INCORPORATING A PLAY AREA IN YOUR YARD

If you want to incorporate a play area into your backyard design in Westchester County, you should consider hiring a landscape architect to help. A landscaper can help you create a safe, beautiful play area that integrates perfectly into your overall backyard design. Before you begin designing your child’s new play area, take a look at this guide to incorporating it into your landscape design.

Choose the Site Carefully
You should first determine where the play area will fit into your existing backyard design. The play area should be close enough to your house that it is easily visible from your windows, and within earshot of your home and other backyard areas. You will want to choose a very level area of your yard that is large enough to incorporate a play area and a play surface without encroaching upon existing landscaping.

Safety Should be Your Primary Concern
Throughout every step of the planning process, you should make safety your priority. The playground equipment that you choose should be appropriate for your child’s age, and should be manufactured and built according to the strictest safety codes. You should also make sure that the play surface is safe and will absorb impact. Rubber mulch or foam padding is the best choice for a child’s play area. The surface should extend at least six feet from the edge of the play structures.

Consider Your Surrounding Landscaping
While your backyard landscaping is likely very beautiful, it may not be appropriate or safe near a child’s play area. Make sure to remove any landscaping rocks or landscape edging that may be a safety hazard to young children. You should also move any plants and flowers that can be easily damaged by children at play. Be sure to install landscape lighting around the play area and around any landscaping obstructions, such as trees, tree roots, pots, pavers, and irrigation systems.

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