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One of the key considerations for families looking to book a holiday cottage is whether there is a safe outdoor space where the children can play. Anything you can do to make this space more family-friendly will help your property stand out from the rest, and one of the best ways to encourage parents to book is by providing entertainment for their children!
Investing in outdoor play equipment makes your property immediately more desirable to families with young children, adding value and transforming an outdoor area into a space which can be used and enjoyed. Happy children equal a happy holiday, and play areas are often mentioned in positive reviews and as a factor in repeat bookings. But before you reach for the catalogue to pick out your new garden play equipment, there are a few safety considerations to bear in mind.
We asked Mark Lavington, Director of Boshers Holiday Home Insurance Specialists, to compile his top tips for installing outdoor play equipment.
For more ideas on how to attract bookings from families, take a look at these 11 easy ways to make your holiday property family-friendly.
Keep play areas simple
Remember you have a duty of care to your guests to ensure that any equipment you provide for their use is safe and remains so over time. By keeping it simple, you’ll reduce the maintenance burden. For example, if you have space, a solid timber three-in-one play system, with a swing, slide and climbing frame, for example, will keep children entertained for hours with minimal work for you as the owner.
Position your play area carefully
It is recommended that the equipment is placed on level ground to keep it stable. Position your play equipment a minimum of 2 metres away from any water feature, structure, or object to give good clearance.
Ensure a soft landing
Play equipment is normally designed to be placed on a soft surface, not concrete, paving, or asphalt. Grass or play bark is considered suitable, you don’t necessarily have to go to the expense of a rubber matting, although this could be an option.
Make play equipment secure
To prevent the play equipment blowing over in the wind, or tipping over onto a child when in use, it’s vital that the equipment is anchored to the ground. Solid ground anchors usually incorporate metal discs that screw into the ground to provide secure holding for the frame.
Communicate age limits and capacity
Children come in all shapes and sizes and so does play equipment. Manufacturers include guidance on age ranges and the maximum number of children it is to be used by at any time. Communicate this information to your guests by enclosing instructions in your welcome pack and consider signage.
Choose play equipment with a Quality Mark
To ensure the safety of your guests, purchase play equipment that has been subject to rigorous European safety tests as signified by a CE or GS Rating. These marks indicate a degree of quality with regard to play equipment safety standards. Useful information can be found on the RoSPA website.
Play area maintenance and risk assessments
Seek guidance from the manufacturer on how to maintain and inspect your play equipment and build this into a regular risk assessment to be used by you, your housekeeper or gardener. It makes good sense to make a note each time the equipment is inspected and of any maintenance or repairs that are carried out.
Check your holiday letting insurance cover
When installing additional facilities such as play equipment at your holiday home, we would always encourage you to speak to your insurance provider first. So long as you are installing manufactured equipment with relevant safety ratings there shouldn’t be any problems. Your insurer may take a different view on unsupervised trampolines, zip wires or rope swings, so do check in advance.
This article on outdoor play equipment is only intended as an overview. Visit The Royal Society for the Prevention of Accidents (ROSPA) for more guidance on all aspects of outdoor play equipment.
Boshers offers specialist insurance for your holiday letting property. Do you require a quote for your holiday apartment, cottage or complex? Please give them a call on 01237 429444 or find out more on their website.
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