Design A Playground!
Plan and sketch a small playground design using measurements, recycled materials, and safety ideas; build a cardboard model and test play features.
Step-by-step guide to design a small playground and build a cardboard model
Essential Playground Safety Rules for Kids that Parents Must Know About
Step 1
Decide how big your playground will be and write the length and width on a scrap of paper.
Step 2
Use a ruler to measure and mark the playground outline on a cardboard sheet with your pencil.
Step 3
Cut out the playground base from the cardboard along the lines using scissors.
Step 4
Sketch where each play feature will go on the base and write a simple size next to each feature.
Step 5
Pick recycled items for each feature and place them beside the base so you can see your choices.
Step 6
Make the slide from a folded piece of cardboard and secure it to the base with tape or glue.
Step 7
Create a swing by making a small cardboard seat tying string to it and hanging it from a cardboard frame attached to the base.
Step 8
Make a sandbox by cutting a small box to the right size and gluing or taping it onto the base.
Step 9
Fill the sandbox with crumpled scrap paper to look like sand.
Step 10
Add safety features like soft landing pads fences or buffer zones by cutting extra cardboard and placing or taping them where needed.
Step 11
Decorate the playground with coloring materials trees paths and signs to make it fun and clear.
Step 12
Test each play feature using small toys to push slide down sit on swing and check stability.
Step 13
Fix any wobbly parts by adding more tape glue or trimming pieces until everything is steady.
Step 14
Share your finished playground design and cardboard model on DIY.org
Final steps
You're almost there! Complete all the steps, bring your creation to life, post it, and conquer the challenge!
Help!?
What can we use if we don't have large cardboard or string for the swing?
Use a flattened cereal box, poster board, or pizza box for the playground base and substitute yarn or a shoelace for the string when making the swing in step 7.
My slide or swing keeps wobbling—how can I fix it?
Reinforce the slide, swing frame, or sandbox by gluing and taping extra cardboard strips under and behind the pieces and adding wider folded tabs to attach them firmly to the base as suggested in step 11.
How can we adapt the project for younger or older kids?
For preschoolers, have an adult pre-measure and pre-cut pieces and focus on arranging and decorating features from steps 4–9, while older kids should record exact length/width in step 1, draw a to-scale outline in step 2, and build sturdier mounts with extra strips and stronger glue.
What are easy ways to personalize or extend the playground model?
Add details like battery LED lights along paths, textured grass from torn green paper, tiny signs and painted paths as in step 9, make a pulley or moving parts for the swing, and then photograph the finished model to share on DIY.org per step 13.
Watch videos on how to design a playground and build a cardboard model
Are Playgrounds Too Safe to Be Fun? Rethinking Design for Creativity and Growth
4 Videos
Are Playgrounds Too Safe to Be Fun? Rethinking Design for Creativity and Growth
Your Complete Guide to Designing a Safe and Fun Play Area
How Do You Design An Inclusive Playground That Truly Feels Fun? - Outdoor Play Pros
How Does Playground Design Impact Safety? - Childhood Education Zone
Facts about playground design and model-making for kids
🛝 Playgrounds became common in cities in the late 1800s as cities created organized public play spaces for children.
📏 Architects and designers often use common scales like 1:50 or 1:100 to build small models that translate measurements to real-world size.
♻️ Cardboard is one of the most recycled materials and is easy to reuse—perfect for building sustainable models.
📦 Cardboard gets much stronger with simple tricks like folding, rolling into tubes, or layering panels—handy for making sturdy play pieces.
🛡️ Good playground design includes safe surfacing (rubber, engineered wood fiber) and clear fall zones to reduce injuries.
