Playground Fencing Tips For Preschools
Opening up a preschool means ensuring that you have a safe playground or outdoor play yard for the children in your charge. A lot of the safety issues can be solved with the right type of fence. The following tips can help you design the perfect fence for your preschool that is both attractive while also providing ample safety features.
Tip #1: Choose the right material
Fencing material is important because it needs to be secure and safe for smaller children. Vinyl fencing works well because the solid, slick surface makes it difficult to climb. Wood can also be a safe, anti-climb choice, but it does require some upkeep. Chainlink can be problematic, since a child may be able to climb it unless you opt for smaller openings that are difficult to get a foot hold inside of. Wrought iron or aluminum bar fencing is another option that can work well, just make sure the pickets are spaced closely enough together that a child can't squeeze through.
Tip #2: Make it tall
A secure fence must be tall enough so that kids can't get over it. This means that the tallest kid in the preschool shouldn't be able to grab the fence when they jump up. You also want to ensure the fence is tall enough so no one can reach over and grab a child. In general, a standard 6 foot tall fence is probably sufficient.
Tip #3: Don't overlook the bottom
Kids can squeeze through the most unlikely of spaces, and you don't want that space to be the underside of the fence. Make sure the pickets reach the ground so that a child can't squeeze underneath. You may also want to install concrete curbing beneath the fence to further make the squeeze difficult.
Tip #4: Cut down on climbing aids
Some fence designs require cross bars. If your choice is like this, then the bars need to be placed on the outside of the fence so a kid can't try to climb over the fence. Chainlink and wire fencing also lend themselves well to climbing. As mentioned above, opting for small openings can prevent this, but you can also have the chainlink coated in rubber. This will effectively make the openings smaller and more difficult to climb. Adding privacy slats to the chainlink can also serve this purpose.
For more help in designing the perfect fence for your preschool, contact a fencing contractor in your are, like those at Phoenix Fence, Co. or a similar location.