What makes a perfect playground?

[yknaps]

I'm wondering about crowd-funding / fundraising to improve the playground facilities in my local park and interested in people's thoughts on what makes an amazing playground.
(And if anyone has any experience crowdfunding for this kind of thing, please share your experience!)

@Samcro

Wheelchair swing

Definitely this

Really appreciate all your replies on this, kind people!

My kid loves going on big slides but there are some playgrounds where you can only get onto the big slide via a vertical rock climbing wall with rubbish holds and a twisty monkey bar thing. I can't take him to that playground because he begs me to lift him up there and its just too far and he can't manage the rock climbing wall despite taking rock climbing lessons. He's 5 so not too young for it either.
Just been to Belton house and their play area is absolutely amazing for all ages and abilities. Worth a look at to get some ideas.
Seperate toddler slide and climbing frame with no gaps/rope bridges to fall through. Bigger kid climbing frame with lots of different accessibility points. A wooden Fort type thing is great.
Basically as a parent I just want to sit and chill rather than have to help them on stuff all the time.

Witches hat

Fenced off away from dogs, picnic benches and a slide a 4 year old can actually climb up.

@babouchette

Coffee stand right next to it

Yy to spongy floor. Wide slides are always good too so that two people can go down together.

Both of these! A playground near us is quite quiet (hidden in a housing estate) and has a steep but wide slide. The width means I can help toddler DS easily.

Separate, fenced off area for under 5s with lots of benches. So many parents with a couple of kids under school age who need somewhere to sit to feed baby/be pregnant while the older ones play.
Toilets.
A cafe.
Major bonus points for benches with cup holders or little table to put in drink down.

Good sight lines.
No drop falls on toddler equipment.
Equipment for older kids that toddlers can’t get onto
Low fences, with one gate.

I’d like consideration for people who have more than one dc to look after.

One of our local playgrounds is pretty good and has equipment for tots and teens, including a huge climbing web that you get dc just can’t get up in if they’re not tall enough.

But too many exists and a section with poor visibility.

Trampoline

Second all the "talk to the council about what they're willing and able to maintain first" advice. There was a community-led campaign to improve one of the local parks where I live, and lots of people had great ideas for what could be added. However, the campaign ultimately wasn't successful as the council said there wasn't the budget available to maintain any additional equipment that the campaign paid for, so they wouldn't authorise the works.

Fenced off (keep the goddam omnipresent dogs out). Spongy floor. DD loves a roundabout, there’s a playground not far from us that has a great one which can be used by different ages and by wheelchairs too. More than one swing. Climbing nets.

Toilets
Shaded seating area (for rain or sun)
Zip wire
Accessible equipment
Table tennis/basketball/football nearby for older DC
Regular litter picking - very off-putting when parks are covered with litter & makes me worry about needles/bottles/condoms etc.

I never see kids on the equipment that looks like a bunch of pick up sticks made of logs. Both awkward to climb and nowhere to sit and hang out (flat) when you've made it to the top.

For old girls I've seen things like a stage area suggested, maybe with a mobile phone holder facing it. For recording dance videos etc.