Playground equipment perfect for schools. Outdoor play area equipment that offer children fun, exercise, and social interaction.
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School playgrounds form a vital aspect of the school and educational experience for children of all ages and key stages. Providing access to outdoor space allows children to interact with the outside world, while the playground itself offers the chance for children to exert themselves physically.
The perfect playground for your school will depend on a number of factors, such as the space available, your children’s preferred equipment and whether they have any special educational needs.
One thing’s for sure, however – a great playground shouldn’t be limited to traditional school playground equipment. The perfect playground incorporates playground equipment with interactive elements, sensory play areas and seating for relaxing time.
Here, we set out why school playgrounds are so important, how your school can improve its school playground equipment, and the services offered by Playdale.
The importance of school playgrounds to childhood development can’t be overstated. Playgrounds, of course, offer the chance for children to spend some valuable time outside and connect with nature. However, there are many associated benefits your children can enjoy by accessing school playground equipment.
The physical benefits of outdoor play are huge, promoting a healthy lifestyle going forward. Regular time spent using school playground equipment helps children develop motor skills, coordination, balance and strength – vital skills that will stay with them in later life.
Time spent in the playground also boosts social development – on the playground, children learn to interact with their classmates. Lifelong skills, such as communication, cooperation, teamwork and conflict resolution can all be taught through playground games. Often, this is where children will make new friendships, build a sense of belonging and connect with classmates.
Outdoor play also offers opportunities for children’s cognitive development, encouraging imaginative and creative play and helping improve problem-solving skills.
Part of creating the perfect playground for your school hinges on making the most of the space you have available. When specifying your school playground, consider the most space-efficient playground equipment at your disposal, and how you can provide your pupils with the best experience within that space.
“Play value” is another important consideration – which type of school playground equipment will best benefit your students? How versatile is the playground equipment?
The best playgrounds don’t just offer amazing play experiences, however – they’re visually stimulating, too, and offer fun sensory experiences for kids.
Accessibility is another important concern. Playgrounds should be developed with inclusivity in mind, and children of all abilities should be able to enjoy them as much as possible. This should be a concern for all schools, rather than SEND schools only.
We offer a vast range of playground equipment which is suitable for school playgrounds. Our Educational Play range is packed with play items designed to teach valuable lessons while children have fun.
Our Junior Play products, well-suited to children aged 5-16, are also perfect for school playgrounds, providing everything you need for a stimulating, exciting play area.
We also offer more specific equipment for children of different ages and with different accessibility levels.
Playdale offers an extensive range of playground equipment for primary schools which can help stimulate children’s imaginations, as well as boost their motor skills.
Our Play Panels for Schools are a great way to promote imagination-based games, letting children create their own worlds and helping to boost cognitive development!
Playdale is also proud to provide a wide range of playground equipment for middle schools. One of our most popular ranges for children in this age group is our Adventure Trail sets.
With a huge range of different units available, you can build your very own custom adventure trail, giving children a uniquely challenging set of obstacles to interact with while promoting healthy play.
We also offer a range of inclusive playground equipment designed to cater to the varying accessibility needs of pupils in SEND schools.
Our Inclusive Orbit accessible roundabout has helped make roundabouts accessible for wheelchair users, while the Team Swing is a great option for children of all ability levels to enjoy using the swings.
Our Jukebox range and Big City range, also feature several play configurations intended to support inclusive play
As well as our specialist playground equipment for children of different ages and ability levels, there’s also fun to be found in our bespoke iterations of more traditional playground equipment.
We offer an extensive range of playground climbing frames which are perfectly suited to a school play area.
And, once the children have worn themselves out for the afternoon, our storytelling chairs are fantastic for facilitating calmer play and helping boost imagination.
Playdale are proud to go the extra mile when it comes to helping you specify your school playground. Our end-to-end service means you can enjoy comprehensive support at all stages of your project.
From concept to build and aftercare, we’re on hand to support you.
Unsure which equipment you need? Make the most of our FREE, no-obligation planning and design service, and book an in-person visit from a dedicated Area Manager, and we can bring your ideas to life.
Discover more about the support we offer and find out why you should choose Playdale.
Contact our team to find out more about which Playdale playground equipment is right for you – or request a downloadable or physical catalogue.
There isn’t a grant process in place for schools to specify and install playground equipment. However, Playdale offers Department of Education-approved leasing options which enable you to begin your new playground journey today. Find out more about our school playground leasing options.
School playgrounds provide a number of social, cognitive, physical and health benefits for children. They are an important place for children to learn about the world around them and interact with their classmates. Scroll up to find out more about why schools should have playgrounds.
To improve your school’s playground there are many considerations that you must account for – from the accessibility of your playground to the space you have available and the play value of your new equipment.
To identify the best way to improve your playground, we always recommend discussing your project needs with our expert team for advice and guidance on the best strategy to level yours up.
The cost of building a school playground will vary depending on your chosen equipment, the number of children it must cater for and the service you require from Playdale.
There is no one-size-fits-all cost for a playground – you should contact our expert team to find out more about the options at your disposal.
The Early Years and Key Stage 1 children at St Mary’s RC Primary School in Ulverston had a large tarmac play area to let off steam in but not really any equipment. Class 1 teacher Lena Parker told us that their little ones very much loved to climb and like all children in this stage also enjoy any role play opportunities. So we looked at and discussed a few ranges and equipment types that we thought would fit the bill and suit the age range (approximately 4-7).
Rigby Hall School is an all age special school taking pupils between the ages of four and nineteen, with moderate or severe learning difficulties. They arranged to meet their local Playdale Area Manager for a free, no-obligation design and consultancy meeting. The school was impressed from the outset with the discussions and subsequent design proposals presented back. Headteacher Tracey Smith said they were “Beyond our expectations.”
“Playdale’s Area Manager Becky Warren listened to the features we wanted to put into the playground and came up with a design which included everything, she was on call and responded quickly to any concerns or queries. The overall product is perfectly designed for the needs of our children.” Fiona Taylor, EYFS Teacher, Ganton School.
Playground equipment in schools is no longer restricted to playtime. Playground equipment forms an integral part of the school day and incorporating it into the curriculum can be easy!
As schools discover outdoor learning benefits, they increasingly adopt outdoor lessons. And it’s easy to see why – children absolutely thrive when they’re outside, surrounded by the wonders of nature.
By including school play equipment and outdoor learning into lesson time, you can create an outdoor space where children can imagine, discover, challenge themselves and solve problems within a structured learning environment.
The inclusion of SEN school playground equipment can have a positive impact and provide a sense of freedom for children with special educational needs (SEN). It combines structured and free play to improve social skills, promote self-confidence and provide sensory stimulation for all children.
Trim trails help children to develop physically, emotionally, socially and imaginatively. All children enjoy playing on trim trails for schools because they are so versatile. The types of exercise trim trails encourage actually improve children’s performance in the classroom as well as on the sports field.
School outdoor play equipment can mean a variety of things. While a lot of playground equipment can be built and used almost anywhere, some pieces are geared more towards the school environment.
School play areas can play an important role in promoting positive behaviour and reducing conflict. By providing a safe and engaging space to play they can develop social skills and learn to collaborate. School playgrounds come in different sizes and shapes, and need to designed to accommodate different age groups and interests. Playgrounds for younger children will include classic play area equipment such as climbing structures, balance beams and slides, while older pupils may prefer sport arenas to play a variety of team sports, fitness equipment and social spaces. Accessibility should also be at the forefront of new school playground equipment. Any play areas should now be designed to be accessible to children of all abilities. This can include the use of ramps and sensory panels, and larger equipment with multiple points of entry and exit for children with limited mobility.
The next generation of modular outdoor play towers
Toddler play towers that will challenge children like never before
Take science lessons outdoors
Bring story time to life
Stimulate their imagination
Challenging, active play, timber Adventure Trails
Perfect their ball skills
Perfect outdoor learning environments
