Frequently Asked
Questions
What Kind of Commercial Playground Equipment Do I Need?
The commercial playground equipment you need will depend on various factors, such as the age of children you’re accommodating, the playground size, the number of children being accommodated, as well as location and usage of the playground. For instance, if you’re accommodating kids between 2 and 5 years old, the playground equipment should be comprised of low platforms with multiple access points, and low railings that kids can easily grasp. Depending on the playground’s size, you could consider tricycle paths and sand areas with covers. On the other hand, if you’re accommodating kids between 6 and 12 years old, the playground equipment could include climbers, obstacle courses, slides and swings, and ample open spaces to run and play ball. At MRC, we have an in-house team of playground equipment designers that can provide suggestions on grade quality play equipment as well as options based on age, commercial quality strength/durability and eco-friendliness.
Do I Need A Custom Playground Designer?
Experts believe playgrounds can assist children to develop physically, emotionally, socially and intellectually. To leverage all the benefits and ensure safety, one needs to select age-appropriate and proficiently designed equipment. While a custom playground designer can offer suggestions, you don’t need one when you select equipment from MRC. We have more than 40 years of experience in providing playground equipment. We have an in-house team of experienced designers, so you don’t need an out-of-house custom playground designer. We can come up with something brand new with you! Our library of over 100 playground designs offer unique, challenging and fun structures to choose from. Most of our playground projects begin with a pre-designed playground structure, which our designers then adjust to cater to the vision of our customers.
Does My Playground Need Safety Surfacing?
Although superior quality playground equipment is manufactured with a safety-first approach, it’s important to have safety surfacing. Children fall…it’s what they do! Because of this, all playgrounds are mandated to have safety surfacing based on the structure’s critical fall height (CFH). So yes, your playground absolutely needs safety surfacing to protect all children who enter the play environment. At MRC, we offer a variety of playground safety surfacing options including engineered wood mulch, rubber mulch, poured-in-place rubber, rubber tiles and synthetic turf.
What Equipment Should Be Included in a Park?
When people think of parks, they automatically think playground equipment. But, what about seating, litter receptacles, shade, and sidewalks? The landscape also makes a significant difference. While playgrounds should exist in all parks, there are so many other aspects to consider. At MRC, we believe in building outdoor spaces that cater to everyone who may enjoy visiting a park. For this reason, we design parks that have playground equipment, outdoor fitness equipment, shade shelters or gazebos, park grills, picnic tables, trash receptacles and bike racks.
Do You Offer Playground Installation on Your Projects?
Proper installation of playground equipment is essential for safety and to ensure the equipment can be properly cleaned and maintained. There are several factors to consider for playground installation. For instance, slides shouldn’t be installed in crowded areas and climbing equipment shouldn’t be installed over a hard surface. At MRC, we take complete responsibility of playground installation for your project. All our installation teams have been factory certified and will install your play equipment to meet or exceed all safety standards. Rest assured that your playground equipment not only looks great, but also is installed accurately, appropriately, and safely.
What is Inclusive Play Equipment?
When we talk about inclusive playgrounds, we're not only talking about the essentials like ramps and railings for mobility devices, but playground features that offer a certain mindset of openness, making children feel right at home at their playground. An inclusive playground is an open and safe space carefully designed to promote play among children of differing abilities, ages, and communities. It gives children with and without any disability the same platform to play while breaking down barriers, both physically and socially.
Backed by independent research and based on guidelines developed by leaders in the field of inclusive design, our play and recreation spaces address the needs of the whole child, and of every child. To learn more and dive deeper into the details of Inclusive Play, check out our Ultimate Guide to Inclusive Playgrounds.