Components

Typical components of an outdoor playset include:

• Towers. In a playset, a tower is a vertical structure with one or more decks placed at various levels. A deck is essentially a horizontal play surface contained within or attached to a tower.
• Bridges. Towers may be connected to one another via fixed bridges or chain bridges for children to walk across.
• Ladders. Rope ladders and fixed ladders are common accessories for playsets.
• Sandboxes. A sandbox
  Sandpit
  A sandpit or sandbox is a low, wide container or shallow depression filled with sand in which children can play. Many homeowners with children build sandpits in their backyards because, unlike much playground equipment, they can be easily and cheaply constructed...
  
   often accompanies an outdoor playset.
• Slides. Playground slide
  Playground slide
  Playground slides are found in parks, schools, playgrounds and backyards. The slide may be flat, or half cylindrical or tubular to prevent falls. Slides are usually constructed of plastic or metal and they have a smooth surface that is either straight or wavy...
  
  s may be covered or uncovered.
• Swings. Swings
  Swing (seat)
  A swing is a hanging seat, usually found at playgrounds for children, a circus for acrobats, or on a porch for relaxing. The seat of a swing may be suspended from chains or ropes. Once a swing is in motion it continues to oscillate like a pendulum until external interference or drag brings it to a...
  
   are usually mounted on a free-standing swingset.
• Monkey bars. Towers may be connected by monkey bars
  Jungle gym
  The jungle gym, monkey bars, or climbing frame, is a piece of playground equipment made of many pieces of material, such as metal pipe or rope, on which children can climb, hang, or sit. The monkey bar designation refers to the rambunctious, climbing play of monkeys.-History:The first jungle gym...
  
   as well as bridges.

Safety

In July 2001, the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission

Consumer Product Safety Commission

The United States Consumer Product Safety Commission is an independent agency of the United States government created in 1972 through the Consumer Product Safety Act to protect "against unreasonable risks of injuries associated with consumer products." The CPSC is an independent agency that does...

 (CPSC) reported that each year, more than 200,000 children are taken to hospital emergency rooms due to playground-related injuries. Most injuries occur when a child falls onto the playground surface.

Play surface

Options for surfacing the ground around a playset include sand, pea gravel, wood chips, shredded rubber, and asphalt. The perimeter of the play yard is often made from concrete or wood. The depth of the surfacing on the play area should be based on a CPSC recommendations for the type of surface materials and maximum possible fall height, for example:

Playhouses

Another type of outdoor playground equipment is the playhouse. These are scaled-down replicas of full sized homes -- much like a tree house

Tree house

Tree houses, treehouses, or tree forts, are platforms or buildings constructed around, next to or among the trunk or branches of one or more mature trees while above ground level...

but on the ground. They can promote a child's imagination and creativity. A playhouses may be as simple as a cutout in a cardboard box, or as complex as a permanent outdoor structure wired with electricity and running water. There are a number of companies that specialize in creating elaborate and distinctive playhouse which can be used for both commercial and private purposes.