Research shows that play is an integral part of growth and development and a key element in health and wellness throughout our lives. Play is a foundation for learning, and critical for healthy physical, social, emotional, and intellectual development – providing fun and emotional fulfillment along the way.
The Essential Role of Indoor Play Space
Play, recreation, and indoor spaces are meant to be used by all people, regardless of age or other demographics. A well-designed environment provides a wealth of benefits for all generations. Through our research, we have learned that well-designed indoor play spaces encourage repeat visitations, demonstrate health and wellness, promote recommended physical activity levels, and claim high visitor satisfaction.
A truly useful indoor play environment is informed by a wide number of variables and offers us an exclusive opportunity to serve you by applying play research, arranging the components into a meaningful composition that encourages profound experiences, and aligning with the community’s vision and goals. Our playground experts have helped us develop a number of design and planning guides to help you identify your unique goals and vision, and our play brands deliver everything from large customized indoor playgrounds to community indoor play areas, to ensure that the people who use them enjoy a play experience that delivers exactly what children, families, and communities expect.
All kids deserve safe indoor places to play. However, what’s best for a child will change over time. Kids need indoor playground equipment to suit their growing bodies and developing skills. Therefore, most indoor play equipment is designed for specific age groups based on factors like physical and cognitive development. In most instances, selecting age-appropriate equipment is a matter of checking the specifications of the swings, slides, and other indoor playground components you plan to integrate.
Determining whether your existing indoor playground equipment will benefit a specific age group is slightly more challenging. So, you should know what to expect from play equipment for certain age groups. This knowledge will aid you in creating a safe, fun indoor playground for whatever age group you want to build for.
Selecting Age-Appropriate Equipment Is Important
The intended age group for an indoor playground is important for kids to engage with equipment in a fun and safe way. Kids who play on equipment that does not meet their size or development level may not enjoy themselves. If it is too challenging, they may not be able to use the equipment at all, and if it is too simple, they may feel unstimulated.
Since kids grow quickly from 6 months through 12 years, the equipment they play on will also change over that time. Playgrounds intended for toddlers have very different layouts and equipment than those for older kids. Therefore, you may need to create separate play areas — one for kids up to 23 months and one for kids ages two to 12. These separate areas can help prioritize safety and create age-appropriate fun for the kids who play on them.
What Are Typical Age Groups for Indoor Playground Equipment?
The appropriate ages for indoor playground equipment tend to follow children’s stages of development and social interaction. Therefore, these age groups often mirror the kids’ level of education, which also helps schools and childcare centers select equipment based on the students in their care.
Indoor playground equipment usually breaks down into the following age ranges:
6 to 23 months
2 to 5 years
5 to 12 years
1.Age-Appropriate IdoorPlay Equipment for Toddlers Ages 6 to 23 Months
Toddlers need plenty of options for building their gross motor skills. At this stage of development, they go from crawling to walking. Other developmental milestones at this age include kicking a ball or jumping on the spot. However, many kids gain these skills at different times. So, a playground for kids 6 to 23 months will require constant supervision from adults who help kids who crawl and those who walk to enjoy the equipment.
Since very small children may not be able to climb up large indoor play structures, playgrounds for these ages tend to focus on smaller indoor play equipment and sensory experiences. For instance, a soft play is easy, safe and convenient enough for crawling or newly walking toddlers to move around on. Plus, its bright colors appeal to the visual senses of young kids.
2.Playgrounds for Preschool Kids Ages 2 to 5
Preschool children from ages 2 to 5 become more confident on their feet. They can move faster than they did as toddlers and have greater strength. Therefore, the indoor playground equipment should reflect these growing developments.
For the younger children in this group, ages 2 to 4, you should still have bucket seats for swings. However, older, 5-year-old children can generally use standard belt swings.
Similarly, climbing equipment for the younger ages within this group should meet the same 32-inch height maximum required for toddler equipment. However, children ages 4 and 5 can generally climb ladders and equipment up to 60 inches tall.
Preschool children also enjoy role play, so have plenty of options to engage their imaginations. With enough space inside each playhouse, children can improve creative play and build essential social skills.
Since kids in this age range can have developmentally different needs, close supervision of kids on the preschool-aged playground is essential so they have fun and use the appropriate play equipment.
3.Age-Appropriate Playgrounds for Elementary School Kids Ages 5 to 12
Ideally, older kids should have a play area separate from toddlers. Playgrounds for elementary school kids have elements that can challenge all children within the 5 to 12 age range.
Kids within this range can enjoy belt swings and tire swings. They can also use equipment that requires physical effort, such as rainbow climbing net, the climbing wall, Loop climber, and Track Ride. The height and extra strength required for these make them too advanced for 2-year-old children or toddlers. However, older kids in grade school can get the challenges they crave.
A major difference in playgrounds for kids ages 5 to 12 from sets for younger groups is the size and use of overhead climbing equipment. Overhead climbing elements, such as overhead rings or horizontal ladders, are not appropriate for younger kids because toddlers lack the upper body strength to support themselves while doing these activities. Therefore, overhead climbers don’t appear in playgrounds for preschool kids or toddlers. Grade school-aged kids, though, can safely play on these elements to build their upper body strength and challenge themselves to move between parts of the play area.
