Playground Assessment

I initially thought this playground had a variety of play options until this assessment. When you leave the
building through the exit doors, the cement is painted red. This is a reminder to children, staff, and family
members to stand away from the door to avoid injury. I thought this was a good reminder and
implementation.
There is a large cement slab that provides spacious room for children who want to ride on tricycles,
bicycles, or bounce balls. I thought this was a good for the children who tend to play with those items on
the playground.
Where the cement/sidewalk and the wood chips meet, there is a “gap” or distance between the levels of
the sidewalk to the ground. I think this could be a potential hazard for children who are not paying
attention and lose their balance.
When you walk out from the doors to your left, there is a big play area that is designated for a sandbox.
When recess is over, the toys and balls are placed inside the parameters of the sandbox. There is nothing
that covers the sand when First Lutheran is closed. I did notice that there was a board on top that was
snapped in half. It is out of the range for children to reach, but it is sharp. The wood didn’t look warped
that is keeping the box put together.
When you walk from the doors, there is a huge playground setting. The nuts and bolts were tightened, no
signs of wear and tear. There were no signs of paint chipping or cracks within the plastic.
Behind the playground, there is a swing set. The swings seem to be in good condition. No craps or
weathering. It is anchored to the ground and there are weatherproof mats that are under them surrounded
by wood chips.
Behind the swing set there are a few garden boxes where some teachers implement gardening during the
summer. Those were high enough off the ground so children couldn’t climb in or get stuck in. There were
no signs of weathering.
Towards the back, next to the fence, there are a couple of tractor tires that are anchored into the ground,
that allow children to climb on top or through the openings of the tire.
Next to the tractor tires, there are a few tires on the ground and PVC piping that has thick black rope
attached to them to act as a “bridge”. The only safety concern I could think of is that the tires are not fully
filled with woodchips, and it could be a tripping hazard.
To the left of the tires, I am not sure what this section is referred to, but there are a couple of tree stumps,
a long branch (no protrusions) and a small wooden box. I think they are trying to implement a “nature”
setting, but there is a lot of technique or ideas that could represent this better.
Next to the big playground area, there is a sun net that is anchored by big poles that go into the ground.
This is a nice area that provides shade.
There is a picnic table on this playground. It is well maintained.
There are two exits on this playground. One exit is located on the left and right from when you leave the
daycare facility.
This playground is not approved for children with disabilities or wheelchair assessable. There are no
ramps, it is fully supported with wood chips, and the only spot a child could play on with a wheelchair is
 on the cement blocks next to the building. There are no wheelchair swings, activities that could be
reached from their chairs.
There is a small storage shed in one corner of the playground space. There was one piece of siding that
was hanging from the bottom not fully secured and there wasn’t a lock on the door. I am not sure if
children are able to access it or not.
*From what I can see, not one teacher has a first aid kit on them when they go outside.
Next to the building there are a few shrubs. There are no trees in the playground area. The woodchips
seemed to be in good condition.
I did note a small basketball hoop that was attached to the fence. The hoop didn’t have the strings
attached like a normal hoop.
There were a couple of broken plastic items (from toys) that were laying throughout the playground area.
My recommendations:
I would highly recommend turning this playground into an assessable area for children of all capabilities.
There is no area for children with disabilities if they have a wheelchair to go. There are no hands-on
activities that allow children with wheelchairs to play. The playground is not 50% open to children with
disabilities.
I would highly encourage putting some thought and expense into the “nature” area of the playground.
Instead of implementing a couple of stumps and a log, this could be challenged and improved.
There was a board that was snapped that is located on top of the sandbox, it would be nice to have this
one board repaired.
There is a gap between the sidewalk surface and the woodchips.
Organization for the toys, instead of placed inside the sandbox. There is no cover for the sandbox either.

Shed
Red Zone

Sidewalk

Picnic Table
Sandbox
 Main Playground Area
Garden

Box
Shade
Garden

Box

Swing Set

Stumps Log

Tires

Tire/Rope

Tires Tires Nature

Area