Planning a school playground is an important task that’s likely to bring many questions along the way. According to playground designers and consultants, PlayRope, it’s important to do your research and surround yourself with the right team of experts for guidance.
In this edition of Education Matters, PlayRope provides some tips on how to begin your research for a new school playground.
Work to your budget
We understand that many education providers are limited in resources, and that government initiatives for playground projects aren’t exactly abundant. Because of this schools will most likely be fundraising to pay for their playground.
Playground suppliers can be flexible when it comes to your budget. There is no minimum spend – it’s simply a matter of coming to us with your budget and your allocated space, so you can be guided through your many options.
If your playground budget is limited, think about completing your playground in segments in order to stagger payments and give you more time to accumulate funds. A staged delivery also works for maximising safety during the term so the build happens during holidays, and student activities aren’t disrupted by a construction site.
Selecting the right equipment for your school
When choosing playground equipment, it’s not just a matter of selecting the components of your playground, but the design aesthetic as well. You want to produce something that fits your environment and supports imaginative play.
Schools should also design and build their project according to the kinds of play they want the space to facilitate.
Some questions to help guide your decisions include:
Should activities remain close to the ground or can they take children up high in the sky?
Should activities promote a lot of physical movement?
Should there be activities and/or equipment that promote social interaction?
Should there be activities or spaces for independent play and discovery?
What about equipment to challenge the cognitive aspect of the child’s play?
What should be done to make the playground more inclusive?
Think about safety
In schools, safety is paramount. Working with a local playground consultant provides peace of mind that you’re getting a top quality installation that supports safe play.
Furthermore, PlayRope recommends ensuring all products come with a warranty and supporting documentation that explains how to properly care for and maintain the equipment.
Extensive experience
PlayRope has over 14 years of experience in bringing imaginative play spaces to life in Australia’s education sector. Over the years, PlayRope has built an incomparable product portfolio of innovative and high quality equipment. This extensive range caters to any project, in any style, meaning the range of possibilities are limited only by your imagination.
PlayRope has the experience and know-how to turn a school’s vision into reality, providing equipment and design that has huge benefits for children, school staff and the wider community at large. A school playground isn’t just for imaginative play, it also promotes exercise, fosters positive behaviour and assists in cognitive and social development.
Contact PlayRope to find out how to get your playground project started.
Buyer’s Guide
PlayRope
Ph: 1800 767 529
