Introduction
Playgrounds are an important space for children to have fun and learn at the same time; because of this, it is important to include elements designed to allow children to play in a safe and healthy environment. St. Mary’s RC Primary School in Swinton has transformed their playground with many markings to get the children active. The school already had a wide range of playground equipment, and were just missing some markings to brighten the place up. Playgrounds are most often located on the outskirts of schools because they can be easily moved when necessary.
Why are Playgrounds Important?
Playgrounds are important for childhood development. They provide children with opportunities to exercise, socialise, and explore the world around them. In turn, this can help them develop skills like concentration, creativity, physical fitness, independence, and social skills.
Playground markings help to improve personal development in pupils, which is a category Ofsted uses to evaluate a school in their inspections. By adding markings a school shows its commitment to the development of pupils during these important early years.
How did we transform the playground at St. Mary’s?
The playground underwent the transformation in July-August 2022 in order to meet the needs of all children at the school. The new playground plan was designed by our team and the school to include a range of activities that will be accessible and fun to all pupils.
The playground at St. Mary’s was split into three separate areas, which was great as it gave us a new canvas for each key stage from early years to KS1 and KS2 to provide a range of designs tailored to these age groups.
The markings in the early years area include a custom road track with parking bay, petrol pump, lollipop person. These markings are not only fun but they also provide some road awareness and safety skills for children while they play.
The Key Stage 1 area has a mix of markings designed to get children learning in an active way, by including items such as a Dragon A-Z and a Caterpillar 1-25 – which are perfect for learning numberacy and literacy skills! This area also has a cricket pitch, to encourage hand-eye-coordination in a fun way.
The Key Stage 2 area has a multi-court featuring a football court and netball court, as well as a tag team trail and fitness activity circles, giving the older children a place to expel some energy! It also features a large snakes & ladders, adding a vibrant and colourful game to the area.
The playground has also been designed to be inclusive with a variety of markings so that all children can enjoy it, including Let’s Bear Friends.
If you’d like some help transforming your playground, please reach out to us at [email protected], using the contact form below, or on 0330 124 2750!
