FAQs

One of the first and most important decisions you need to make is who you will work with to plan, design and build your playground. Involving a company who specialises in playground equipment and design, like Playground Centre, can have significant benefits. There are three main ways that we work with our clients:

• Playground Design and Build Services – We partner with you to build your playground from concept to completion, including playground design, project planning, equipment design and selection and installation.
• Playground Project Partner – We offer our expertise and experience to support you to build your playground, working in collaboration with you and your preferred suppliers. This could include a project manager, landscape architect, playground surfacing supplier or contractors you have chosen to prepare your site for the installation of play equipment.
• Playground Equipment Provider – We support you to select playground equipment designed and manufactured to suit your playground design, needs and budget.

Talk to one of our expert playground design and build specialists today to find out how we can help you with your playground project.   

There are several key steps involved in building a contemporary playground. These include coming up with a design to suit your site and your community’s needs to choosing playground equipment, site preparation and equipment installation, all while meeting the required standards of safety and compliance. Playground Centre has a proven process for designing and building playgrounds that balances the needs of ‘play seekers’ (playground users) with the needs of ‘play makers’ (playground owners, managers and maintainers). Insight-driven, collaborative, and creative: our process starts with understanding the community and stakeholders the playground is for and ends with a solution that is tailor-made to suit their needs and with what we call ‘maximum play value’.

Download our Playground Design & Build Process.

Today’s play spaces are at the centre of a wave of innovative thinking about ways to draw people outside to connect with their natural environment and each other, and reap the physical, emotional and social benefits of play. This means choosing the right type of playground really depends on your site, the purpose of your playground and the play experience you are trying to create, and your budget.

Some of the key questions that guide your decision making are:

• Who will use the play space?
• What are their ages, abilities and backgrounds?
• What inspires them to play and be active?
• What are their specific play needs?

Answering these questions with the support of an experienced playground specialist paves the way to exploring other factors which can influence your playground’s design. These include the physical location of your play space and any site-specific challenges or constraints, the desired look and feel (or aesthetics) of the play space and equipment, the need for age appropriate and inclusive and accessible equipment, your sustainability goals, and the safety, durability and ease of maintenance of the playground once its completed, and more.

At Playground Centre, we believe people are at the heart of every great playground design. Research and experience show that the more involved a community is in the design and development of a play space for their school or local park, the higher the use and the better the outcomes for everyone involved. It’s why community consultation is playing an ever-increasing role in playground projects.

Working with a playground specialist like Playground Centre who understands all the factors involved in building a playground can also be the difference between creating a playground you think people will like, and a playground you can be confident people will love. Here’s why:

• End to end ease: The right process from the start saves you time, money and stress.
• Personalised support: You have a dedicated project manager to help you navigate every step from design to equipment selection and installation.
• Creative ideas: Access to best practice thinking on inclusive, age and developmentally appropriate playground design that optimise the play benefits for all users.
• Compliance focus: In-house expertise to help you tick all of the boxes when it comes to procurement, installation and safety certification.
• Consultation tools: Designs and documentation, including 3D illustrations, to make decision making and approvals a breeze.

A well-designed play space maximises the benefits of play for everyone! Backed by the latest research into best practice playground design and the development benefits of play, we’ve developed a user-friendly guide that sets out the eight key principles for playground design, construction and maintenance. We call them the Great 8: social interaction, agility and fitness, confidence and challenge, easy access and amenities, durability and safety.

Download the Great 8: The Principles of a Best Practice Playground.

The cost to build a playground depends on a whole number of factors ranging from the size of your playground, your playground’s design and the play equipment and materials you choose.

As a guide, you could spend as little as $30K or alternatively, more than $1M. Working with a playground specialist ensure that the money you do invest is well spent.

At Playground Centre, we have a ‘no surprises’ approach to playground costs, providing you with transparent cost estimates and updates on any changes to equipment pricing or costs of materials, or variations to your project which affect its cost. We also provide you with the option to make progressive payments to assist you with project planning and budgeting.

Book an obligation-free consultation  with one of our team of playground specialists to discuss your project.

Modern playgrounds are more than just play spaces they are community spaces. Their power to help create stronger, healthier communities where people experience a greater sense of belonging and the benefits of an active lifestyle have ensured they are given priority in the planning and design of our cities, towns and schools.

The biggest trends in playgrounds include:

• Inclusive playgrounds with all-ages, all-ability play options.
• Sustainably made equipment and nature play experiences.
• Outdoor gyms and exercise stations.
• Destination playgrounds with local and culturally-inspired themes.
• Outdoor learning spaces in schools.
• High-tech playgrounds incorporating digital technology and games.

Find more insights into the latest playground trends, go the News section of the Playground Centre website or subscribe to our newsletter.

We highly recommend setting up a time to chat to one of our friendly and experienced team of playground specialists about your playground project. This will enable you to provide us with a brief on your project requirements so that we can develop a proposal and cost estimate for you.  

Take the next step and request a quote today.

The timeframe for building a playground can vary depending on the size and type of playground, and whether you are including play equipment from our standard range, or we are custom manufacturing equipment for you. We typically suggest clients allow 20-30 weeks for a full playground design and build process, including installation.

Yes, absolutely! Playground Centre has loads of experience working with schools, Councils and communities to renew and revitalise existing playgrounds through the inclusion of additional playground equipment.

You will find Playground Centre play spaces in countries around the world – from New Zealand to Australia, Asia, Europe and the UK, and the Middle East! While our HQ and manufacturing facility is in New Zealand, we also have manufacturing facilities and offices in a number of locations and the people, experience and expertise to help you design and build a playground wherever you are located. This includes a dedicated team with specialised skills in creating playgrounds for International Schools .

Contact a Playground Centre representative today.

Absolutely! You can find case studies on our collaborations with Councils, schools, landscape architects and developers under the Projects section of our website. Every year, we also publish a State of Play look book featuring flagship projects we’ve completed during the previous 12 months.

You can also book an online discovery session with one of our playground specialists to look at projects that match the type of playground you are looking to build.

Playground Centre playgrounds come in all shapes and sizes – from large-scale destination playgrounds to adventure playgrounds in parks, school grounds and holiday resorts to compact play spaces for early learning centres. We’ve even created indoor playgrounds for shopping centres and entertainment complexes.

Talk to us today about designing and building a playground to suit your space, needs and budget. Or visit the Projects section of our website to explore the different types of playgrounds we have built.

Yes. Playground Centre draws on our 30-plus years’ experience to design and create play and recreation spaces that deliver exceptional value – for playground owners and managers in terms of cost, quality and durability; and for playground users who enjoy all the physical, social and emotional benefits our playgrounds provide.

Our expertise, insights and experience across every facet of the playground planning, design, equipment manufacturing, and installation process gives you the confidence and peace of mind that your playground project ticks all of the boxes:

• User-centred design
• High quality equipment
• Research-backed play benefits
• Technical / engineering requirements
• Safety standards
• Timeframes, and
• Budget.

We love collaborating! We work with playground designers and landscape architects in New Zealand, Australia and around the world on everything from school and suburban play spaces to huge destination playgrounds. Together, we’re always discovering game-changing ways to inspire active play, wellbeing and memories.

Yes. Playground Centre has trained installation teams throughout New Zealand and Australia. In addition, we have dedicated project managers that can work with your preferred installation team.

Yes, we typically visit the playground site at key points during a playground project. This starts with a site visit during the Discovery stage of our playground design and build process. This is part of our commitment to ensuring we have an in-depth understanding of a project site.

You will have a dedicated Playground Centre project manager to help you navigate every step of your playground project – from design to equipment selection, site preparation and installation. This ensures your playground project is expertly managed from concept to completion with a ‘no surprises’ approach that ensures there are no hidden costs, frustrations or delays.

Talk to one of our playground design and build specialists today to find out more about the different ways we can help you with your playground project.   

The cost to build a play space depends on a whole number of factors ranging from the size of your playground, your playground’s design and the play equipment and materials you choose.

Our playground design team can assist you to develop concepts and we are able to offer you different options, depending on your project and needs.

• Some of our clients just need options and pricing.
• Some of our clients require a full bespoke design or concept.
• Some of our clients need full master planning, detailed design, and full specifications for presentations to a Board, stakeholders or a client.

As a guide, you could spend as little as $30k or more than $1M. Working with a playground specialist helps ensure the money you invest in designing and building your playground is well-spent, and you maximise the value and get a great return on your investment.

At Playground Centre, we have a ‘no surprises’ approach to playground costs, providing you with transparent cost estimates and updates on any changes to equipment pricing or costs of materials, or variations to your project which affect its cost. We also provide you with the option to make progressive payments to assist you with project planning and budgeting.

Book an obligation-free consultation with one of our team of playground specialists to discuss your project.

Our passion for exploring new horizons in the design and manufacture of play equipment has seen us remain at the forefront of best practice playground design for more than 30 years. Our playground designs are backed by the latest playground design thinking and research into the physical, emotional and social benefits of play. But, perhaps even more importantly, our playground designs are inspired by you!

In partnership with our clients, we dig deep to find out how people will use the play space and what they want to feel when they play there. We brainstorm ideas with clients and community groups and support community surveys or focus groups to provide input into a playground’s design. Great minds create great ideas when they work together!

Yes! Custom play space and equipment design is where we shine. Playground Centre’s comprehensive, in-house design service gives you access to the latest playground design thinking backed by industry-leading playground equipment design and manufacturing expertise that enables you to achieve a truly unique and bespoke play space.

Yes. Clients frequently come to us with a concept or drawing of their playground. Whether you have developed it yourself or your design has been drawn up by a professional, our in-house design team can work with you to finalise the playground design including technical specifications, drawings and plans. Our in-house design services include structural engineering checks, and we pay close attention to ensuring your design meets all the relevant safety compliance requirements to give you complete confidence and peace of mind.

Yes. Playground Centre can help you with your community consultation and engagement for your playground project. Research and experience show that the more involved a community is in the design and development of a play space for their school or local park, the higher the use and the better the outcomes for everyone involved. It’s why community consultation plays a vital role in playground projects.

As part of our process, we provide you with tools to help with the community consultation project such as concept renders, schematic layouts and concept designs as well as fun tools to engage children in the process (just to name a few).

Our extensive range of play and fitness equipment and our design, manufacturing and customisation capabilities offer you complete flexibility and the scope to deliver the ultimate playground solution for your community or school.

From compact playground modules and adventure towers, swings, slides, carousels and climbing structures through to our and outdoor gym equipment, our thoughtfully designed and well-constructed play and recreation equipment is built to last to international standards of quality and safety. And, behind the drawcard of irresistible fun, every piece of equipment in our range holds specific, targeted health and developmental benefits. These benefits are listed for every product in our catalogues and on our website.

View the Playground Centre range of play equipment.

Our playground and outdoor fitness equipment embraces all ages, development stages and abilities – from toddlers to teens and the young (and the young at heart).

On our website, you’ll find that each product has icons showing the recommended age group of users.

Our world-class products are manufactured to the highest quality standards in our purpose-built facility in Wanganui, New Zealand.

We also partner with selected global leaders to source and supply the best play equipment from around the world.

Watch our Local Manufacturing video.

Absolutely! As experienced playground equipment manufacturers, we offer the ability to customise our play and fitness equipment to suit your space. This includes a wide choice of colours, materials and finishes.

We can also unleash our creativity and know-how to design and manufacture entirely bespoke equipment to match your playground vision and location.

Yes, it does. Our high-quality play and fitness equipment is built for durability and low maintenance with an uncompromising commitment to safety. All Playground Centre products are backed by safety and structural compliance certification and robust warranties.

• European EN 1176: 2018
• New Zealand NZS 5828: 2015
• Australian AS 4685: 2021

Yes. Playground Centre’s mission is to help people of every age, stage and ability to experience the pure joy of play while gaining all of the physical, social and emotional benefits. Our extensive range of inclusive and accessible play equipment makes this possible.

Our essential guide to inclusive play equipment, our All-Inclusive Fun Handbook includes research-backed insights and recommendations for selecting equipment that matches the diverse needs of playground users.

Download the All-Inclusive Fun Handbook.

The cost to build a play space depends on a whole number of factors ranging from the size of your playground, your playground’s design and the play equipment and materials you choose.

Our playground design team can assist you to develop concepts and we are able to offer you different options, depending on your project and needs.

• Some of our clients just need options and pricing.
• Some of our clients require a full bespoke design or concept.
• Some of our clients need full master planning, detailed design, and full specifications for presentations to a Board, stakeholders or a client.

As a guide, you could spend as little as $30k or more than $1M. Working with a playground specialist helps ensure the money you invest in playground equipment is well-spent, and you get a great return on your investment.

At Playground Centre, we have a ‘no surprises’ approach to playground costs, providing you with transparent cost estimates and updates on any changes to equipment pricing or costs of materials, or variations to your project which affect its cost. We also provide you with the option to make progressive payments to assist you with project planning and budgeting.

Book an obligation-free consultation with one of our team of playground specialists to discuss your project.

A complete play and furniture package? Easy! Through our long-term partnership with street furniture manufacturers Urban Effects , you have access to an extensive range of quality seating, shelters, picnic tables, commercial barbecues, drinking fountains and bike racks (and more) to maximise the use and enjoyment of your outdoor space.

Just like the clients and communities we serve, we are constantly striving to find new and innovative ways to make our world safer, healthier, cleaner, and greener now and into the future.

We offer a wide choice of high quality, durable play and fitness equipment made from sustainably sourced, recycled and recyclable materials. We’re focused on sustainability in our operations, too. From the materials we choose and the partners we work with to our ongoing development of more eco-friendly packaging solutions, we’re constantly working to reduce our footprint across our supply chain.

Learn more about Playground Centre’s sustainability commitment.

Playground Centre manufactures and supplies a wide choice of high quality, durable play and fitness equipment made from sustainably sourced, recycled and recyclable materials, including timber from renewable plantations, aluminium, steel and wood-plastic composites (WPC).

Our passion at Playground Centre is creating play and recreation spaces that generations of children, their families and whole communities can enjoy. Our products are designed to have a long lifespan because quality, durability and sustainability go hand in hand. We also focus on smart disassembly in product design – so at the end of their useful life, products can be easily taken apart, recycled or disposed of responsibly.

A huge range of our products – from adventure towers and climbing structures to carousels – are constructed using New Zealand made steel and aluminium, which is 100% recyclable. We offer the option to include decking, poles and posts made from 100% recycled and recyclable wood-plastic composites (WPC) supplied by our fellow New Zealand innovators.

At Playground Centre, we strive to conserve energy, manage water use and minimise waste to reduce the environmental impact of our operations. Our manufacturing facility in Wanganui, New Zealand is ISO 9000 Certified, demonstrating our commitment to continuously improving our environmental management systems and processes. We also choose like-minded suppliers who share our passion for sustainability to drive positive impact across the value chain.

Playgrounds are usually designed for a level site which makes for an easy installation. Some preparations may be required including, but not limited to:

• Removing existing equipment
• Levelling the site
• Checking for underground services
• Drainage and base preparations.

In general, any playground or play space requires a site that is clean and clear, both above and below ground.

Specific site requirements can vary a lot depending on the soil type, rocky ground, natural hazards, site access and many more. So, it is best to get in touch with one of our team to discuss this. We can help guide and/or arrange things like geotechnical reports to confirm ground conditions and locate any underground services such as power, water, gas, etc.

Book an obligation free consultation with one of our team of playground specialists to discuss your project.

At Playground Centre, we take safety seriously with only the highest standard of quality materials, parts and equipment used. All equipment supplied by Playground Centre conforms to current Safety Standards that are designed with the safety and suitability for children of all ages and abilities in mind, and typically include construction standards that need to be met.

• European EN 1176: 2018
• New Zealand NZS 5828: 2015
• Australian AS 4685: 2021

Playground Centre is the most flexible company to deal when designing and building a play space. We can provide a variety of options such as:

• Supply you with all the information required to do the works yourselves or with your preferred contractor.
• Supply a complete package option.

Playground Centre is the most flexible company to deal with when designing and building a play space. We can provide a variety of options such as:

• Supply you with all the information required to do the works yourselves or with your preferred contractor.
• Supply a complete package option.

Yes, we do offer a full installation service for our playground projects in New Zealand which includes safety certification. For playground projects in Australia and other countries, Playground Centre works with a trusted network of quality and professional contractors who install the equipment using precise installation instructions, under the supervision of a Playground Centre team member.

Playground Centre provides options for installation to suit your budget. As a general rule, minimum 25% of the equipment price should cover everything required for the physical install, excluding site works and safety surfacing.

Because Playground Centre manufactures equipment, we can provide a kitset option with simple installation instructions, a supervised installation option or a full installation option. This can vary depending on your equipment type and/or your resources and capabilities.

Playground Centre’s play and fitness equipment is engineered and manufactured using top quality materials. Our playgrounds are designed to minimise maintenance expenses and prevent safety concerns and down time for our clients and users. It is common to experience more than a decade of enjoyment and use without requiring any replacements or repairs. To support our clients, we offer a maintenance program for the equipment that will assist you in keeping it in excellent condition. As a general guideline, setting aside approximately 5% of the product cost over a 10-year period can serve as a good buffer, though it is not usually required.

The timeframe for constructing a playground can vary depending on the size and type of playground, and based on factors like the playground’s dimensions, its specific design, and whether you’re using standard play equipment from our range or if we’re creating custom equipment for your needs.  We typically suggest clients allow 20-30 weeks for a full playground design and build process, including installation.

Your Playground Centre dedicated project manager will provide you with clear, well-presented documentation and personal updates via phone and email throughout your project.

The lead times for playground equipment can vary depending on manufacture and freight timeframes. We make sure to advise you of the expected lead time when you place your order, while our efficient order tracking processes ensure you know when your equipment will be arriving.

Yes. Technical specifications and CAD files are available for all Playground Centre equipment as part of our commitment to ensuring you have everything you need for a successful playground project. Our expert team is also on-hand to answer any questions you may have about a product’s design, including materials and finish options or installation requirements.

Yes. Playground Centre can help provide information for building approvals. As a first step, we suggest that you get in touch with your local Council or authority to check what may be required.

Safety, quality and durability are the cornerstones of our solutions.

Playground Centre’s New Zealand-made equipment is supported by a range of warranties, including a 25-year conditional warranty on the structural integrity of selected steel and timber poles. While our globally sourced products also come with manufacturers’ warranties and originate from industry leaders who share our passion for excellence.

Yes. All Playground Centre’s playgrounds have a strict sign off procedure that must be adhered to and checked off after installation. This provides our customers with complete peace of mind. Subsequent inspections can also be arranged at additional cost.

Playground Centre’s playgrounds are designed with low maintenance in mind, providing you with cost-effective, long-term solutions when compared to low-cost playground alternatives. Playground Centre also supplies a Maintenance Booklet once the playground is finished which provides you with simple instructions that can be performed by your groundsperson or maintenance team.

Yes. Playground Centre has been constructing playgrounds for over 30 years and can offer both expertise and parts for replacing damaged equipment. As a general rule, you should replace parts of your play equipment with parts from your original supplier to ensure any warranties are not voided.