What Is a Playground Merry-Go-Round?
A merry-go-round is typically a flat disc several feet in diameter with bars attached for handholds. Children give it a push to get it spinning and then hop on for the ride.
What Is the Difference Between a Carousel and a Merry-Go-Round?
It depends on whether you’re at a playground or an amusement park. At a playground, a merry-go-round is a fixture that kids can spin and play on; this is not usually called a carousel. The motorized ride that commonly features horses to sit on is a carousel, but it’s called a merry-go-round, too.
How Does a Merry-Go-Round Work?
To play on merry-go-round structures, kids usually run around the wheel while holding on to it to get it spinning, then jump on to enjoy the ride. They also might take turns standing still and spinning it for their friends. Some merry-go-rounds, however, blend this idea with bicycle mechanisms, allowing the kids to pedal to make themselves go around and around.
Are Merry-Go-Rounds Safe?
Yes, as long as merry-go-rounds are used correctly, they are safe; in fact, CPSC guidelines require each merry-go-round to include a component that slows its rotation, limiting its speed to ensure safety. As long as there’s adequate clearance around a kids’ merry-go-round, it’s totally safe.
How Big Is a Merry-Go-Round?
Most of our merry-go-round plans have a footprint of around 8 feet in diameter, though we carry models as small as 3.5 feet across and as large as 10 feet. Keep in mind that you’ll want to leave an adequate amount of space near your merry-go-round playground equipment for kids to run around it and get it moving: The use zone can be up to 22 feet in diameter, depending on the size you choose.
Choosing the Right Merry-Go-Round
Our affordable merry-go-rounds for sale are available in a variety of sizes and colors, so we’re sure to have a piece that will fit well in your play space. You’ll find plenty of standard 8-foot models, but we also carry toddler-sized tea cups, larger merry-go-rounds, and ones that are wheelchair-accessible. We even offer less conventional merry-go-round designs like merry-go-cycles and carousel webs in our selection of commercial equipment.
No matter which style you prefer, you can shop our carousel playground equipment with confidence, knowing that all of our play fixtures are durable and safe. We carry top-rated products by merry-go-round manufacturers who have built their equipment to withstand years of wear and tear inflicted by rambunctious children. After all, what is a merry-go-round good for if it’s always broken? The metal on all of our merry-go-rounds is well-polished to give a smooth finish to each piece: You will find no rough edges that could harm the kids playing on any playground merry-go-round we sell. High-quality raw materials are used to manufacture our merry-go-round playground equipment, so all pieces that we carry are highly functional and need very little maintenance to ensure long-lasting usability. All of our playground equipment, merry-go-round units included, is manufactured with children’s safety and enjoyment in mind.
Find more about the author: Kim Hart