Matt Allison

Professional Experience

In his role at Actively Play, Matt provides design leadership and safety-focused guidance across a wide range of commercial playground projects. His work regularly includes:

• Commercial playground design and layout
• Equipment selection and specification for schools, parks, and public spaces
• Playground surfacing systems, including engineered wood fiber (EWF), rubber mulch, poured-in-place (PIP), and synthetic turf
• Site preparation and grading planning, with emphasis on estimating, design coordination, and project management
• On-site installation coordination and quality oversight
• Playground safety inspections and compliance reviews
• Custom playground design and project-specific solutions
• RFP responses and public-sector procurement support
• Shade structure design
• Cooperative purchasing guidance, including BuyBoard and TIPS contracts

Rather than focusing on high project volume, Matt works deeply within each project, providing design judgment and safety oversight that directly impacts long-term performance and compliance.

Matt's Favorite Projects

Here are a few of Matt's favorite recent projects that he has worked on.

Bob Halloran Community Park

Matt was involved in the design and installation phase of this project. Matt worked with the landscape architect and the design team at Actively to create this beautiful playground design. During the construction phase he worked with the general contractor to manage the project. Matt also asisted the install team with the installation of the playground structure.

Newcastle Free Will Baptist Church

Matt designed the 2-5 and 5-12 playground areas for this project. Due to the shape of the 5-12 area, Matt designed a fully custom playground structure to maximize the space in that area. Matt also worked with a civil engineer on this project to ensure the site drained properly and that the playground areas were not affected.

Eagle River Playground

Matt designed this playground to be installed in a residential wooded area of Wisconsin. This naturally themed playground fits right in with the wooded surroundings. Matt also assisted the install crew with the build on this one.

St. Thomas Aquinas Catholic School

Matt worked with the school to design this private school playground. It features both 2-5 and 5-12 equipment and gets a lot of use from the school and surrounding neighborhood.

Clinton Park Playground

Matt designed this custom playground structure for the City of Lawrence Kansas. He designed the layout of the playground and also custom designed some of the panels for the structure.

Little Panthers Preschool

Matt worked together with the general contractor and the Actively design team to create this play space for the preschool. Matt custom designed this playground structure to fit the specific space requirements of the general contractor.

CPSI Certified

Matt is CPSI certifieed. His certification number is 61753-727. It expires July 1, 2027.

Areas of Expertise

Matt writes and provides guidance on topics including:

• Commercial playground installation
• Playground surfacing systems
• All things Playground Design
• Budgeting and planning for projects
• Playground safety standards

His content reflects both industry standards and real-world project experience.

Client Experience

Matt has worked with a wide range of clients across the United States, including:

• Public and private schools
• Parks and Rec Departments
• Churches
• HOAs
• Childcare and early education facilities