Playground Design and Layout
Core concepts
Good layout separates circulation from play, groups equipment by developmental level, and preserves clear use zones around every structure. The use zone is the area under and around equipment where a falling child might land; it must be free of obstacles, other equipment, and hard landscaping, and it must be surfaced appropriately. Candidates should understand that use zones extend in all directions from equipment and expand in the direction of moving equipment such as swings and slides.
Design should provide a graduated challenge - routes and equipment that let children choose difficulty - while keeping sightlines open so caregivers can supervise. Consider accessibility: an accessible route to the play area, transfer systems, and ground-level play components. Understand traffic flow: entrances and exits should not discharge children into swing or slide paths, and equipment should not force children to cross one another's fall zones.
Traps
Questions love to place a bench, fence, or tree inside a use zone and ask whether it is acceptable - generally it is not, because it becomes an impact hazard. Another trap is confusing the use zone with a general safety perimeter or with a fence line. Finally, watch for layouts that satisfy each item individually but create conflicts between adjacent structures.
Rule of thumb
Draw the use zone before you place the equipment. If a proposed object - bench, post, or neighboring structure - falls inside any use zone, move the object or the equipment, not the rule.