Regular physical activity has correlation to decreased rates of depression and anxiety. Exercise should be promoted, as its mental and physical benefits can make a positive difference to well-being, and children are no exception! However, young children rely on sensory stimulation as the catalyst for their imagination, and they need a creative play area in order for inspiration to flow.
So if you’re looking for more imaginative ways to transform your playground into a space where children want to play and exercise more, PlaySmart have compiled a list of fun ways you can transform your surroundings:
Race Car Tracks
PlaySmart can create unique playground designs tailored to the customer’s request, which can include roadmap-style markings, creating a fun play environment that gets kids moving. By using a velour grass ‘carpet’, we created this school’s race track setting. Amazing for using small plastic cars or scooters on, these road markings can serve as the starting point for miles of fun!
The realistic additions like zebra crossings and parking spaces mean children get introduced to road safety from an early age, and helps with collaborative play – kids will be interacting with each other to stop at the crossing to let others walk, waiting for their turn to ‘drive’ and so on.
Creative Patterns
Wet pour is a blended mix of rubber granules, coated together, mixed on site and poured onto either existing surfaces or sub-bases that PlaySmart can create if need be. Our own offering, RubbaSmart, has been tried and tested by many of our customers, and its ability to be customised to make creative patterns and incorporate different colours makes it an amazing addition to any playground.
As we know, children benefit from creative designs that inspire them to play new games, set different scenes, and give them ideas for role play from their settings. The great thing about RubbaSmart is its diversity – take a look at some of the designs we’ve incorporated on different playgrounds and let your imagination (and inspiration) run wild!
Different Shapes
Who remembers playing Tag? The squares and circles on this playground are the perfect way for children to divide themselves into teams and encourage exciting games of Tag, as children try to move to the next shape without getting caught in the green middle space! And when you play Tag as intensely as children do with their classmates, you don’t have to worry about a lack of exercise!
Themes
Themed playgrounds are growing in popularity, and for good reason. They are an excellent addition to already themed settings, such as an ocean themed playground adjacent to an aquarium, or an animal-themed playground next to a zoo. The creative ability of RubbaSmart means PlaySmart can create inspiring patterns – just look at this water splash we designed!
Running Tracks
When thinking of running tracks, a lot of people’s first thoughts immediately go to artificial grass. Whilst PlaySmart can offer artificial grass surfaces, this client wanted something a little different, and we created this RubbaSmart sprint track. Perfect for encouraging physical activity, this is a great addition to any school field, can be used for play and P.E, and is slip-resistant with no-trip edges to ensure a safe surfacing.
Hopscotch
Hopscotch is a fun game that children can play with their friends, and helps encourage them to get active. It also comes with a whole range of added benefits for growth and development; children learn and get better at balancing their body, hand-eye coordination, and so on. These colourful circles we added to this playground make for a non-traditional hopscotch layout, and children can use the circles to hop, jump and leap across from spot to spot.
We hope this article has given you some inspiration for ways in which you can brighten up your playground and encourage children to play creatively and get active. Exercise is really important, and PlaySmart can help you create a playground that makes kids want to get up and get moving! Contact us using the form below today to get started.
One thought on “Playground Design Ideas That Will Get Kids Moving Again”
That was a fantastic post! Unique and innovative designs that pose challenges are attractive and enjoyable for children. When youngsters use their imaginations and play, they learn about social roles. Creativity also helps a child’s problem-solving abilities and personality development. Kids can experiment with numerous ideas and identities by applying their imagination.