Inspiring EYFS Playground Equipment To Target The Curriculum Outdoors
Through the replacement of tired outdoor play equipment and surfacing, we have created an inspiring outdoor area to support the Early Years Curriculum outdoors at Parbold Douglas CE Academy.
The primary school’s leadership team noticed that their EYFS play area was no longer as stimulating as it was when it was first installed.
We worked with the team to remove the older equipment and install a new variety of imaginative and creative play equipment to create an area where children could play energetically, while learning through play.
Playground Surfacing
First of all, we removed and replaced the worn and faded Wet Pour surfacing that was in place as it simply looked tired and caused the area to look dark and run down.
We replaced it with our vibrant Artificial Grass Playground Surfacing to create an all-weather, inviting area for the children to play and learn. It is a soft, safe and free-draining surface for the children to run, skip and hop around throughout all seasons.
Underneath their existing canopy, we created a natural-looking pathway with our Earth Blend Wet Pour Surfacing to zone the path between the two gates and the entry into the building.
It has created a lovely passageway that is separate to the rest of the outdoor play area. The children now have a dedicated area to line up after playtime and lunchtime and a visual space for the teachers to use.
We also installed Saferturf Splashes to zone the den making space from the rest of the playground and further enhance imaginative play and create a colourful, inviting play area through the simple addition of playground surfacing.
Performance Stage
In one corner of the playground, we installed a bespoke Performance Stage that fits perfectly in the space. The Triangle stage has been surfaced in bright blue, non-slip Saferturf surfacing and sparkling yellow starts, which enables the children to use the outdoor resource all year round.
It is perfect for enhancing the children’s communication, language and social skills as they form their own bands and play delightful musical tones together!
Role Play
In the opposite corner of the playground, the school wanted to promote both roleplay and mark making. With that in mind, we installed our exciting Giant Playhouse, which includes benches, den making holes and a chalkboard wall.
The space has been transformed into a travel agent, newsagents and even a hospital as the children play imaginary games together. They love drawing their settings, to support their imaginary games, on the giant chalkboard as they scribble and draw where they have travelled.
Den making holes at the top of the Giant Playhouse enables the EYFS teachers to guide the play as they attach resources to extend the children’s learning.
Throughout play in this corner, children’s creativity, communication, language and fine motor skills are enhanced as they further develop their understanding of the world through both child-led and adult-led learning.
Den Making
In the centre of the outdoor learning environment, a set of our open-ended Den Making Posts have been placed on top of a bright red Saferturf Splash. The change in surfacing was a colourful way to zone the space away from the rest of the playground.
This wonderful addition enables teachers and children to work together to construct dens with a number of different materials as they thread and weave them through the holes on the different posts, practising their gross and fine motor and problem-solving skills through teamwork and play.
They love creating their dens before using the area to share a story, relax away from the busy playground or transport themselves into imaginary worlds as they are in they are deep in the woods and have come across a set of totem poles.
Observing the interesting carvings in timber, they explore their new area together.
Messy Play
Within the new play space, we had to include an element of messy play. As a result, the children now have one of our amazing Water Wall with Grass-Topped Steps packages to enhance their learning though play.
The area is constantly full of little engineers exploring water and creating new routes for the water to flow down to. They love pouring it, spilling it and collecting it in jugs to make the water wheel turn, the cloud rain or their routes work as they manipulate the different channels to enable the water to complete the route.
As they play, they are exploring scientific concepts like gravity, water flow and source to month. Promoting teamwork, communication, language and problem-solving, the water wall has been an excellent addition to the outdoor environment.
The children look forward to play time each and every day as they run out into the energising area to learn through play and participate in imaginary play activities with one another.
If you’d like to create a curriculum focused outdoor learning environment, please feel free to Contact Us for advice from one of our expert playground consultants who work hard to improve the educational play experience of your children. You can also view our full range of Educational Playground Equipment For EYFS.
