In the UK, there is often a wide age range at any one school. For example, 4-11 at a primary school, or 11-16 at a secondary school. Therefore, there is a wider range of age ranges and abilities to consider. This means an accessible playground needs to be more varied to suit everyone.
In a lot of cases, schools will be working with limited space. Therefore, PlaySmart have put together a guide to creating the perfect playground that caters to all ages and abilities.
Identify your age range
The first place to start should be identifying the age range of the children using your playground. Is it primary school, secondary school, or perhaps even nursery or reception?
The age of the children using the playground will determine the equipment they use and the appropriate surfacing. Some of your equipment is inappropriate for younger children, because of their less-developed motor skills. This should be made clear to younger children and supervised appropriately to ensure it is only used by older children.
Consider Zoning your Accessible Playground
It might be a good idea to separate your inclusive playground into age-related zones. Therefore children of different age groups can play with their age mates. Also this reduces the risks of injuring others or themselves. Older children will naturally play a bit rougher than younger children. Additionally, their more developed muscle groups and motor skills makes them faster and stronger than younger children. If your school has the capacity, why not consider splitting the school into two different playgrounds?
In primary schools, Year 1-3 could have one playground with Year 4-6 at another, and likewise in secondary schools. Therefore, playtimes are separate, so children can play with those of similar abilities. Also, this means more equipment appropriate to age can be installed.
However, if your school doesn’t have the capacity for two playgrounds, consider ways of zoning your playground into two – perhaps the middle of the playground could be divided by some markings, like a hopscotch or snakes and ladders for example, and this visual could serve as the dividing line between the younger and older children’s play area.
Accessible Playground Equipment
Speaking of playground equipment, how do you know which equipment is best suited to certain ages? PlaySmart has some recommendations.
Years 1-3
At this young age, safety is paramount, and the equipment you install should reflect this. Your overarching theme should be minimalising risk, which means structures with low decks or heights, smaller steps, and more interactive play such as sand, water, musical equipment, and so on. Keeping young children engaged through their senses is a key way of fueling creativity and play.
Years 4-6
At this age, children have a more developed set of motor skills, so their balance and dexterity will be more advanced than younger children. At this stage, they can use more advanced equipment in a safe and capable manner. This could include platforms with a higher distance from the floor, or more advanced features like climbing or ropes.
Secondary School
The disparity between age and ability is less defined by the time children get to secondary school. Children will usually be of similar physical ability by this point, which reduces the risk of more severe injury through play. However, it’s easy to forget how small a Year 7 is compared to a Year 11… A lot of schools stagger their break times so that children can play with their own age groups, which usually helps prevent a football straight to the face!
Accessible Playground Surfacing
Play surfacing is an integral part of safety, and is the difference between injury and safety. No matter the age of the children using your surface, you should always ensure that the ground meets safety standards and minimises the risk of injury. By considering the age of the playground user and what kind of equipment or games will be used or played, this should clarify what surfacing will be the most appropriate.
For example, young primary-school aged children may benefit more from a wet pour surface,. This is because of its impact absorbency qualities, customisability, and bright colours. Meanwhile, a child approaching the end of secondary school might appreciate an artificial grass tennis court, providing them with a slip resistant and water permeable surface to hone their sports skills.
We hope this article has given you some inspiration into how to create an accessible playground for all ages. Are you still looking for more ideas? The team here at PlaySmart are all ears and can’t wait to help you build a stunning playground. Just fill out the contact form below: