As the calendars turn to April across America, and the sun starts warming up our communities, we can’t help but think about the lyrics from “Here Comes the Sun”, one of our favorite songs by “The Beatles.”
Here comes the sun
Here comes the sun,
And I say, It’s alright
Little darling
The smiles returning to the faces
The coming sunnier days will return the smiles to children’s faces as they head outside to local parks and playgrounds. Yet, we must also remember that the song says:
It’s been a long, cold lonely winter
Little darling
It feels like years since it’s been here
And while it has only been months, and not years, your park equipment has suffered through the harsh elements over the winter and it will need some maintenance, along with a little TLC, to get ready for the spring.
Spring Cleaning for Park or Playground Equipment
Miracle Recreation poses an exceptionally good question to park and playground operators: “Now that spring is almost here, have you taken the steps to make sure your outdoor playground equipment is safe and ready for use?”
Since safety is always the top priority, this “spring cleaning” for your park and playground equipment is essential.
Here is a suggested checklist to get your park and playground equipment ready to go for the spring:
- Consider Hiring a Pro: In today’s tight labor market, many park and playground operators do not have the staff dedicated to getting the equipment ready to go. One of the benefits of outsourcing the task to a professional is that they will be trained to assess equipment issues that otherwise might go unnoticed.
- Clean Everything: Now is the time to give all your equipment a good cleaning from top to bottom, removing all dirt, grime, and any other winter muck. Remember that your equipment usually comes with specific cleaning instructions from the manufacturer so you will want to follow those to avoid doing harm by using the wrong cleaning agents. This is the time of the year to consider a deep clean and disinfecting of equipment.
- Inspect All Equipment: Take time to do a thorough visual inspection of all equipment, including all parts. This inspection will let you know what parts needed fixing or replacing, and which equipment needs an upgrade or replacing.
- Routine Maintenance: You should be performing routine maintenance on your park and playground equipment year-round, but a top-to-bottom maintenance on all equipment after the winter months is crucial. “Every park, school, and recreation department should have a maintenance schedule in place for their playground equipment. This includes checking for appropriate surfacing levels, loose hardware, evidence of vandalism, and any and all items that could pose a safety threat to children when using the playground equipment,” says Miracle Recreation.
- Repair and Replace: Between your inspection and maintenance you will have a list of equipment that needs to be repaired. Make sure any equipment that needs repairing or replacing is placed “off-limits” from use if any damage poses a safety hazard.
“If your playground is looking a little worse for the wear and posing safety threats that aren’t an easy fix, it might be time to consider investing in new equipment. Many older playgrounds are not compliant with current safety rules and regulations, by investing in new equipment you can ensure your playground equipment is safe and accessible for children of all abilities,” says Miracle Recreation.
If you decide you need to update and upgrade your park and playground equipment for the coming spring and summer months, contact Churchich Recreation and Design for help in the North Carolina and South Carolina area.