avoid overcrowding between equipment and leave enough space for activities. For example, at the exit of the slide, there should be a buffer area of ​​at least 2-3 square meters to prevent children from colliding with other equipment after sliding down.

2. Diversity
Provide a variety of types of equipment, including sports (such as slides, swings, climbing frames), creative (such as sand pits, graffiti walls), social (such as multi-person swings, seesaws), etc. This can meet the interests and needs of different children and promote the all-round development of children.
Regularly replace or add some small equipment, such as balls of different shapes, skipping ropes, etc., to keep children fresh about playground games.

In short
Carefully selecting kindergarten playground equipment is a key step in building a high-quality outdoor play space for children. It requires comprehensive consideration of many factors and careful consideration to help children grow up healthily in joy and leave beautiful and beneficial memories for their childhood.