Playground Design That’s a Cut Above the Rest

Whether you want to upgrade an old playground set or create a new playground from scratch, our design team will work with you every step of the way. We know you have ideas for your playground. We’re here to partner with you and help you refine that vision from initial planning to a set of rendered drawings that show you every detail.

The River Valley Recreation team designs outdoor play equipment systems for schools, daycare centers, community parks and landscape architects throughout PA, MD, DE and NJ.

Our Outdoor Playground Design Process

Information Gathering

We start the playground design process by listening and gathering information. We’ll ask you about the age groups your playground will serve and talk about how many people will be using your playground at any one time. We’ll also discuss features you want, such as:

We’ll discuss features you want such as:

Swings
Slides
Climbing components
etc.

Our team will ask about any accessibility features you might need, including options for children who use wheelchairs or those with autism, sensory or cognitive disorders.

We’ll talk about the colors you like and ask if you have any particular theme in mind. We can design your playground around various themes from trains or construction to pirate ships, aviation and woodlands. Our team will talk about the site for your new playground and evaluate the space you have available.

Your Budget

After gathering information about your playground’s vision, we’ll discuss your budget. We aim to maximize every dollar to create the most play value for your money. We can even build your project in phases so that you can enjoy the benefits of your new play area immediately while you raise the money for future expansion.

Your budget should allocate funds for the entire project, including:

Playground equipment
Your playground system components including slides, swings, climbers, and more.

Site preparation
This includes any necessary grading or excavation to get your site ready for your new playground equipment.

Installation
After you’ve chosen your playground equipment, it will need to be installed. Fortunately, our experienced, in-house installation crew can take care of this for you. In fact, we include installation in our price for your playground system.

Surfacing
Installing an appropriate surface under your playground equipment is an essential safety feature that also makes your new play area more attractive. We provide a variety of playground surface options at varying price points based on your budget and needs.

Need help funding your project? Our funding page offers some great resources!

man spraying mulch onto playground floor

Drawings and Installation

After we’ve gathered information about your project, our design team goes to work to help you fulfill the vision for your new playground. We’ll create a custom design and provide you with detailed drawings. You’ll see your new playground from every angle in 3D color.

We’ll collaborate with you to refine the design until you’re happy with it. We can even create large printouts of the final design specifications. After you’ve approved the design, our team will discuss site preparation, begin ordering your equipment and get your installation on our schedule.

Benefits of Working With Our Playground Architects

Starting a playground design project involves extensive preparation and specialized expertise in various fields. At River Valley Recreation, our playground specialists will help you bring your playground design ideas to life through:

Partnership: While our team members’ knowledge and talents may allow them to generate ideas for your space right away, we want to create a space that meets your exact preferences. We will ask you specific questions and allow you to ask your own to arrive at your final design.
Aesthetics: Your architect will assist in creating a unified design that meets your objectives by determining your desired color palette, equipment options and other amenities. You may experiment with your design’s appearance, feel and style.
Goalsetting: Your playground architect will assist in identifying your goals, whether you want to design a space for a specific age group or integrate equipment with a particular theme. From there, we’ll work with you to create realistic milestones to achieve these objectives.
Expertise: Playgrounds should be created to accommodate the requirements of children of various ages and abilities, but keep in mind that having older children’s equipment mixed in with younger children’s play structures may be unsafe. Our architects understand how to design appropriate spaces for all age groups.
Recommendations: Our architect will use your original concept to design a playground you and your community will enjoy while suggesting additional elements to complement your design. We may recommend poured-in-place surfaces, accessible bathrooms and comfy picnic seats.

Choose River Valley Recreation to Fulfill Your Playground Design Plans

Ready to start planning your playground project? It’s never too early to get started! River Valley Recreation offers a wide range of outdoor playground designs, along with complementary site amenities and shelters, for you to choose from. If you need more advice for choosing a specialist or want to talk to one of our experts, contact us to discuss your playground ideas!

Ready to start planning your playground project? It’s never too early to get started! Contact us to discuss your ideas!