# How to Prepare Your Playground Project Brief Buying Guide · Project Preparation By **Dream Garden Project Team** Reading time: **6 min read** Last reviewed: October 2026 **In short:** a useful brief answers seven core questions — where the project is, how big the space is, what structural constraints exist (clear height and columns), who will play, what activities they want, what you plan to spend, and when you want to open. You can start with partial answers; this guide shows what to record now and what can wait. Who this guide is for - First-time buyers planning an FEC, shopping mall anchor, school, park, hotel or community play venue - Operators preparing their first technical conversation with a playground equipment manufacturer - Commercial procurement teams collecting venue specifications from architects, landlords, or partners Step 01 ## Confirm your project location and site stage Write down the country and city, the venue type (shopping mall, family entertainment center, school, municipal park, resort hotel, restaurant kids zone, or private residence), and the current site status: still exploring sites, lease secured, under construction, or upgrading an existing operational facility. Location is not just a shipping address — it decides destination documentation (e.g. SASO for Saudi Arabia, CE/EN1176 for the EU, ASTM for the Americas, AS 4685 for Australia), container shipping transit schedules, and, for outdoor installations, critical climatic factors such as UV intensity and wind-load engineering. **Example Brief Opening** “Indoor FEC in an urban shopping mall, Santiago, Chile. Unit secured, 5.2m clear height, target opening in about eight months.” Step 02 ## Record floor area and clear height — with units Measure the usable floor area and state the unit every time: square metres (m²) or square feet (sq ft). For indoor venues, the single most critical figure is **clear height (free headroom)** — the distance from the finished floor to the lowest overhead obstruction: concrete beams, HVAC ducts, sprinkler pipes, or hanging lights. Measure at several points if the ceiling varies. Different equipment families have different height appetites: - **3.0m – 3.8m**: Ideal for toddler play, sensory corners, and single-to-double level kids cafes. - **4.2m – 5.0m**: The golden standard for standard 3-level indoor multi-activity soft play structures and climbing tubes. - **5.5m – 7.5m+**: Required for commercial trampoline parks, high-rope net courses, rollgliders, and ninja warrior arenas. Step 03 ## Mark columns, entrances and delivery access Columns decide where play towers and slides can safely stand without sightline occlusion; entrances and emergency exits decide visitor circulation and fire egress routes. Note column positions and the center-to-center spacing between them, door locations, and anything overhead that cannot be moved. Also record how the equipment will physically enter the building: service elevator dimensions, freight door widths, floor load capacity (minimum 350–500 kg/m² recommended), and landlord restrictions on delivery and noise hours. These factors dictate factory packaging sizes and assembly sequencing. Step 04 ## Prepare floor plans, CAD drawings or deliberate photos Any format helps: architect drawings (AutoCAD DWG, DXF or PDF), an estate agent lease plan, or a simple hand sketch with handwritten measurements. If you have nothing on paper yet, photograph the empty space deliberately: - The entire hall from all four corners with wide-angle perspective - The ceiling and overhead MEP (ducts, sprinklers, lighting tracks) - Columns, perimeter walls and level changes (steps, mezzanines) - Main guest entrances, emergency exit corridors and delivery loading bay *No CAD drawings yet?* You can still initiate technical consultations — approximate dimensions are sufficient for our engineers to generate an initial 2D functional layout. Step 05 ## Define target ages and activity preferences Who plays dictates what gets manufactured. Note the age groups you serve — toddlers (1-3 yrs), young children (4-8 yrs), older kids & pre-teens (9-14 yrs), or mixed family groups — and whether they require dedicated physical zoning. Highlight your preferred activity mix: high-speed multi-lane wave slides, donut slides, ball blaster arenas, foam pits, trampoline slam dunks, role-play towns, sensory corners, or digital interactive games. Theme references (space, jungle, ocean, cyberpunk, minimalist Scandinavian) are also welcomed. Step 06 ## Record budget range and milestone dates State your estimated equipment budget as a range with your currency (e.g. $50,000 – $90,000 USD), and specify whether you expect this to cover equipment ex-factory only, or full CIF/DDP delivery plus on-site engineer installation supervision. Project timing works backward: your target grand opening date sets the required container delivery date, which dictates the ocean shipping window (typically 3–5 weeks), which in turn determines when 3D design approval and CNC manufacturing must commence. Step 07 ## List technical points to confirm with your supplier A good brief serves as a benchmark to audit the manufacturer's proposal. Before transferring deposits or committing, ensure the supplier confirms in writing: - Itemized bill of materials and structural frame gauge (galvanized steel wall thickness >= 2.5mm) - Applicable international certificates in the factory's own name (TÜV EN 1176, SGS ASTM F1918) - Detailed shipping terms (Incoterms 2020), container count (CBM) and packing protection - Pre-shipment 1:1 factory trial assembly photo and video verification - Overseas on-site installation guidance, supervisor dispatch terms, and warranty duration ## Download the Playground Project Checklist A printable, one-page brief template covering all seven steps. Fill it out in any text editor, attach your site photos or sketches, and email or message it directly to our engineering team. [Download Checklist (TXT)]() [Discuss Your Project]() Plain text (TXT) · 100% Free · No contact form barrier. Reviewed October 2026. Related Resources ## Next Recommended Reading & Tools [Investment Guide ### Indoor Playground Startup Costs & ROI Understand CapEx allocation, multi-revenue streams and financial payback calculations.]() [Compliance Guide ### Safety Standards: ASTM vs EN 1176 Decipher critical fall heights, entrapment probes, and municipal building permit requirements.]() [Turnkey Solution ### FEC & Indoor Playground Solutions Full-scope planning, manufacturing and turnkey global installation for commercial mall venues.]() [Real Projects ### Installed Global Cases Discover real 500m² to 3,000m² indoor play spaces built from briefs just like yours.]() Turnkey Engineering ### Have your site dimensions ready? Send your venue size and height to our factory engineering office. We provide a customized 2D layout and 3D concept proposal in 48 hours. [Get Free 3D Layout]() [WhatsApp Chat]() Further reading ## Supporting publication Browse the SE CITY layout design as a reference when preparing your floor plan and project brief. ### Indoor Playground Layout Design – SE CITY Kids Play Zone 4th Floor [Read on Issuu]() Dream Garden / Wenzhou Source Factory ## Turn your venue brief into an iconic play destination. Factory-direct pricing, zero franchise royalties, full ASTM & TÜV compliance, and turnkey global installation. [Submit Brief for Free Quote]() [WhatsApp +86 13868643987]() --- Source: [How to Prepare Your Playground Project Brief]()