Playgrounds in schools and kindergartens can be more than just recreational spaces. The arrangement of these areas according to a project designed to promote interaction, playful activities and the need for children to overcome their own limitations, provides the ideal framework for an experience-based development.
This approach, which promotes the concept of „active learning”, proposes a rethinking of how education should be perceived. Without having to memorize abstract data and concepts, children can build their own set of values based on the experiences lived with their colleagues, in a modern playground.
The importance of modern playgrounds for active learning
There are many reasons why specialists recommend arranging modern playgrounds in schools and kindergartens. Activities that preschoolers and pupils can carry out inside themselves, under the careful supervision of teachers:
- stimulates cognitive development: the specifics of play equipment in the outdoor environment and their positioning space can stimulate the development of critical thinking, problem-solving ability and creativity;
- improve motor skills: active games on a cast tartan field help increase levels of coordination, balance, strength and agility, essential for a host of other extracurricular activities;
- encourages socialization: inclusive playgrounds in schools and kindergartens provide the ideal framework for expanding the social circles of the little ones; through positive interactions, they can learn to collaborate, to express their emotions without fear of being judged or they can learn the ability to work in a team;
- it offers the opportunity to explore: outdoor areas with modern multi-level play equipment make spontaneous decisions based on age-specific curiosity and energy.
Essential equipment in modern playgrounds
In a playground arranged in kindergartens and schools, educational or recreational activities can be carried out with the help of a variety of equipment:
- swings - a modern swings assembly with swings and safe elements for climbing, provide the ideal solution for children's need to consume their high energy levels efficiently; also, provides ideal prerequisites for socializing;
- rocking chairs - double or spring swingers are modern and safe play equipment; thanks to their ergonomic design, they are ideal for various surfaces; their specificity causes the little ones to move and improve their mood, through the physical effort;
- trampolines - can be installed both in outdoor playgrounds and in sports halls that have adequate spaces; in the offer we have elastic trampolines available, buried and many other models with a variety of places, which ensure interaction through fun activities;
- inflatable equipment - professional inflatable systems can be sized according to the space at hand; can include different interactive areas, where students and preschoolers can do a lot of dynamic work; they are made of durable materials, provided with multiple seams, for optimal levels of strength and durability;
- interactive educational equipment - Waterboyz offer now includes a wide range of solutions, specially designed for the development of the little ones based on real-time experiences: interactive games with sand and water; educational games based on different sensory experiences etc;
- playground equipment for people with disabilities - a modern playground is a space that ensures equal opportunities; equipment for disabled people on the site guarantees non-discriminatory access to education through outdoor physical activities.
Other recommended solutions for the arrangement of play areas
In addition to the play equipment itself, there are numerous other solutions that ensure optimum safety, comfort, mobility and strength. Here are some examples:
- tartan tiles - covering the soil with tartan rubber tiles is essential in a playground; this material is flexible and adherent, properties that guarantee a high level of safety; tartan is maintained with simplicity, and the laying of tiles is carried out with a minimum of effort;
- benches and gazebos - students and preschoolers need to relax in comfortable areas; the benches have an ergonomic design that provides flexibility in the design of the playground; the gazebos allow to carry out outdoor educational activities, protecting children from UV rays and rain drops;
- gardeners - the presence of vegetation can improve the aesthetics of the playground; it also provides the ideal prerequisites for breathing air with a greater amount of oxygen; moreover, the little ones can learn how to care for different plants, during botany or civic education;
- fencing solutions - a colorful fence with a fun shape emphasizes the playful character of outdoor education; we have available various CE-certified fence models, made of resistant metals coated with polyethylene plastic; rigid plastic fittings ensure optimum stability;
- nocturne installation - in case of educational institutions with extended program, modern night systems allow prolonging the hours of fun in the playgrounds, once dark.
Waterboyz Romania provides advice throughout the most important stages of setting up a modern playground in schools or kindergartens. Discover our blog articles, in which we describe the dynamics of such projects, completed by our team in different educational institutions on the territory of Romania.