Playground Equipment in Reading
Commercial Play installs safe, colourful playground equipment for schools and nurseries in Reading and across Berkshire, to full British safety standards.

Commercial Play designs, supplies and installs playground equipment for schools, nurseries and public play areas in Reading and across South East. Every project gets specialist in-house design and installation, tested to full BS EN 1176 and 1177 standards.
Reading sits at the heart of the Thames Valley, where compact town-centre primaries and spacious suburban grounds sit side by side. Serving Wokingham, Bracknell, Maidenhead and out to Slough, Basingstoke, Newbury and Henley-on-Thames, we design and install play equipment graded to every age group and site.
The mix of urban and suburban grounds here means no single layout fits all. Central Reading primaries with a shared tarmac yard take compact multi-play towers and boundary traverse walls, while the roomier plots around Wokingham and Bracknell carry full climbing frames, aerial runways and trail circuits. High-traffic community and estate play areas get powder-coated steel that stands up to all-day use.
Great play equipment is graded to the children who use it: low, tactile challenges for the early years, and taller towers, nets and traverse walls that keep older pupils engaged. We design layouts that pack the most play value into your space and pair every item with the correct safety surfacing.
Every project is specified to your site, age groups and budget. These are the playground equipment options we most often install in Reading.
Climbing frames in Reading
Multi-activity structures with climbers, nets, walls and slides that build strength and confidence, graded to every age group and tested to BS EN 1176.
Play towers & slides in Reading
Raised platforms linked by slides, bridges, climbers and dens, the centrepiece of a play area, from a single tower to a full multi-play system.
Swings, springers & spinners in Reading
The movement children love, flat, cradle, basket and nest swings, spring rockers and roundabouts, with inclusive options so everyone joins in.
Aerial runways in Reading
The playground zip wire, the biggest thrill in the play area, building grip and nerve, for sites with a long, clear run.
Traverse & climbing walls in Reading
Low walls children climb sideways along, giving grip and problem-solving with minimal height, great-value active play along a wall or fence.
Mud kitchens & messy play in Reading
Hardwood outdoor kitchens where children mix, pour and make-believe, building language, science and fine motor skills, an EYFS favourite.
Metal play equipment in Reading
Powder-coated steel frames, slides and climbers built to outlast heavy use and weather, ideal for high-traffic and public play areas.
Playground Equipment around Reading
We install across Reading and the surrounding area, including:
This is part of our playground equipment service, which we deliver for schools right across England & Wales. We also install nearby in Oxford, London, Milton Keynes, Southampton, Portsmouth, Brighton, Bristol. We also install playground surfacing in Reading.
Why schools in Reading choose us
Graded by age
Layouts and challenge levels are matched to nursery, primary or secondary pupils so equipment is used and loved.
BS EN 1176 tested
Every item is designed, installed and post-installation inspected to the European playground equipment standard.
Designed to your space
We plan the layout around your footprint, sightlines and budget to maximise play value.
Built to last outdoors
Hardwood, steel and HDPE components are specified for decades of hard, all-weather school use.
Serving schools in and around Reading
Playground Equipment in Reading: your questions
Do you install playground equipment in Reading?
Yes. Commercial Play installs playground equipment throughout Reading and the surrounding area. Every project starts with a free, no-obligation site visit, then a clear design and fixed quote.
What playground equipment works best for Reading schools?
Tight town-centre yards get most value from one compact tower or a fence-line trim trail. The larger suburban grounds suit an ambitious multi-play system with an aerial runway, and nurseries across the town do best with low springers, cradle swings and mud kitchens.
Are you a Reading-only company?
No. We work with schools across England & Wales from our Midlands and South offices, so we cover Reading and Berkshire regularly as part of a wider service. You get a local, on-site team backed by our own installers.
What safety standard applies to playground equipment?
Commercial playground equipment in the UK is designed and installed to BS EN 1176, and the surfacing beneath it to BS EN 1177. BS EN 1176 is published in seven parts, covering swings, installation and inspection among others, and we provide a post-installation inspection report against it at handover.
How much does school playground equipment cost?
Indicatively, a single climbing frame or play unit runs around 1,900 to 12,000 pounds installed, with typical school frames near 2,500 to 3,000 pounds, and a linked trim trail onto grass under 10,000 pounds. These are market ranges to confirm at survey, as size, height, material and safety surfacing all move the figure.
What is the maximum height for playground equipment?
BS EN 1176 caps the free height of fall at 3m, measured from the highest point a child can stand, sit or grip down to the surface. Impact-absorbing surfacing to BS EN 1177 is required wherever that free fall exceeds 0.6m, up to the 3m maximum.
How much space do I need for a trim trail?
A short circuit fits along a fence line in a few metres, while a larger trail winds across a field. We design the route to fit your space and include the BS EN 1176 safety zones around each item, typically at least 1.5m clear around static equipment.
How is playground equipment graded by age?
Equipment is graded so the challenge matches the child, with BS EN 1176 setting stricter limits on gaps, guardrails and heights for younger users. We specify low, enclosed items with short falls for EYFS and taller towers, nets and traverse walls for primary and secondary pupils, zoning the layout by age group.
How long does playground equipment last?
Playground equipment typically lasts 15 to 25 years depending on material. Robinia and durable hardwoods hold up 20 to 25 years or more, galvanised steel lasts decades, and HDPE runs 15 to 20 years, while pressure-treated softwood sits nearer 10 to 15 years. Annual inspection and upkeep extend all of these.
What materials is playground equipment made from?
We build in three main materials: durable hardwood such as Robinia for a natural look and a 20 to 25 year life, hot-dip galvanised and powder-coated steel for high-traffic frames and slides, and UV-stable HDPE for coloured panels, decks and boards. We specify each to suit the site and the wear it will take.
Do you install the safety surfacing too?
Yes. Equipment and surfacing are specified together so the free height of fall is always correctly protected to BS EN 1177. We install wet pour, rubber mulch, rubber grass mats or artificial grass to suit each item's fall height; see our playground surfacing range.
How often should playground equipment be inspected?
BS EN 1176 and the HSE recommend at least one independent inspection every year by an RPII registered annual inspector, alongside routine visual and operational checks by your own staff. We provide a post-installation inspection at handover and can arrange the annual RPII or RoSPA inspection thereafter.
Can playground equipment be installed straight onto grass?
Yes, where the ground is sound and level we install smaller climbing units and trim trails directly onto grass with rubber grass mats under the fall zones, which cuts groundworks and cost. Larger multi-play towers usually need a compacted base with wet pour or rubber mulch to their fall height.
Do you offer inclusive and SEN playground equipment?
Yes. We include wheelchair-accessible and inclusive items such as basket and nest swings, ground-level roundabouts and accessible mud kitchens so every child can join in, and we grade the wider layout to suit mixed abilities; see our inclusive and SEN play range.
Planning playground equipment in Reading?
Tell us about your space and we'll arrange a free site visit, design and fixed quote.