Playground Information Highlights
Gross Motor Play Space & Equipment
Standards used by the Illinois Quality Counts Quality Rating System and Environment Rating Scales for gross motor
play spaces are very specific and complex, as the risks to children’s safety are significant and potentially lifethreatening. Standards used by ITERS-R, ECERS-R, SACERS, and FCCERS-R include:
Playground Information to Use with the Environment Rating Scales
http://ers.fpg.unc.edu/sites/ers.fpg.unc.edu/files/playground%20revised%2010-28-10.pdf
Public Playground Safety Handbook, Pub. No. 325
http://www.cpsc.gov/cpscpub/pubs/325.pdf
These standards include detailed specifications related to both indoor and outdoor large motor play space and
equipment that a summary would not adequately cover; these documents should be reviewed carefully to ensure
purchases will meet specific requirements. When designing gross motor play space or purchasing gross motor
equipment, providers must consider standards covering the following:
Age-appropriate equipment provides children with opportunities to safely practice gross motor skills without putting
them at risk for unnecessary injury. The following equipment is considered inappropriate for any age group;
trampolines, swinging gates, giant strides, climbing ropes not secured at both ends, animal figure swings, multiple
occupancy swings, rope swings, and swinging dual exercise rings and trapeze bars. Equipment considered
inappropriate for preschool children also includes: freestanding arch climbers, dome climbers, freestanding flexible
climbers, fulcrum seesaws, log rolls, track rides, spiral slides more than one 360° turn, parallel bars, and vertical sliding
poles. Horizontal ladders and overhead rings are not appropriate for children three years and younger. The following
equipment is considered inappropriate for infants and toddlers: rung ladders, merry-go-rounds, rotating tire swings,
spiral slides with a full 360° turn, and balance beams.
Fulcrum seesaws . . .dome climbers. . .and track rides are inappropriate for preschoolers, infants and toddlers
Protective surfacing is intended to cushion falls and prevent serious injuries from any equipment used indoors and
outdoors. The depth of a consistent type of surfacing required is based on the fall height of the equipment, which is the
height of the highest designated play surface on the equipment. Equipment having a fall height of 18 inches or less is
not required to have protective surfacing; however, no equipment should be placed over concrete, asphalt, stone,
ceramic tile, or similar hard surfaces. Common indoor surfaces (e.g., rugs, tumbling mats, or carpet) and common
outdoor surfaces (e.g., grass or dirt) are not adequate cushioning for gross motor equipment with a height greater than
18 inches even when the equipment is not anchored. For poured or installed foam or rubber surfaces, the materials
must meet ASTM F1292 requirements, which can be verified through a written statement from the manufacturer. Wood
mulch, pea gravel, and other materials with small pieces used as protective surfacing for infant/toddler play spaces
create a choking hazard for young children.
Minimum compressed loose-fill surfacing depths
Playground Information Highlights
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Inches
Of Loose-Fill Material
Protects to Fall Height (feet)
9
9
9
9
9
Shredded/recycled rubber
Sand
Pea gravel
Wood mulch
Wood chips
10
4
5
7
10
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Fall zone is the area around and under gross motor climbing, sliding, upper body, or swinging equipment where
protective surfacing is required to prevent injury from falls. Fall zones for climbing equipment should extend at least 6
feet on all sides for preschoolers and school-agers and at least 3 feet on all sides for infants and toddlers. The fall
zone should be cleared of items that children may fall onto or run into. Fall zones apply to equipment with a fall height
of 18 inches or more. No equipment should be placed so that children fall onto or run into any hard objects when using
the equipment regardless of height.
Equipment spacing and placement must allow children to circulate around or fall from play structures without striking
another structure, and permit adults to have easy access to the children who are using the equipment. Equipment with
moving parts such as swings or merry-go rounds must be located in an area away from other play structures (out of
traffic flow) so children have adequate room to pass from one play area to another without being struck. Use zones for
moving pieces of equipment may not overlap. Slides should be located so that the exit region is in an area away from
other play structures so children can safely exit the slide without interfering with traffic flow; fall zones may not overlap
in a slide exit region. If two or more play structures are play functionally linked (e.g., a train climber designed to have a
separate engine and cars placed close together), separate use zones for the individual pieces of equipment are not
required.
Guardrails and protective barriers prevent inadvertent falls from elevated platforms. Protective barriers also prevent
intentional attempts by children to climb or pass through the barrier.
Equipment and age-specific standards for slides, including exit regions, exit heights, and fall zones are as follows.
For preschool and school-age: The exit region of slides should be at least 11 inches long. The exit height of slides up
to 4 feet high should be 11 inches or less, and the exit height of slides over 4 feet high should be at least 7 inches but
not more than 15 inches. The fall zone around slides should be at least 6 feet on all sides, except at the slide’s exit.
For slides up to 6 feet high, the fall zone at the exit should be at least 6 feet. For slides greater than 6 feet, the fall zone
at the exit should be at least as long as the slide is high up to 8 feet maximum. The fall zone at a slide’s exit should not
overlap the fall zone of any other equipment. For infants and toddlers: The exit region of slides should be 7 inches – 10
inches long, and the exit height should be 6 inches or less. The fall zone around slides should be at least 3 feet, except
at the slide’s exit, which should be at least 6 feet. The fall zone at a slide’s exit should not overlap the fall zone of any
other equipment.
The two multiple-occupancy swings on
the left are not appropriate for any age
group. Also, there should only be two
swings, rather than the three pictured, in a
single bay.
The slide on the right has an appropriate
protective barrier, but the 360° turn is
inappropriate for infants and toddlers.
Equipment and age-specific standards for single axis swings, bucket swings, and tire swings, including pivot
points, seat height, fall zones, the number of swings allowed in a bay, and supporting structures are as follows. For
preschool and school-age: Single-axis swings should have a pivot point of 8 feet or less. There should be no more
than 2 swings located within a single swing bay. The distance between swings at rest within a single bay should be at
least 24 inches, and the distance between a swing at rest and its support structure should be at least 30 inches
(measured 5 feet from the ground). The seat of swings for preschool-age children should rest at least 12 inches from
the ground, and the seat of swings for school-age children should rest at least 16 inches from the ground. The fall zone
for single-axis swings is 2 times the distance from the pivot point to the ground, both in front and back of swings, and
cannot overlap the fall zone of any other equipment. A 6 foot fall zone is required from the perimeter of the supporting
structure. Tire swings should not be attached to composite structures and should not be suspended from a structure
with other swings in the same bay. The bottom of the seat of the tire swing should rest at least 12 inches from the
ground. The clearance between the seat and the sides of the support structure should be 30 inches when the tire is
held in its closest position to the support structure. The fall zone for tire swings is the distance from the pivot point to
the top of the tire plus 6 feet in all directions, and should not overlap the fall zone of any other equipment. A 6 foot fall
zone is required from the perimeter of the tire swing’s supporting structure.
Playground Information Highlights
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For infants and toddlers: Single-axis swings should have a pivot point of 47 inches or less, and the seat should rest at
least 6 inches from the ground. The fall zone for single-axis swings is 2 times the distance from the pivot point to the
ground, both in front and back of swings and cannot overlap with the fall zone of any other equipment. A 3 foot fall
zone is required from the perimeter of the supporting structure. Bucket swings should have a pivot point between 47
inches and 95 inches, and the seat should rest at least 24 inches from the ground. The fall zone for bucket swings is 2
times the distance from the pivot point to the bottom of the swing seat, both in front and back of swings and cannot
overlap the fall zone of any other equipment. For both types of swings, there should be no more than 2 swings located
within a single swing bay, and the distance between swings at rest within a single bay or between a swing at rest and
its support structure should be at least 20 inches (measured 5 feet from the ground).
Entanglement hazards, such as protruding bolts or open S-hooks on swings could entangle children’s clothing,
particularly drawstrings on the hoods of jackets or sweatshirts, and cause strangulation. An S-hook is considered
closed if there is no gap or space greater than about the thickness of a dime.
S-hooks should be closed with gaps less than the thickness of a dime like the example on the bottom.
Entrapment hazards are spaces where children can get trapped and strangle in openings in which they can fit their
bodies but not their heads through the space. Openings in guardrails and spaces between platforms, ladder rungs,
uprights in protective barriers and fence slats, should measure 3.5 inches or less or 9 inches or greater.
Pinch, crush, and shearing hazards from moving pieces of equipment, such as suspension bridges, track rides, and
merry-go-rounds should not have accessible moving parts that might pinch or crush a child's finger or other body part.
Sharp points, corners, and edges could cut or puncture a child’s skin.
Tripping hazards create unnecessary falls. Common tripping hazards include exposed footings, unmarked and abrupt
changes in surface elevations, containment borders that are not obvious or well-maintained, or roots, rocks, and/or
other items when in traffic flow areas or pathways. The identification and severity of tripping hazards are determined
based on the ages and abilities of the children in the group being observed.
Fencing around the outdoor area(s) most commonly used for gross motor play is required for all ages. Fence height
must be at least four feet to keep children inside of the area and prevent animals or strangers from entering the area.
The spaces between fence slats should measure 3.5 inches or less or 9 inches or greater. If there are parking spaces
along the edge of the playground, extra protection is needed (i.e., cement barriers or traffic bollards in addition to the
fence like those below).
Playground Information Highlights
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