Shade in Playgrounds: From “Nice to Have” to Essential
- Adam Stride
- Feb 4
- 4 min read
Updated: 4 days ago
New Zealand is getting hotter. That’s not just a casual observation anymore—it’s something we’re seeing play out on playgrounds every summer.
Surfaces heating up. Equipment becoming uncomfortable to use. Kids playing in full sun during peak UV hours.
And yet, shade is still often treated as optional.
At Playsafe, we’re having more and more conversations with councils, schools, and ECE providers asking:
“How do we add shade to what we’ve already got?”
That shift is important. Because shade in playgrounds is no longer just about comfort—it’s about health, usability, and smarter playground planning..
Why Shade Matters More Than Ever
New Zealand has some of the highest UV levels in the world. On a typical summer day, the UV index can reach extreme levels right when playgrounds are busiest.
That means:
Children are exposed during peak UV periods (11am–3pm)
Equipment like stainless steel slides can become dangerously hot
Rubber and synthetic surfaces can heat up quickly in direct sun
In Australia, shade is often built into playground design from the start. In New Zealand, we’ve historically taken more of a case-by-case approach.
That is slowly changing.
We’re starting to see shade more commonly considered in places like Northland, Tauranga and parts of Canterbury, but across the country the biggest trend right now is something different: Retrofitting shade into existing playgrounds.
The Challenge with “Just Adding Shade”
Adding shade might sound straightforward—install some poles, stretch a sail, job done.
In reality, it’s rarely that simple.
Introducing shade structures into an existing playground can create a number of design and compliance considerations, particularly under NZS 5828. These include:
Poles located within falling spaces
New impact hazards created by posts or foundations
Interference with how equipment is used
Clearance and free height of fall considerations
Underground services or existing infrastructure
Without careful planning, well-intentioned shade installations can actually introduce new compliance issues.
At Playsafe we often work alongside playground suppliers, councils and shade specialists to help ensure the placement of shade structures works safely within the play environment.
Working Alongside Nova Shades
One of the specialists we regularly collaborate with is Nova Shades, led by Richard and his team.
Richard brings a unique perspective to playground shade projects, combining engineering knowledge with a strong understanding of how shade structures behave in real-world conditions.
One of the first considerations in any shade project is how the sun actually moves across the playground during the day.
If a client has the budget to cover an entire playground, tracking the sun becomes less critical. But in reality, most projects have budget constraints, meaning shade needs to be targeted carefully to the areas where it matters most.
To help achieve this, Nova Shades uses digital shade animation modelling.
The playground is first modelled in CAD software, including the play equipment and surrounding environment. Shade poles and sails are then positioned where they are expected to provide the best coverage. The model is then geolocated, allowing the exact movement of the sun to be simulated for that site.
This allows the team to watch an animation of how shade moves across the playground throughout the day.
Particular attention is paid to the hottest hours—between 11am and 3pm—when UV levels and surface temperatures are typically at their highest.
Often, the poles and sails need to be moved around multiple times in the model to achieve the best result. Interestingly, the most effective shade solution is not always achieved by placing a sail directly above the equipment.
In some cases, positioning a pole further away from the playground than expected can significantly extend the hours of shade over key play items such as slides.
Of course, shade poles must also avoid playground falling spaces, so achieving the best outcome is often a balance between optimising shade performance and maintaining safety compliance.
It can be a detailed and time-consuming design process—but the value it adds to the final outcome is significant.
Small Design Details That Make a Big Difference
There are also a number of technical details that can dramatically improve the performance and durability of shade sails.
One example is mid-point sail connections.
By connecting sails together at their mid-points, significantly more shade can be created underneath the sail structure. The additional cost per sail is relatively small, but the improvement in coverage can be substantial.
Durability and misuse also need to be considered.
Where possible, sails should be positioned so that people cannot easily reach them. Unfortunately, vandalism can sometimes occur where sails are cut or damaged with sharp objects, or where people climb onto them and stretch the fabric.
Another critical factor is wind performance.
Shade sails should never flap in the wind. Movement in the fabric is one of the main causes of premature sail failure. A twisting sail layout with alternating high and low poles is often the most stable configuration.
Strong structural poles are equally important. If poles are undersized for the wind loads generated by the sails, they can gradually lean inward over time. This can cause sails to sag and significantly reduce their lifespan.
With the right design, installation and maintenance, however, shade sails can perform well and last for many years.
Start Early Where Possible
The easiest shade solutions are almost always the ones considered during playground design.
Integrating shade early in the process allows:
Better placement of structures and poles
Avoidance of falling space conflicts
More efficient foundations and engineering
Lower overall cost compared to retrofit solutions
There is also increasing opportunity to integrate shade structures directly into playground equipment, reducing the number of separate poles and simplifying the overall installation.
Where to From Here?
Shade in playgrounds is becoming an increasingly important part of the conversation.
As summers become hotter and UV awareness continues to grow, the question is slowly shifting from:
“Do we need shade?”
to
“How do we design shade properly?”
When shade design is approached collaboratively—between playground designers, compliance specialists and shade engineers—the outcome is far better for everyone.
Most importantly, it creates playgrounds that are safer, more comfortable, and more usable throughout the year.
Adam Stride – Playsafe Ltd
In collaboration with Nova Shades Ltd
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