Complete Guide to Indoor Kids Playground Layout for Small & Medium Spaces

Designing a kid's indoor playground in a small to medium size space is really all about layout. It's our space we want to have fun with, maximize safety and accessibility. We want to flow movement so kids don't feel crowded and allow parents to easily monitor play. Separation of different age groups and play spaces is necessary as well. From soft play area, to climbing walls or obstacle courses, layout is key. Good design can make a small space feel spacious, fun and full of life for your kids.

How to Solve Low Attendance with Compact Combination Zones?

The number one cause of low traffic at your small indoor playground could be simply because it's not fun enough to come back. The easiest fix? Design combination zones instead of having small isolated play areas. A combination zone is any area where you connect play elements together. Instead of designing your Huge indoor playground with a climbing corner, slide corner, and tiny ball pit; connect them. Have a child climb up a foam structure, slide down, and fall right into your ball pit or foam pit. Kids will have a better time playing since they won't have random breaks in their play and will spend more time at your playground. Take for example this small indoor playground in Malaysia. They transformed their playground's poor play value by combining a mini climbing wall into a rope bridge and slide landing. Not only were kids spending just a few minutes at each station, but now they were playing longer using a continuous one-loop flow. Parents even noticed that their kids were playing more and getting bored less at the  Play place indoor . Place multi-use equipment in the center. Structures that offer climbers nets, small tunnels, and slides are usable for various ages. Little kids can play on the bottoms while older kids challenge themselves climbing higher. Ensure you have high visibility. Parents will sit longer at your playground knowing they can see their kids on the opposite side of the combination zone. Longer visits lead to repeat visits. Allow your kids to go on a play trip. By connecting all of your elements together, you create more playground space and this leads to more repeat visits.

Soft Play + Climbing Integrated Safety Design Rules

Safety should be integral to soft play and climbing setups, not just an add-on. The concept is you want kids to flow safely through soft play into climbing without voids or hard landings. First off is flooring. Everything should be absorbent, especially underneath climbing features and places where they drop off. Put foam flooring or large thick mats underneath not only at the obvious places they may fall but jumping off points and other areas they may slide to. Many little bumps occur in this overlap area. Second is height considerations. Height controls your climbing frame if you have a small playground by restricting it to an age appropriate height. Stay away from tall towering frames for younger children. Stages with multiple steps rather than climbing to a high place gives you better control should they fall. Consider how kids will actually get from the soft play zones over to the climbing structures. Don't leave an abrupt edge or void for them to drop through. Connect one play area into another with padded bridges, tunnels or padded netted bridges. Pads shouldn't just link places like a conveyor belt, they should be integrated into the play. Don't overcrowd your playground. Even if you are space constrained don't overcrowd equipment. Children need space to drop into, spin around and move without hitting hard objects. It's helpful to think about having space to move versus square footage. In a small Playland indoor playground in Thailand, kids started jumping early and dislocated their shoulders. By simply adding a tunnel they slowed kids down on the exit. Minor bumps and bruises decreased as well. Lastly, keep sightlines open. You should be able to see most of the play area. Avoid using corners or anything hidden by walls over a certain height. By using these quick tips when combining soft play with climbing you will find your indoor playground will feel roomier. Parents will feel safer and kids can enjoy the playground with ease.

Custom Theme Style to Improve Photo Sharing & Traffic

A good theme can make a difference in how people view an indoor playground space. And it has a huge impact on how many photos parents take and then share, which we know can give us some free marketing. First, pick one theme, not a lot of different ideas. A jungle, space, ocean or candy land theme works for small areas. A cohesive theme makes a small playground feel more like a bigger playworld and ideal for social media. Secondly, choose your colors. They are bright but not excessive colors. For instance, jungle themes can have green, brown and light yellow, with additional colors for slides or ropes. This gives the jungle themed space a neat look in photos, rather than looking messy. Photos points should be built-in, not tacked on. A small climbing wall with themed pictures, a cave tunnel, or a slide that leads to a treasure box can be photo spots. Parents like to photograph their child when having fun, so having these in play areas is better than making a separate photo corner. You might be surprised at how much lighting impacts things. Natural sunlight or warm indoor lighting will help photos look crisp and inviting. Don't let potential customers take photos with your equipment lost in dark corners. Even the best themed play areas will appear less inviting on social media if you have bad lighting. One of our small indoor playground clients in Vietnam implemented a simple ocean theme. They added some wave wall decals and bubble-style soft play blocks. Before the changes, parents typically wouldn't take quality time-machine photos with just their phones. After the changes we suggested, that underwater slide corner became a popular photo op and we saw a big difference in social media check-ins. Themes aren't just eye candy. A well thought out theme can also lead parents to photograph their kids playing in specific ways. When that happens your playground will naturally receive more exposure, shares, and foot traffic over time.