If there’s one thing that isn’t trendy in the U.S., it’s getting kids to go play outside. Instead of swinging from bar to bar, most kids spend their free time swiping up and down on a screen. The consequences have been obvious: Kids are showing higher levels of mental health disorders and lower levels of focus and concentration. Rates of preventable diseases like obesity, depression, and type 2 diabetes are on the rise, at least in part due to chronic inactivity.
As a playground equipment distributor, then, you have an important job to do. You have to find a way to incentivize kids to get off the screen and onto the playground. The challenge is to make your product enticing enough to compete with the constant dopamine drip of internet culture. So how do you do it? The answer is to look to the market and see what’s winning hearts and minds. Read on to stay on top of current trends — and get kids to hop, skip, and jump on board, too.
Accessibility and Inclusivity
Despite the current political administration’s efforts to nix DEI, savvy marketers know that inclusive, accessible design is still winning big sales. Kids, parents, and the schools and corporations that buy commercial playground equipment want a product everyone can use, regardless of ability. Smart commercial playground equipment distributors would be wise to stay on top of this market trend, especially given all the extra press of late.
As you plan for inclusivity playground design, consider a variety of wants and needs. Every playground should have adaptations, like signage and braille, to meet the needs of blind, deaf, and hard-of-hearing folks. They should also have jungle gyms with ramps and inclusive commercial swing sets made for wheelchairs. Increasingly, communities and developers want soothing sensory activities and quiet spaces for neurodivergent kids (and overstimulated parents).
Sustainability and Natural Design
As the ice caps melt and weather disasters devastate whole cities, consumers are more concerned than ever about sustainability. Is it too late, they wonder, to make a difference and reverse some of the impacts of climate change? This interest is revealed in the purchasing behaviors of U.S. citizens, who favor recycled materials, reusable bags, and products with less packaging. An astonishing 80% of consumers even say they’d be willing to pay more for sustainable products.
Where does this market trend factor into playground equipment distribution? Well, more and more developers are constructing their equipment out of recycled and natural materials, like locally sourced wood and post-consumer plastic. This isn’t to say you should scrap your current designs and start building slides out of fallen tree trunks (can you say splinters?). However, you can favor partnerships with suppliers who deal mainly in recycled and low-impact materials.
Fitness and Wellness
Health and wellness is a multi-trillion dollar industry, with personal fitness in particular dominating a huge percentage of the market. Americans are tired of their reputation as “fat and lazy,” and they’re desperate for more ways to get off the couch. The ones who can afford it are willing to spend big money to do so, while others look for more economical ways to move. That’s where playgrounds can step in, as a free community space for both child and adult fitness.
The kid part is simple: give them slides, ziplines, merry-go-rounds, and ladders, and let them run amuck — the calories basically burn themselves. More playground equipment distributors should think, however, about ways to make playgrounds a space for more grown-up fitness. Distributors should invest more in pull-up and parallel bars, as well as pneumatic (air-powered) outdoor exercise equipment. It’s an easy way to get buy-in from adults who want healthier families.
Creative Uses of Space
Wages are staying stagnant, rents are going up, and, well, it’s best not to talk about the price of eggs. The point is that outdoor space, too, is at a serious premium, especially in popular urban areas. Savvy playground equipment distributors would be wise to capitalize on the growing need to economize when it comes to size. In other words, if you want to sell to today’s consumer, consider giving special attention to those products that work well in smaller spaces.
For example, more and more developers are creating playgrounds in unexpected spaces, like looking at rooftop- and alley-sized options. Urban neighborhoods with community gardening spaces might take interest in adding small or modular playground sets. Consider offering options that are expandable, in case they want to grow with time, but focus now on the smallest units. Sell your customers a sense of optimism: they’re starting small today, to create a better future.
Creative Uses of Space
In spite of the prevalence of digital entertainment, consumers do still crave places to congregate outdoors. They need movement, they need community, and they need the tools to make good use of public space. While it might feel like TikTok and Instagram have fully taken over, the fact is that folks still want to connect with their bodies and with each other. The problem is often that they just don’t have a good, appealing communal space to make it all happen.
As a playground equipment distributor, you are uniquely positioned to create a healthier, happier, more playful society. You can create welcoming, inviting spaces that make everyone feel like a part of something. You can make it possible to carry out their vision or present them with a world of childlike possibilities. If you’re at a loss for ideas, just think about what you and your kids would want — then do what you can to make it happen for all of your customers.
