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Playground Equipment

The requirements for playground equipment depend on whether it is intended for use at a home or at a public playground.

ASTM F1148 defines “home playground equipment” as any product in which the support structure remains stationary while the activity is taking place and is intended for a child to perform any of the following activities: climbing, swinging, sliding, rocking, spinning, crawling, or creeping, or combination thereof.

Home playground equipment meant for indoor use, such as a small slide, may be considered a children’s toy that would need to meet the applicable requirements for children’s toys (such as the toy standard per 16 C.F.R. part 1250, or the phthalate requirement per 16 C.F.R. part 1307). Features such as number and type of play elements that are fixed/anchored to the floor vs. light, portable, or foldable for storage are possible distinguishing factors to determine whether home playground equipment could be a children's toy.

Home playground equipment meant for outdoor use only, on the other hand, may not be considered a toy per 16 C.F.R. part 1250 but may still be subject to the phthalate requirement. There are no specific statutory requirements for home playground equipment meant for outdoor use only; however, such products likely would need to meet the applicable requirements for children’s products if it is primarily designed or intended for children 12 years of age or younger. Further, home playground equipment that has accessories or attachments that are considered toys (e.g., toy periscope feature, toy instrument, sliding puzzle attached to a wall) would be subject to the requirements for children’s toys under 16 C.F.R. part 1250. Manufacturers and importers of outdoor home playground equipment should review CPSC staff’s recommendations in the Outdoor Home Playground Safety Handbook.

ASTM F1487 defines “public use playground equipment” is any play structure for use in play areas of schools, parks, child-care facilities, institutions, multiple-family dwellings, private resorts and recreation developments, restaurants, and other areas of public use. Similar to outdoor home playground equipment, there are no specific statutory requirements for public use playground equipment other than the applicable requirements for children’s products, children’s toys with respect to the phthalate regulation, and possibly children’s toys under 16 C.F.R. part 1250 for any accessories/attachments. Manufacturers and importers of public use playground equipment should review CPSC staff’s recommendations in the Public Playground Safety Handbook (includes a list of industry consensus standards, commonly referred to as voluntary standards, for both public and home playgrounds) and the Public Playground Safety Checklist.

Certification

There is no specific certification requirement for playground equipment, but products considered children’s products or children’s toys would require a CPC. For more information, visit our CPC business guidance page.

Additional Information

Contact

For more information, please contact the Small Business Ombudsman (SBO) team:

Report an unsafe product