Ferdinand Posted November 22, 2018 Share Posted November 22, 2018 I need to create an approx. 6'x6' or 8'x8' play area in a club environment for small children to be contained for play whilst their parents do their activities. The age range will perhaps be up to 5. I am happy to install it semi-permanently (ie screwed down) or robust using a difficult-to-move version which is not screwed down. Current thinking is towards Picket Fence panels and posts in screwed down post sockets, with a gate - but on that I am a little concerned about splinters etc. Does anyone have any experience or good ideas / suggestions? Or even something suitable to give away or sell ?. Thanks Ferdinand Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Onoff Posted November 22, 2018 Share Posted November 22, 2018 Pretty common, the white picket fence idea remembering the soft play places I used to frequent with the kids. Round tops rather than pointed of course! You can of course get white upvc picket fencing so no splinters. My worry would be whether that's man enough to be clambered over etc as from memory they see it as an extension of the play equipment! I'd suggest something off the shelf in case someone bangs their head and you can at least claim it's fit for purpose. Good range here: https://www.tekplas.co.uk/? 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PeterW Posted November 22, 2018 Share Posted November 22, 2018 8x8 will be too small for anything more than 2 children - how are you planning on supervising this area ..?? If you put an adult into the area too, then you’ll need a lot more floor space ..! 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Big Neil Posted November 22, 2018 Share Posted November 22, 2018 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Big Neil Posted November 22, 2018 Share Posted November 22, 2018 If the kids you are thinking of are anything like my 3 and 5 year old, nothing less will hold them. Pad the bars if you must i suppose.... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ferdinand Posted November 22, 2018 Author Share Posted November 22, 2018 Thanks for the replies. I may have the age range slightly too high ... we are perhaps talking about toddlers-toddlers+. I did query the size, and was firmly told that 6x6 or 8x8 would be suitable. I also quizzed the people at the Sure Start setup where I help setup the hall once a week, and they said that a small area should be fine. @Onoff, I quite like Tekplas - especially that the system is useable without drilling the floor, and can also be used as room dividers, exhibition fences, Christmas Tree enclosures etc, and that it can be bought now in a minimal form and expanded later. Flexible is good. An 8x8 with gate setup in white @750mm tall would be around £300 new. The easy way to fix such a system if it turns out to be too movable would perhaps simply be a screwed down square of battens outside the fence, rather than another 300 ukp on post stabilisers. Now what I need is a nursery to go bust locally... Ferdinand Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Onoff Posted November 22, 2018 Share Posted November 22, 2018 You can get them with a built in paddling pool... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Big Neil Posted November 22, 2018 Share Posted November 22, 2018 3 minutes ago, Onoff said: You can get them with a built in paddling pool... There's even a screw on/off top if you feel like giving them some air.. On a serious note though, but a bunch of cheap wooden stairgates off ebay or wherever, then you can screw them all together and down to the floor, and there are multiple openings then as well... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Onoff Posted November 22, 2018 Share Posted November 22, 2018 2 hours ago, Big Neil said: Someone's been to Erotica... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ferdinand Posted November 22, 2018 Author Share Posted November 22, 2018 (edited) Tekplas sell into roadworks hole protection as well. So you can dig a hole to *really* really keep the little darlings inside with a fence around the top to make sure, and put the appropriate warning signs on too to stop the Child Protection Officer falling in. F Edited November 22, 2018 by Ferdinand Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Big Neil Posted November 22, 2018 Share Posted November 22, 2018 Well to be honest I thought the silly suggestions had stopped, sooooo.... Reinforced Glass top so people can look down at the spectacle and taunt the littleuns by putting cakes on the top where they're juuuuust out of reach. Another serious suggestion though - You know them Cylindcrical wine cellars you can have dug in, well dig the hole as if for one of them, install the stairs and everything, then when you're done with it as a kiddy pen, turn it into a beer cellar. I don't know what this club is you mention, but make it a Beer club, and bobs your uncle - ready made clubhouse... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ferdinand Posted November 22, 2018 Author Share Posted November 22, 2018 (edited) 45 minutes ago, Big Neil said: Well to be honest I thought the silly suggestions had stopped, sooooo.... Reinforced Glass top so people can look down at the spectacle and taunt the littleuns by putting cakes on the top where they're juuuuust out of reach. Another serious suggestion though - You know them Cylindcrical wine cellars you can have dug in, well dig the hole as if for one of them, install the stairs and everything, then when you're done with it as a kiddy pen, turn it into a beer cellar. I don't know what this club is you mention, but make it a Beer club, and bobs your uncle - ready made clubhouse... It's a startup gymnasium that has just moved to a new place, and cashflow is being watched *very* carefully for the next few months, as the Council have come back 6 months after being asked and said that the rateable value is a little higher than the top of the discounted value band, having upped it quite significantly, and 'by the way we need all the business rates paid by March', and 'no we won't negotiate'. The upshot is we are paying 12 months rates in 6 months. We were geared up for a rates bill, but were hoping to avoid full whack. F Edited November 22, 2018 by Ferdinand Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ferdinand Posted November 22, 2018 Author Share Posted November 22, 2018 (edited) Back to topic I will be recommending a bit of secondhand Tekplas currently on ebay plus probably a small number of new panels, for mainly future expandability reasons. Edited November 22, 2018 by Ferdinand Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Big Neil Posted November 22, 2018 Share Posted November 22, 2018 On that front then, have you considered sponsorship. A community facility - low on budget... I would have thought a British company supporting that sort of thing might be worth something to them in exposure terms. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ferdinand Posted November 22, 2018 Author Share Posted November 22, 2018 (edited) 28 minutes ago, Big Neil said: On that front then, have you considered sponsorship. A community facility - low on budget... I would have thought a British company supporting that sort of thing might be worth something to them in exposure terms. We are actually commercial, though we do get some sponsorship for athletes from various companies, and we are increasingly a venue for competition or trials and courses, and we do already have a community support programme - eg we are currently fundraising for a defibrillator to be in the gym and available for surrounding businesses etc. The real source of the challenge is that we had to jump up to a bigger scale of unit due to suitable smaller units being horribly thin on the ground in our area. Cheers for all the comments everyone. F Edited November 22, 2018 by Ferdinand Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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