Thinking about buying outdoor playset for condo -- wwyd?

[YouAreTheFocus]

Now that the weather is nice here, I would love to be able to play outside with my son in the evenings after work. We live in a condo complex, and about 5 steps from our door there is a GIANT courtyard that is completely unused. In one corner there is a pool w/ a iron fence/locked gate, but the rest of the space is just empty. It is such a waste of nice, usable outdoor space :(

I would love to have some sort of playset out there for my son and any of the other toddlers to use (there are a handful of babies/toddlers in the building, no kids over 4). I'm not sure how to go about this. Should I just go to the board and ask if I can buy a playset and put it out there? (I am totally fine w/ buying it & sharing it w/ others as long as we live here.) Would there be any reason they would be aginst this? Or should I ask them to buy it?

Also, the courtyard is all concrete, so would I need some kind of foam tiles around the playset? Or is that not necessary for a small scale playset?

I am thinking of something like this, I'd like to stay under $200:

http://www.toysrus.com/product/index.jsp?productId=2333028

Thanks for any thoughts or advice!

[creativelightbulb]

you might want to consider the legal liability if others will have access to the playset

[ohsara430]

I think you're going to have to go to the board/association about it. Unfortunately, my guess is they are going to say no to you buying something and putting it out there because of insurance/liability reasons.

[YouAreTheFocus]

you might want to consider the legal liability if others will have access to the playset

Yeah, this is one aspect I need advice on. If someone else's child got hurt, would they try to sue me b/c I bought it? Or sue the condo assoc, if they bought it/allowed it? Would the condo just shoot me down b/c of potential problems? But then, we have a pool, which while fenced, seems like a far bigger danger.

[boolady]

I think you're going to have to go to the board/association about it. Unfortunately, my guess is they are going to say no to you buying something and putting it out there because of insurance/liability reasons.

:yeahthat: You're asking them to take on a pretty significant responsibility in terms of liability. Even if they say yes, and you treat it as a public playset for your neighborhood, you're not going to be able to control who uses it, so don't be surprised if neighborhood teens are hanging out there at night, etc. There's really no way to have any control over the condition and maintenance of it if it's for everyone's use...I'd hate to see your money go down the drain.

Rather than purchase one, I'd try to rally some neighbors into asking the association to consider buying and installing one, as it would certainly be a selling point for folks with kids looking to move into the neighborhood.

[YouAreTheFocus]

Just to clarify, this would be placed in the courtyard of our (very secure) building. There is no public/neighborhood access. It is surrounded on all sides by our building. We have 84 units, most are studio or 1 BR. There are maybe 20 2 & 3 br--a handful of people in these have babies/toddlers. No other kids. Not sure the HOA would use funds to purchase something for such a small % of the population. Maybe I should try asking the other parents what they think?

Is this type of thing really that big of a liability? It's not even 4 ft tall :)

[boolady]

Just to clarify, this would be placed in the courtyard of our (very secure) building. There is no public/neighborhood access. It is surrounded on all sides by our building. We have 84 units, most are studio or 1 BR. There are maybe 20 2 & 3 br--a handful of people in these have babies/toddlers. No other kids. Not sure the HOA would use funds to purchase something for such a small % of the population. Maybe I should try asking the other parents what they think?

Is this type of thing really that big of a liability? It's not even 4 ft tall :)

I didn't mean the general public, I meant residents of your association. It wasn't clear before that there are so few kids, though that could change at any time. I know you're not talking about something big, but there's always liability involved. I wouldn't blink about having one on my own property, but I just think it's a whole different ballgame when it's common property. It's a nice idea, don't get me wrong, I just don't know if they'll go for it.

ETA: I missed that it's a concrete courtyard. I'm not sure that's a good idea, with or without foam tiles.

[KrisM]

Just to clarify, this would be placed in the courtyard of our (very secure) building. There is no public/neighborhood access. It is surrounded on all sides by our building. We have 84 units, most are studio or 1 BR. There are maybe 20 2 & 3 br--a handful of people in these have babies/toddlers. No other kids. Not sure the HOA would use funds to purchase something for such a small % of the population. Maybe I should try asking the other parents what they think?

Is this type of thing really that big of a liability? It's not even 4 ft tall :)

If a child climbs up 4 feet and jumps off and lands on concrete, there's a huge potential for injury. And kids will climb up the sides, try to stand on top, etc. I think the liability is a big issue.

Personally, I wouldn't use something like that on concrete. Even with a foam mat under it, it'll hurt when they slide off the end of the slide.

[alien_host]

Unfortunately the people who own the condos that don't have kids may object to having to look at the structure, even if it is small. Do the by-laws have a section about storing personal property in common areas? You might want to check the by-laws before approaching the board, just so you know what you are up against.

You mentioned it would be on concrete and IMO that seems dangerous, even if it is small. A child could fall/jump off the platform and get injured. It just takes a second for a parent to turn around and find their child on the ground. Because of this I bet the condo association might be against it.

It's worth asking the board/association about it but don't be shocked if it gets denied.

[alien_host]

KrisM and I cross-posted...and I agree the foam mat would probably not be enough cushion to prevent an injury. FWIW I have a friend whose 4 year old jumped off a similar type of structure and broke her arm and it was on the lawn.

[boolady]

KrisM and I cross-posted...and I agree the foam mat would probably not be enough cushion to prevent an injury.

I edited my post, as well, b/c I missed this detail. I don't think it's enough, either.

[YouAreTheFocus]

Thanks guys. It sounds like the concrete makes this idea a no-go, whether or not the board would approve it. It's too bad, because it such a huge, nice, flat sunny area, and literally no one goes out there (not even to use the pool). I would have loved to make it more kid-friendly/kid-useable.

I suppose we could get some smaller outdoor toys (water table? trike?), but we really have nowhere to store such things in our condo. And Idk about bringing something like a water table in and out everyday. Sigh!

[KrisM]

What about asking if you can put some general outside toys there, but things like a Cozy Coupe, sand table or box, Step 2 roller coaster. Maybe you can find an acceptable place to store your stuff even.

[bubbaray]

It would not surprise me if the childless owners (majority) don't want kids toys left out there at all -- not just for looks, but also so as to not attract the kids that live in the building to actually use the space, which would increase the noise.

[vonfirmath]

J
Is this type of thing really that big of a liability? It's not even 4 ft tall :)

I've got a friend whose 2 year old came to church in a neck brace our last church service because she fell off of a toddler slide. -- one of those meant for use inside the house. Onto carpetting.

So yes, kids can get hurt on them.

[YouAreTheFocus]

I've got a friend whose 2 year old came to church in a neck brace our last church service because she fell off of a toddler slide. -- one of those meant for use inside the house. Onto carpetting.

So yes, kids can get hurt on them.

Wow, that's awful--poor baby! :(

This is good for me to know, since our place is half ceramic tile over concrete / half thin carpet over concrete. If he falls off something, it's going to HURT.

[YouAreTheFocus]

One more question regarding the concrete aspect--if we were to take him out there with a trike or foot to floor ride on, should we get a helmet? Since he is only 18 mos, I would get a trike w/ harness & pushbar, if that matters at all.

This is something I have wondered for a while--what age and what conditions necessitate helmets.

[bubbaray]

Absolutely. We always made our girls wear helmets when on any sort of bike/trike/bike trailer.

[SnuggleBuggles]

I think going to the board with the idea of an outdoor play space would be great. I would just try and work with them rather than on your own.

We do a helmet for a real tricycle but the ride on toys we don't.

Beth

[YouAreTheFocus]

Thanks for all the input, I've been mulling this over on my own, and I'm so glad I posted here and got the feedback.

And if we get a trike, we will get a helmet to go with it. In addition to the safety aspect, it is probably good that bike = helmet, much like car = carseat :)

I'll update if I get anywhere with the kid courtyard play area project. First step...see if any parents are on the HOA board ;)

[crayonblue]

Thanks for all the input, I've been mulling this over on my own, and I'm so glad I posted here and got the feedback.

And if we get a trike, we will get a helmet to go with it. In addition to the safety aspect, it is probably good that bike = helmet, much like car = carseat :)

I'll update if I get anywhere with the kid courtyard play area project. First step...see if any parents are on the HOA board ;)

I think it's a very generous idea. I hope it works out!

[mousemom]

I suppose we could get some smaller outdoor toys (water table? trike?), but we really have nowhere to store such things in our condo. And Idk about bringing something like a water table in and out everyday. Sigh!

We live in an apartment complex with nice, grassy outdoor space, but no playground due to liability reasons. Tenants also can't leave toys in the common areas. My solution is an extra large tote bag with outdoor toys. Whenever we're going outside I just grab the bag. Usually it holds things like balls, bubbles, a self-propelled bus for outside play. I've recently added a magnifying glass, soft flying disks, sidewalk chalk (haven't used that yet, might need a spray bottle to wash it off). Anyway, the tote is not the same as having bigger toys outside, but it does make it easy to take what we can with us.