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Just the FAQ's

1. What is a Soft Playground?
PlaySmart's Specialty!

PlaySmart manufactures the World's Finest, truly "soft" playground. Our playgrounds utilize unique patented Tensioned Web Floors, post padding, and cushioned thresholds, as well as a wide assortment of foam-core attractions, making a safe, non-hazardous play structure. As you probably know, many manufacturers of indoor playgrounds call their product "Soft". Look over our playgrounds, and theirs, then decide for yourself who’s playground is "Soft"!

2. Aren't Trolley Rides difficult to maintain?
PlaySmart's Gravity Return Trolley (Patent #5,638,755) is Virtually Maintenance Free!

It's design was inspired by "James Bond" types riding down an inclined rope or cable on a handle hung from a pulley. Ours is the only trolley ride on the market whose handle returns to the starting position without use of any cables, ropes, motors, or pulleys. Not only is our Trolley an extremely dependable event, it is also quite popular with the kids, who will return again and again to ride!

3. What is different about PlaySmart's playground construction?
Tensioned Web Floors!

Our tensioned web flooring system (Patent #5,795,267) is at the heart of PlaySmart's uniqueness. This system was developed to provide a soft, durable alternative to the hard plastics used by other playground manufacturers. We use web floors made of woven webbing, similar to the material used for seat belts. These floors make a colorful surface that, for everyone's pleasure, is soft, safe, durable and impact absorbing.

4. Doesn’t everyone offer "Custom Design"?
There are Different Degrees of "Custom"!

When no existing designs suit your needs, we will modify one you choose, or will "clean page" design to fit your needs. When starting with a clean page we want to design the optimum playground for our customer, so we will require information from you. We ask for drawings on the building, floor plan (including seating for parents and layout of other attractions), desired traffic patterns, lighting, windows, HVAC, and numerous other factors that affect the design of a commercial playground.

5. Why are PlaySmart Playgrounds more accessible to the physically challenged?
Easy Access and Multiple Pathways!

PlaySmart playgrounds are designed to minimize physical barriers, and provide easy hand and toe holds for climbing and movement. Physical therapists love the way children are motivated to exercise by having fun, as well as the ease and comfort with which they can assist the children through the playground. And parents enjoy being able to play with their kids in our playgrounds. Don’t forget, exercise can be fun for adults too!

6. Why does PlaySmart do installations?
Installation is the "Last Station" of the Assembly Process!

Most playground manufacturers contract installation companies to install their playgrounds. Not only does this cost the customer more, but quality of installation is often sacrificed for speed. Because we install our own playground to our high specifications, you can expect showroom quality in the finished product. Since we manufacture the majority of what we sell, additions, upgrades, or modifications can be addressed very quickly, while maintaining the quality our customers have come to expect.

7. What keeps the kids coming back to a PlaySmart playground?
Interactive Events!

PlaySmart utilizes truly interactive events. These events incorporate things that children naturally want to do over and over again. Rather than just providing a "maze" for the children to traverse, we design playgrounds with events that motivate the children to stop and interact with each other, as well as with the equipment.

8. Since Web construction is more expensive, how can PlaySmart's playgrounds be competitively priced?
Vertical Integration of PlaySmart!

The design, manufacture, and assembly of our playgrounds are completed in house. We buy straight from the factory for most of our materials, then fabricate our components ourselves. This not only gives us better quality control during the manufacturing process, but also keeps costs down.

9. What is an Event?
Events Make the Playground!

PlaySmart uses the word "event" to denote each subsection of our playground. For example, a Double Slide, an Elastic Tunnel and a Ball Bin are each an Event.

10. What is Web Floor?
Webs Make the Events!

We sew our distinctive woven web floors out of web strapping, similar to seat belt material. This unique web should not be confused with cargo net, which is netting made of rope. Web floors produce a soft, impact-absorbing surface that’s easy on feet and knees.

11. Why do PlaySmart playgrounds attract a wider age range of children?
Accommodation of Children with Varying Abilities!

Multiple pathways with varying levels of challenge allow PlaySmart playgrounds to accommodate all age ranges, from toddlers to teenagers, as well as the physically challenged. Also, by utilizing varying levels of difficulty, all participants are allowed multiple path choices so they can travel throughout the playground without being impeded.

We've also been pleasantly surprised to learn that a number of our customers have, by popular request, teen and adult nights, when only teenagers or adults are allowed in the playground! Our playgrounds have proven to be fun exercise for the older crowds, with games of tag and competitive races being quite popular.

12. What if I have a limited budget for my Soft Playground?
Upgrade Later!

Being aware that our playgrounds are relatively easy to modify or expand allows some customers to start out with a more conservative, lower priced unit, knowing they can expand it in the future. Since any expansion is always easier when planned for in advance, let us know if you'd like to take this route for your playground, and we can design the "Phase II" for your location concurrently with your original unit. When you are ready to expand it down the road, just let us know and we'll start production!

PlaySmart designers are constantly inventing. upgrading, improving, and enhancing existing and newly developed events. As new materials and construction techniques become available, we incorporate them into our playgrounds. This gives you, the customer, the latest available product, both at the original purchase, and in the future.

13. Why are PlaySmart playgrounds easier to supervise?
Visibility Promotes Easy Viewing by Parents and Employees!

PlaySmart playgrounds are easier to supervise for two reasons, high visibility and easy access.

PlaySmart is the leading pioneer of high visibility playgrounds. PlaySmart recognizes how important it is for parents to maintain visual contact with their children so that they can be assured that they are ok. Since PlaySmart does not uses plastic tubes, cubes or panels in our playgrounds, there are few obstructions blocking the view of parents or supervisors.

Being able to quickly traverse your playground will also make it easier to supervise. PlaySmart is again the industry leader in creating easily accessible play equipment. PlaySmart utilizes wide pathways with large, easy to pass through doors that are sized for adult access. See our section on handicap access for more information.

14. How can a Soft Playground also be Low Maintenance?
Quality of Materials!

PlaySmart utilizes only the highest quality foams, steel, fittings, fabrics, and components. Starting out with the best quality of materials and construction extend the lifetime of any component.

Like most playground manufacturers, for safety, we recommend that children remove their shoes when inside the playground. Of course, over time, even stocking feet will eventually soil the net floors. Our webs can be easily cleaned in place. When soiled, mild soapy water and a soft brush is all you need.

Our barrier netting is eight strand, abrasion coated Perimeter Netting, as versus non-coated, or even the five-strand variety. More strands, plus abrasion resistance, keeps Perimeter Netting looking sharp much longer. In that same vein, PlaySmart utilizes a threshold made of a durable, CFC-free expanded foam. These durable thresholds are an important part of PlaySmart's effort to create a low maintenance playground.

15. What does it take to replace regular wear items?
Reasonably Capable Employees and Hand Tools!

Though our soft playgrounds are quite durable, any equipment will have heavy wear areas that must be maintained. We make every effort to keep this maintenance to a minimum, and, when unavoidable, to make it easy to do. For example, wear covers, where needed, are laced into place, making their replacement a simple matter for anyone who can lace up a shoe. Floor pad covers are sealed with hook & loop velcro, making replacement of the foam or the cover a quick and easy task.

16. If PlaySmart Playgrounds are so good, why are you trying to improve them?
To Stay the Best In The Industry!

We know we make the best playgrounds in the industry because our customers tell us so, but we also know we can't stay ahead by standing still. New ideas are constantly being incorporated into our products and design, giving our customers the competitive edge. And from the owner's perspective, that means faster, larger return on your investment.

17. What does "Variable Density" have to do with playgrounds?
PlaySmart Playgrounds are Designed with Different Levels of Density!

Many playground buyers look at details such as square footage and dimensions when deciding on which playground supplier is giving them the best deal. The truth is that such measures are of little value in determining the true quantity of play equipment being purchased.

Consider a plastic tube for instance. The actual play space inside of a 30” or even larger diameter tube is actually quite limited while the space that that tube takes up can be considerable. It is not uncommon for playground with a lot of plastic tubes to be wasting 40 to 60% of the cubic volume of the area that they are taking up. Just because the playground covers a great deal of floor space does not mean you are getting a great deal of “play space”. Plastic tubes, by their very nature, are unable to fully utilize any space because children can only play in the limited space inside them.

PlaySmart is one of only a very few playground suppliers that are actually capable of fully utilizing ALL of your available space. Our vast selection of play Events and creative design capability allow PlaySmart to use, not waste, your valuable space. There also can be a great deal of difference in how Events and trails are used within a space. There are times when total utilization of space is not the most desirable alternative. For example, if an owner has a great deal of available space but not enough budget to fill it completely, it may be desirable to spread the equipment out for the visual effect of making the playground “look” larger than it really is.

The bottom line is that buyers need to be aware of the actual volume of play equipment that they are purchasing and not focus only on footprint and dimensions.


Call and see what we can build for you today!