Planning a community playground build can be a daunting task. At the start of your project you may be wondering, “How will I build the playground? I’ve never built anything before! And where will I find enough community volunteers to help me?”
You do not need to worry about having the technical skills to build a playground yourself. Why? Because in every community on earth you’ll find people who build things – homes, buildings, roads, furniture. The world is filled with tremendously talented and skilled people. No matter where in the world you live, local craftsmen and women will have the necessary technical skills to build a space for children to play. Playground Ideas designs are made to be built using skills that are commonly found in communities around the world.
For the sustainability and maintenance of the project, it is vitally important that local builders are engaged in the project. For most designs (particularly used tire designs), anyone who is comfortable working with their hands, using basic tools, following directions, and lifting heavy materials should suffice, even if they are not technically trained.
For more complex designs, you may need to find people with specialized skills. Consider:
+ Carpenters – for building wood cubby houses, platforms, or structures
+ Welders – for constructing any metal playground equipment
+ Masons/tile layers – if you are building any of the cement and tile slides (a popular element!) find someone who is precise at laying tile and has experience working with cement.
+ Artists – for painting murals and playground elements
In addition to skilled craftsmen and women, you’ll also need to find lots of general laborers. You’ll need people to dig holes, wash tires, paint, shovel sand, etc. This is a great area to utilize community volunteers!
There are lots of ways you can find help. Below are a few community volunteer ideas that we’ve seen work:
+ Indicate that you want volunteers on your “Project Page.” When setting up your page, you’ll be asked “Do you need volunteers for this project?” If you check yes, this will allow interested volunteers who visit our site to find your page.
+ Join our private facebook group for playground builders (fb.com/globalbuilders) and let the group know your location, dates, and that you’re looking for community volunteers. This group is made up of playground builders around the world who may be interested in joining you!
+ Talk to local schools and volunteer groups (Rotary clubs, High School classes, youth groups)
+ Ask local companies to contribute by letting their employees volunteer on your project for a day
+ Ask parents to lend a hand
+ Post on community facebook groups or online forums
+ Put up flyers at cafes, guest houses, and public spaces advertising for community volunteers
+ Get your story on the local radio or in the newspaper
Prior to the build date, be sure to think through the number of volunteers you will need each day. Before they arrive, let community volunteers know the days and times they will be needed and anything they will need to bring with them (gloves, clothes they don’t mind getting dirty, water, etc.) Separate tasks that can be done by volunteers and ones that will need to be done by trained craftsmen/women. Keep a running to-do list so that as soon as one job is finished you can direct workers to the next task.
You can learn more ideas about working with community volunteers in our Playground Builder’s Handbook. It’s our how-to playground building guide that covers everything you need to know to build a community playground from local tools, materials and skills. Click here to check it out!
