A Purposeful Play and Learning Space For Plymouth School's Primary Department
The Plymouth School of Creative Arts Primary Department contacted us as they wanted a purposeful play and learning space for their younger students.
Nicole Fairman, one of our expert playground consultants, worked with the primary department to design and install an excellent space for their children to enjoy and to meet the objectives they had set out for the school.
The playground equipment we installed consists of a challenging selection of active playground equipment to promote key physical kill development, along with the revitalisation of a large planter and a bright playground surfacing.
Outdoor Performance Stage
Before our development, the school had a large, tired planter that they wanted to revitalise. Instead of removing the natural area, we resurfaced the space with our Artificial Grass Playground Surfacing to create a natural, vibrant playground stage that could be fully utilised.
This provided a space for the children to perform, sing and dance. They love making up their own plays in the centre of the playground as they improve their voice projection, spoken language and self-confidence outdoors!
Energising Active Playground Equipment
During the initial consultation, the school explained that they wanted a central piece of equipment that was open-ended and versatile for the children to learn and play on. So we installed our large Bowfell Climber to enable large groups of children to play and get active together.
With its size and looks relating to a natural tree, the children gravitate towards the climber to swing, balance and jump through the logs as they test their key physical skills and climbing confidence.
The open-ended active play resource enables more timid children to self-select their own challenge as they begin to advance their climbing confidence while more adventurous, confident children relish at the opportunity to climb to the highest point before taking a leap of faith!
Alongside the climber, a progressive, challenging Trim Trail provides further opportunities for children to get active and develop their key physical skills. The exciting obstacle course contains a number of different levels as the children further develop their climbing confidence and key physical skills, taking on the exciting trim trail as a team.
The trim trail runs from the climbing frame, along the fence line and to the other side of the climbing frame to maximise the space the children have to play and promote creative, exciting games between the children.
Through the addition of this exciting selection of outdoor Active Play Equipment, the children’s coordination, balance, upper and lower body strength, core stability, fine motor skills and gross motor skills.
Imaginative play has truly been enhanced with the new equipment as the children re-enact scenes from Tarzan: climbing up the tree before using the rope vines to swing across the forest and reach the river steppingstones, working their way to the other side of the trees.
All-Weather Playground Surfacing
We have ensured that the area is bright and safe for children to risk take through the addition of our Artificial Grass Playground Surfacing.
As it’s an impact-absorbing, free-draining surface, the children can use the area throughout all-weathers and can practice risk taking and improve their climbing confidence, without the threat of serious injury.
Playground Fencing
Finally, to zone the space from the rest of the playground, we have created sections with our natural-looking Bow Top Timber Fencing. Teachers can now restrict access or enable free-flow provision through the opening or closing and locking of the gate.
We were provided with a lovely range of feedback from both teachers and children:
One Year 1 student had this to say about their new play area:
“The climbing frame is awesome because you can climb on it and everybody is learning on it and they are really excited.”
While James, the Year 2 Teacher, said:
“It’s beaming with energy and helping the children develop their social and physical skills. Things like their grip, they’re holding their bodyweight with their hands - where else would they have the opportunity to practise that?”
And Katie Brownjohn, the Reception Teacher, had this to say about the new development:
“I am really proud of what we have achieved as a school community. It is just wonderful seeing the children take managed risks, challenge themselves and work together with their peers on this wonderful equipment”
Overall, everyone from teachers to parents, and of course the children, love the new purposeful outdoor play and learning space that has been created for the younger children attending this creative school.
If you would like to enhance your school playground and create a purposeful outdoor play and learning place, please Contact Us for a free, no-obligation quotation. Our playground consultants love helping schools develop an outdoor learning space that meets their objectives within their budget and truly makes a difference to the children’s educational play experience!
