Common sense is one of those skills that is very useful in situations that require a simple practical solution. The only way that you can really learn how to use your initiative is by doing practical activities that give you the opportunity to learn from your mistakes. Adults often participate in team building activities to find out how they work with others and what their strengths and weaknesses are. Children on the other hand have access to Adventure Trails in playgrounds that give them the same opportunities.
An Adventure Trail is essentially a series of obstacles that present physical challenges that require strength, balance and determination to complete. Adventure Trail equipment tends to include stepping stones, rope bridges, monkey bars, climbing walls, poles and ropes, in a variety of combinations. Children can either attempt the trail independently or work together to help each other to complete the course.
If you observe children playing on Adventure Trails you will notice that there are many different types of interaction going on. You will have the children who can complete the course with very little effort who become heroes to other children watching. Or you can have two friends who find the trail just a little bit too challenging, helping each other get across without touching the floor in a way that they can manage. Children are so busy trying to solve the problem of completing the Adventure Trail that they don’t realise that many of the activities will strengthen their muscles and improve their coordination.
Teachers can use Adventure Trails to give children practical opportunities to solve mathematical problems, such as the popular ‘The Fox, the Chicken and the Corn Puzzle’. Children could be put into teams and encouraged to look at each other’s strengths so that each of them could complete a different part of the trail, with one of the children taking on the role of leader. After the activity the class could discuss what makes a good team leader and a good team member. The possibilities are endless and are likely to be tried out during playtimes where the Adventure Trail will be used a lot.
Choosing an Adventure Trail for your playground can be an exciting experience because there are so many pieces of equipment that can be put together in different combinations. Playdale Adventure Trails are available in steel or timber that are designed to create maximum play value, challenging children and testing a number of skills. If you only have a small amount of space to fill in your playground you can purchase individual pieces rather than a whole trail. We will give advice as to which pieces of equipment will fit in the space available.
If you are interested in setting up an Adventure Trail in your playground please feel free to contact us and we look forward to giving you advice.
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