Trends in the Commercial Playground Industry

What are the latest playground design trends for the accommodation sector?

A major playground trend in the accommodation sector has been the demand of custom branding. We have been able to incorporate this into our playgrounds through creating custom graphics and panels that compliment a specific décor. We have also noticed an increase in customers wanting a faux timber aesthetic or graffiti art – this is where our urban theme comes in!

What type of playgrounds attract guests considering a family holiday?

When families are looking to book a holiday, the bigger the playground, the better! Nothing gets little ones more excited than knowing they are on their way to a giant slide. Bigger isn’t always more expensive either, we can work playground magic with facades or freestanding towers to give the appearance that the playground is larger than it really is. Smaller units can be jam packed with activities or make it quirky with fun graphics like our space or treehouse theme. These have been a massive hit!

If an accommodation was to completely refurbish their playground what would your advice/tips be?

Depending on each site, it might be a better option to install a brand new playground! With newer equipment you can install bigger playgrounds using the same floor space. Bright new colours help you stand out while you also have the opportunity to incorporate your branding into the playground! There are also ways to improve your existing play area, by adding interactive and/or digital activity panels, these will entertain the kids for hours!

Can you tell us ways a smaller operator can improve and refresh their play areas without having to totally refurbish and spend a lot of money?

Activity panels are a fantastic way to spruce up your space and keep the play area new and interesting! Our scavenger hunt graphic panel comes with 8 pucks to spread out across your playground. This is perfect to keep kids entertained as they search the playground for them and they are easy to install on existing playgrounds. Freestanding or wall mounted panels are also an inexpensive win and perfect for toddlers and small spaces! Should we have to remove your existing equipment to make way for an exciting new one we recycle everything we can as part of our greener future scheme.

What are the most popular types of play equipment to install? And what should accommodation operators consider when choosing?

Slides are the most identifiable feature of any playground, and generally the taller, the more exciting the ride and the view! These can be used both indoors or outdoors, you can even put tubes through a wall or window! Accommodation operators should consider the age group of the children to make the slides an appropriate height, so as not to scare younger kids. This also helps distinguish if a dedicated toddler unit alongside larger units would be useful.

Safety first! How should accommodation operators incorporate the best surfaces to match the safety needs in the playground?

Typically, our playgrounds are installed with granulated softfall rubber, for both indoor and outdoor applications. This falls into Australian and New Zealand play Standards. This is a great opportunity to do designs in the rubber with different colours, maybe even pop in a hopscotch while you’re at it! Sand and tanbark are common surfacing materials which are also appropriate yet become icky with wet weather.

Shade – tell us about the options?

Our play structures can be installed to work around existing shade sails and equipment. We can also incorporate shade panels as part of the structure.

Goplay can arrange shade sails as part of the scope of work.

Compliance and maintenance – how can accommodations make sure they meet their legal requirements and mitigate risks?

The hardest part is to find a reliable company that produces playgrounds that meet the standards! With over 30 years of experience in the industry, all of our components and play systems are built to Australian and New Zealand standards. They are also fully contained, which reduces risks significantly! While our playgrounds are easy to handle for general cleaning, we also encourage and offer regular cleaning and maintenance inspections to ensure your playground is consistently in tiptop condition. We are Australian owned and operated. Our parts are manufactured in Australia and we keep stock on all replacement parts this means our nationwide team can repair your playground in a timely manner.