An Amazing Playground Space Promoting Cross-Curricular Activities
Our playground consultant, Dan Young, worked with Kimberley Primary School, located in Nottingham, to improve their outdoor spaces.
The school decided they wanted to improve the school playground with a selection of different areas, including a dedicated sporting space, active play area, performance stage and outdoor classroom.
We worked closely with Kimberley Primary School to design and install these amazing areas.
Dedicated Sporting Space
Beforehand, the playground was quite open, which meant the lack of different zones made it difficult for the children to play games such as basketball, football and dodgeball. To overcome this problem, we installed a huge MUGA Pitch to separate the area into different spaces for diverse activities.
The new MUGA has ensured that the children can enjoy a variety of sporting activities that enhance participation and physical skills. They also have specific zones for each game, therefore have a space to participate in sporting activities without the risk of hitting children not participating in ball games during playtimes.
As well as this, it has created an area for sporting activities to take place all year round. A vibrant artificial grass surfacing, which is both soft and impact absorbing, has prevented the weather causing waterlogged, muddy grass or slippery tarmac.
The MUGA has even supported the school’s basketball team with getting into the District Finals as the children can practise during playtimes and lunchtimes, not just during PE or after-school clubs – the children are very proud of themselves!
Active Play Area
Targeting physical development in the playground has seen the creation of a magnificent active play area made up of trim trail equipment and our amazing Bowfell Climbing Frame.
This energising range of playground equipment within a single area extends the children’s physical play opportunities while encouraging the children to exercise and develop their key physical skills.
The children love the new area and it has encouraged those who are not keen on sporting activities to get active and exercise. The teachers have noted that the area is constantly full of children climbing, swinging, balancing and twirling – exercising without even realising!
Each day, the Trim Trail is a busy hive of children traversing across the equipment, developing key physical skills as they make up new games and challenges focused on the equipment.
Outdoor Performance Stage
A Performance Stage situated underneath the trees, surrounded by Perch Benches, has created a lovely area for the children to feel a sense of freedom and less inhibited. As the children perform, sing or dance on the stage, their posture, voice projection and creativity improves along with a greater sense of freedom.
Classes can also be taken outside as the giant chalkboard, situated behind the stage as a backdrop, is used as a teaching tool where every child can see. Children can use the chalkboard backdrop during playtimes to draw, write and scribble to create their own fantasy scene: transporting themselves to Broadway.
Outdoor Classroom
A 5m Timber Gazebo has been placed within the school grounds to enable lessons to be taken outdoors throughout all weathers. Within this sheltered environment, the elements won’t stop learning from taking place.
As well as lessons, the structure has also provided the children with a quiet space where they can relax and socialise when time is needed to have a break from everything going on around the playground.
These wonderful areas have zoned the playground, while encouraging active play and exercise outdoors. The benefits of this variety of equipment will improve children’s overall health and wellbeing!
The school are more than happy with their new products and had this to say:
“Pentagon Play have been very responsive to everything we've suggested and asked for during the consultation and installation period. The after-care has been good and the level of service has been very high. We highly recommend them.”
If you would like to transform your playground into a wonderful space for cross-curricular activities or simply want something to keep your children active during playtime, please feel free to contact us for a free no-obligation consultant. Alternatively, you can view our full range of exciting outdoor play products here.
