Purchasing Playground Equipment in Hawaii

Buying commercial playground equipment could very well be one of the most confusing things you do in your adult life. Think of the of the major purchases you've made; a car, a house, a TV, and so on. How did you arrive at these purchasing decisions? If you are like most people, you probably prepared a smorgasborg of information sources to draw on. You talk to friends that own them, compile consumer product reviews, collect manufacturer specification information and compare product performance. Chances are that what you found was plenty of good information to choose from. Once you did your due diligence, you rightfully felt like you made an informed decision .

Playground equipment is a different animal. There's very little chance that you can find more than a handful of people that have actually purchased commercial or residential playground equipment to compare notes with, what worse is most of the playground equipment product information you are able to find is written for playground equipment installed in climates that are completely different than ours.

So you know going in that it's going to be a difficult choice but don't lose sight of the importance of the task before you! Your decision is going to effect the safety (and fun) of thousands of children over the years. This choice should be considered more critical than your car, TV, or probably anything else you will buy in your lifetime. Here's a list of do's and don'ts to get you started.

DO! Visit new playground installations. Always ask the playground equipment manufacturers rep for a list playground installation for you to look at. The new installations will give you (and your playground testers) an idea of what latest and greatest looks and feels like in person. You'll often be surprised that they product appears a bit differently than the photo than when you are testing it in the field.

DO! Talk story with people as many people as you can. If you are lucky, the person(s) that purchased it might still be around. Be sure to ask about the design process and how they came to their decision. Did the representative provide free site drawings? What about the warranty? Don't forget the person that has been tasked with taking care of the equipment. He or she might have a very different insight on durability and getting replacement parts.

DO! Visit playgrounds older than 5 years. The single best way to measure the quality of materials used is how they behave over time in our tropical climate. We've seen cheaper playground equipment completely disintegrate in just a few years. Be acutely aware that most all playground equipment looks new and shiny for a few years but the quality of the product construction will become more and more apparent as the playground ages. Some manufacturers cut corners by using materials like chain link or use all steel posts that work perfectly well in other climates. In Hawaii it's different. They will look and function okay for a few years but then fail in a few more years. When you are looking at older playgrounds, don't forget to check the welds of the playground equipment and how the hardware (nuts and bolts) are holding up.

DON'T! Make price your only deciding factor. While you cannot ignore your budget, consider your purchase over the lifetime of the playground, which should be 15-20 years. Often local representatives will attempt to "Walmart" you with tactics like luring you in with "sale playgrounds" or a Costco deal that includes "bulk purchase opportunities." The old saying, "you get what you pay for" was never truer when considering playground equipment. You can control the cost of your playground by supplying a well thought out wish list and providing a "not to exceed" budget. Don't get snookered by the sale game and purchasing the components that a playground manufacturer can mass produce the cheapest.

DO! Purchase a playground design that addresses your needs. Because today's equipment is modular in nature, you can have a playground designed to fit both your play space and wish list. Consider phasing your structure if you can't afford "the dream." Many agencies such as the DOE and Honolulu Park and Recreation purchase identical playground structures for ease of maintenance and the low cost of installation. Get into your care and take a very close-up look at the end result of that thinking. I often wonder if they ever tried to explain concept to our children!

DON'T! Forget to watch your children play. Too many times, a playground is purchased based on an adult's experience in the playground. While observing your children play on playground equipment, you will gain more valuable information than any fancy colored brochure or catalog. You'll see how the flow of playground can effect safety when it is heavily used, which component becomes dangerous when two or more children get on it, how some slides encourage children to enter them in a sitting position and how some poorly designed components can be a danger to your child. Most of all be sure to ask your children what they think after they leave the playground or where they want to go play next. Kids are always honest about fun and they will tell you straight up what was fun.