Playground Design and Consultation Service
Explore our services:
• Free consultation and design service
• Manufacturing and materials
• Delivery and installation
• Inspections and maintenance
• Free funding guide
What our design service includes
Our playground design service is free of charge and covers everything you need, from concept to completed project. An expert area manager will visit your site, assess the space and work with you to develop a custom playground design built around your brief, your budget and the children who will be using the space.
The service includes 3D CAD visualisations of your proposed design, expert guidance on equipment selection and layout, advice on playground surfacing, and support accessing funding. Every playground we design meets the European Standard BS EN 1176, with all equipment independently certified before installation.
For a broader overview of the decisions involved in specifying playground equipment, take a look at our guide to playground equipment, design and safety.
Who we work with
Playdale works with a wide range of clients across the UK, delivering bespoke playground design and installation for:
• Schools and nurseries: Expert school playground design that creates stimulating outdoor spaces supporting learning, development and active play across all age groups.
• Local authorities: Designing and installing community playgrounds that serve the needs of diverse local populations.
• Community groups: Helping organisations bring new or improved play facilities to their communities, including guidance on grant funding.
• Leisure operators: Delivering high-impact playground installations for holiday parks, leisure centres and visitor attractions.
Our approach to safety and standards
Safety is built into every stage of the Playdale design process. All play equipment is developed by our experienced in-house designers, manufactured to the European Standard BS EN 1176, and independently tested by the British Standards Institution (BSI) or TÜV before it reaches a single playground.
Our playground designs also account for how children move through and between equipment – ensuring safe landing zones around aerial runways, playground movers, swings and slides, as well as adequate clearance around balance-focused equipment, such as adventure trails and climbers.
Playground surfacing is specified as part of every design, with options including wet-pour rubber, synthetic grass, loosefill and rubber tiles – each providing impact attenuation and wheelchair accessibility options.
For a full breakdown of UK playground safety legislation and standards, read our blog: UK playground safety and standards explained.
Case studies
See the results of playgrounds that benefitted from Playdale’s full design and consultation service, including:
Croft Community School, Durham: When Croft Community School in Durham undertook a significant expansion to accommodate additional pupils, enhancing its outdoor play provision was recognised as integral to the wider project. Playdale consulted with Croft Community School and designed a new play environment to sit alongside the building works, giving pupils a vibrant space that supports both active play and learning.
Sebastian’s Action Trust, Basingstoke: The challenge was to redesign the play area to be fully inclusive, catering to all children – from newborns to 18 years old, including those with physical and cognitive disabilities. Playdale delivered a transformed space built around the fully inclusive Mexico City Plus unit, with bonded rubber mulch surfacing throughout – ensuring every child who visits the charity’s facilities can take part.
Alton Towers, Staffordshire: Having introduced the accessible Blue Butterfly Lodges as a significant step towards embedding inclusivity within Alton Towers, Playdale consulted to design and deliver a play space that reflects the same ambition.
Start your playground project
Ready to get started but not sure where to begin? Playdale guides clients through every stage of the process – from initial brief to installation day – with a free consultation and design service that takes the complexity out of commissioning a new play space.
Our area managers work directly with schools, local authorities, community groups and businesses to understand what you need: the age range using the space, the size of the site, your budget and your ambitions for the project. That insight shapes everything from equipment selection to layout.
For a broader look at the decisions involved, our guide to playground equipment, design and safety covers everything from specifying the right equipment and materials to layout, inclusivity and compliance.
If inclusive design is a priority for your space, our guide on how to create an inclusive playground covers how to create play environments where every child can take part – not as an afterthought, but as a natural part of the design.