Our Process - Soft Play (2024)

Play spaces can attract more potential business by appealing to families, creating a safe space for kids and forming a relaxing space for adults. If you have the space, time, budget and clientele to build a playground, it’s an excellent idea to start looking for a reputable company to bring your unique vision to life.

Soft Play® is a global industry leader in playground equipment, and our team members are the architects of play. Our mission is to provide safe ways for kids to play that enhance businesses. We leverage manufacturing expertise to develop unique and innovative products and designs. Our service history, product design and extensive experience make us the top choice for constructing playgrounds, particularly contained playgrounds for indoor use.

If you’re interested in creating a play space for your business, we can help. Keep reading to learn more about our playground building process to understand how we can benefit your business.

Understanding Your Needs

Creating a new play area begins with understanding your needs. You must evaluate whether you want tobuild an indoor playgroundor an outdoor play area for kids. Organizations such as museums, trampoline parks, restaurants, health centers, arcades and discovery centers are excellent for indoor play.

Budgeting

Your project budget will significantly impact the space you can create. Your playground is a significant investment, so evaluating your expenses will be essential for determining your budget and assessing what features you can opt for in your space. The age range you’re targeting should be clear before you decide on a budget — every age group requires various equipment, which will fit into your budget in many ways.

You can determine your project total by estimating the number of kids that will use the playground at one time. A general rule is to expect to spend about $1,000 per kid. Under this example, you can expect to spend $25,000 if you estimate 25 kids to play in the area on any given day.

When you partner with Soft Play, you canaccess various financing optionsto ensure your vision aligns with your budget. We understand that a new play space is a significant investment, and you should be able to achieve what your business wants and needs. Utilizing our financing options allows you to get your playground as quickly as possible.

At Soft Play, you can find help with cash flow that makes the building process more affordable by spreading out the cost. Some companies can also gain tax advantages through potential deductibles, depending on insurance plans for leasing payments. Our financing plans empower businesses to update older play spaces or build new ones while staying within a monthly budget. Additionally, working with us ensures you can afford a safe, high-quality playground without cutting corners.

Conceptual Design

Designing a play area is a science and an art. Creating this space requires an understanding of your layout, various equipment types, special features to encourage play and the overall space you have to work with. This stage of the process will consider the following elements for your playground:

Surrounding environment:Every building has unique features, and the surrounding environment will significantly impact your playground design. For example, businesses that see a lot of sun exposure will want to consider adding shade or using natural elements to create shade. Consider your organization’s building and property and how that can impact the type of playground you add.
Equipment variety:Building a playground means creating a communal space for everyone to enjoy. Although you should know the age range you want to target, several other factors determine your equipment type. Some kids prefer for their parents to watch them play, while others want more freedom during creative times. Consider adding several elements to satisfy many situations. Additionally, you can encourage kids of every ability level to have funbyutilizing inclusive equipment.
Amenities:Beyond the play equipment, you will need toconsiderfurniture and seatingfor your play area. These amenities encourage parents and guardians to feel comfortable while their kids play or offer a reprieve for active kids looking to take a break. Soft Play offers a variety of seating and furniture options to fit in your space.
Themes:You can bring your playground’s theme to life during the design phase. Whether you want to create a beach getaway, an epic space adventure or a tropical trip into the forest,themes will enhance your projectand help you determine the best equipment for your space.
Upkeep:Consider how often you’ll need to clean the space and how easily you can determine whether a component is broken, damaged or loose. This way, you can easily keep up with the maintenance of your playground and create a safe play space for all.

Soft Play relies on decades of experience to develop a thorough knowledge of your space. We’ll optimize your space and outline the most efficient plan to bring your vision to life. With us, you can create themed spaces that support your brand and use a variety of equipment to include kids of varying ability levels. We’ll combine your needs and vision with our expertise during the design phase to craft a fun, practical playground solution.

Safety Considerations

Safety is at our forefront, and your playground should inspire creativity while reducing the risk of injury. When you work with us at Soft Play, you can expect a dedicated team ready todesign a safe spacefor your business. There are several ways we can help you create a safe, fun playground:

Reduce congestion:Minimizing the likelihood of kids bumping into equipment or other kids will help maintain their safety. Soft Play will evaluate the clearance areas for each playground piece and ensure you have adequate space surrounding them.
Choose the right equipment:We can tell you everything about each piece’s safety, including the safety standards and regulations it meets. You can feel confident in our strong history of safety advocacy and ability to meet unique needs.
Consider the age level:You must only include age-appropriate equipment in your space. We’ll work with you to verify that you don’t provide advanced equipment that could cause harm to younger kids and toddlers.
Maintain the play space:Maintenance is necessary for ensuring safety. Along with cleaning, you must inspect the area to identify wear and tear or damage. Soft Play can advise a schedule for your facility to keep track of maintenance, repairs and inspections. You can always contact a Soft Play representative if you have questions about the care of any equipment.

Project Management

Project management is vital to any project, including play spaces. There are many elements to a new project, and project managers can define objectives or goals, plan essential components and issue quality control metrics to provide high-standard outcomes.

These teams mitigate project risks, manage timelines and budgets, improve productivity and increase satisfaction. Project management is an ongoing phase stretching throughout your project’s timeline. Regular updates and consistent communication will ensure your playground remains on schedule and meets your needs.

Soft Play team members have the training, experience and skills to design and build your play space with expertise. Our in-house team offers excellent communication to understand your needs and verify we can fulfill your vision. We understand that every business is unique, and we won’t approach your project with a one-size-fits-all solution.

Our team is committed to delivering an authentic experience that promotes your brand and gives you a competitive edge. With Soft Play, you can expect various collaborative sessions to highlight your project and goals. You can also expect consistent communication with our project managers, so you always know what’s going on and what’s happening next. We create lasting partnerships, so you feel assured we can do the job right.

Manufacturing and Fabrication

We utilize our state-of-the-art facility in Monett, Missouri, to complete in-house processes such as metal fabrication, rotation molding and powder coating. This allows us to dictate on-time delivery and quality control for every project. Here are some of the many manufacturing and fabrication benefits we can offer you:

Cost savings:Outsourcing for products requires additional costs for shipping, labor and materials. Our manufacturing processes empower us to eliminate these costs so that we can provide a more budget-friendly option for every customer. We can also make additional changes that further low totals while controlling the process.
Improved service:Manufacturing our equipment allows us to provide you with more communication. This limits the likelihood of errors and misunderstandings that can impact your project. Soft Play works directly with your team, so you can feel confident that we meet your standards.
Quality control:By completing our equipment in-house, we have control over the product’s final quality. We can verify that every piece meets regulations and industry standards for safety and compliance. This assurance allows us to meet your criteria for performance and quality and ensure our team knows our equipment inside and out.
Fast turnaround:In-house manufacturing authorizes us to make last-minute changes without additional delays or costs. These processes lead to minimal disruptions and smooth operations.
Enhanced security:By operating within our trained team, we can attest to the integrity of our products. Rather than relying on a third party to understand your specifications, we can secure our production facilities and processes to protect intellectual property and our commitment to excellence.
Greater flexibility:Soft Play manufacturing empowers you to make changes or adjustments when necessary. Whether you need to make a last-minute change or want a custom product, our processes allow us to go that extra mile.

Construction and Installation

Soft Play personally trains, certifies and periodically tests our approved and independent installation professional. Our in-depth process ensures we can promote proper system assembly so you can feel confident in the final product. We equip our team members with the fundamental knowledge they need to deliver the best outcomes.

Along with creating quality play structures, we meet compliance standards and regulations by utilizing industry-recognized processes. Our team understands the laws, regulations and policies they must adhere to, ensuring quality. Furthermore, our training, certification and testing processes allow us to remain consistent in every project. Our consistency is part of why we’ve earned a backing and stellar reputation in the industry.

Additionally, training our team, rather than seeking external training methods, empowers each person to have a deep understanding of our equipment. This means they can answer your questions with confidence and ensure they follow every installation process with safety and knowledge at the forefront. Delivering a great customer experience is a primary focus for Soft Play, so we take the steps to meet and exceed your expectations.

Maintenance and Care

Preventative maintenance and care are essential forkeeping a safe play spacefor kids and adults. From wiping surfaces to inspecting components, you must take several actions to maintain your playground. We design our equipment to be durable and low-maintenance. Still, preventative care can show your dedication to health, protect your investment, reduce business liability and make your play area more valuable and enticing.

With Soft Play, you can expect dedicated service even after project completion. Our representatives are always prepared to answer any question about maintaining, cleaning, repairing or replacing components. We can suggest maintenance schedules to keep a clean facility and ensure you can quickly address any loose, worn or damaged equipment to promote the safety of everyone in the area.

Soft Play recommends the following tips for maintaining playgrounds:

Form a comprehensive plan:Your maintenance plan should fit around your operating hours to avoid impacting your customers. For example, if you operate seasonally, you can schedule significant repairs and inspections during the off-season. Notify all team members of their responsibilities for the play area.
Schedule inspections annually:Professional inspections offer the trained experience to identify potential problem spots that you may otherwise miss. Annual inspections allow you to fix minor issues before they present significant problems. Catching a concern early can save time and money while protecting your customers and their kids.
Check equipment regularly:You will need to inspect your playground daily for regular signs of use. You can create a checklist for these items to keep the playground clean every day. Things to look for include litter, vandalism, rust, exposed metals, tripping hazards, surface cracks, unclean surfaces and damaged nets.
Conduct checkups each month:Although you may care for minor issues daily, monthly checkups allow you to check other components, like bolts, nuts, connections and additional couplings. We recommend having two team members conduct this job to verify each other’s work.
Train workers to identify wear:Even employees who don’t conduct regular checks should understand what potential problems to look for. If a customer tells your staff about a problem, you should feel confident that every team member can assist them. Proper training will make these tasks easier and increase the chances that you find issues as early as possible.
Record records of repairs and inspections:Demonstrate that you emphasize safety and cleanliness efforts by recording every repair and inspection service. These documents verify your previous services and empower you to maintain optimal integrity.
Verify repairs with manufacturer recommendations:You should always verify your maintenance methods adhere to the manufacturer’s recommendations. These recommendations will highlight the best care practices to length your playground’s life span. At Soft Play, you caneasily find replacement partsor speak with a representative for information on cleaning or repair.

Create a Quality Play Space With Soft Play

Playgrounds arebeneficial for kids and businesses, and Soft Play is your global leader for playground equipment. We have a strong, dedicated team committed to quality and fun when building a playground. Our design and engineering team has over 100 years of combined experience in the commercial entertainment play business, so you can feel confident that we have the knowledge to deliver excellent products. From concept design to the final installation, our staff ensures high quality and safety.

We understand thatquality means doing it right. Our approach to safety and quality begins well before the manufacturing phase. Our state-of-the-art facility has achieved certification for our processes, and we feel confident that we can exceed your expectations.

Soft Play is ready to bring your vision to life. We proudly serve a large variety of industries, allowing us to understand your unique needs. From aquatic water parks to health and fitness designs to recreational spaces, we can do it all.Contact our teamto learn more about our process or discover what we can do for your business.