Those planning an elementary school playground should have an end goal and a timeline in mind. Then, assess the location to make sure there is adequate space and drainage. Once that’s settled, set your budget and design your space.
Since elementary school students typically range in age from 5 to 12, choosing playground equipment for primary schools requires careful consideration. Create an inclusive play environment by choosing a well-planned mix of structures that includes playground equipment for older kids as well as age-appropriate areas for younger students. An elementary school playground should also feature an open area in addition to a playground set, so the students can play games like red rover and tag.
Elementary school playground equipment should be safe and engaging for all students in your community and incorporate both active play and learning activities. You might even want to involve the students in the planning process, letting them help decide which types of structures their playground will include. And don’t forget to plan for students’ safety as well as fun: Leave space in your budget for safe surfacing to prevent injuries, and make sure to allow for adequate clearance around each structure.
School playgrounds are a wonderful place for children to learn and explore. Children have a big range of developmental challenges and newfound abilities, and a variety of different types of elementary school playground equipment can provide fun and skill-building opportunities. Ideally, structures and playground activities for elementary-age children should continue to help them develop strength and coordination. This may include jungle gym playground equipment such as climbers, chain or cable walks, horizontal ladders, rung ladders, stepladders, overhead rings, ramps, slides, stairways, track rides, vertical sliding poles, and activity panels. No matter what type of equipment you’re looking for, at AAA State of Play, we can help you create the best possible playground for your students.
Planning for 5-12 years old
Equipment suitable for simultaneous use by younger and older children can include swing sets that feature seats at different heights. Certain multi-level structures can serve the same role, with some decks being accessible via taller climbers at steeper inclines while other spots cater to tinier kiddos needing a bit of a boost to keep exploring. A healthy mix of differently sized independent play units with timeless appeal can also accomplish this goal. Consider arranging several slides or climbers properly spaced apart as a way to keep your site appealing and approachable to kids on either end of this age range.
Children in this category will be following a similar path in their development of several critical mental and physical traits. Their fine and gross motor skills are blossoming. Key muscle and bone growth are also occurring at this time and play equipment can encourage rewarding aerobic activity and strength exercises. As they get older, these children will often begin interacting through competitions with increasingly sophisticated rules. So all adolescents at this stage will benefit from access to items like net climbers, rock walls, overhead and vertical ladders, and balance bridges. Competitive games can be encouraged by placing elements like basketball hoops in a section for older kids and then installing an easier game, like funnel ball, in a section intended for younger ones.
Planning for 2-12 years old
It can be challenging to find playground equipment suitable for a wide range of ages. Preschoolers are smaller, clumsier, and less strong than elementary-aged kids. They will require much more secure areas with shorter equipment that’s generally lower to the ground to ensure safer fall heights and better engage shorter players. A preschool playspace could employ cognitively engaging or dramatic play material with distinctly bright colors and patterns. A clear buffer zone between this preschool area and the space intended for older children is recommended. This can be accomplished through clever use of landscaping, borderlines, or outdoor furniture placement. As elementary school-aged kids generally possess greater bodily control and are often seeking bigger challenges, equipment in their zone can generally be of a larger scale or present tougher obstacles. Products that test 5-12 year olds’ physical abilities will thus satisfy their curiosity and discourage them from wandering into a preschool area unintended for their playtime. Additionally, AAA State of play offers several play items that would fit nicely into either area of the playground. And since smaller sites might not allow for distinctly different age areas, please consider populating a more modest playground with items usable by all children in the 2-12 range. Such equipment can include structures, tortoise climbers, slides and musical play items.
When designing a preschool play area, consider installing smaller scaled versions of items your 5-12 year old space will contain. Children in the 2-5 year old range will enjoy having access to slides like the big kids have, except theirs will be shorter rides at gentler inclines. Floor tunnels are also a popular approach, as they can be placed adjacent to kid-height activity panels that will amuse preschoolers with interactive parts or enticing textures. These elements can help attract little walkers who might still enjoy crawling about on a regular basis. Other pieces in a preschool area can include spring riders depicting amusing characters, pretend play building fronts, or talk tubes that permit speaking across long distances. Preschool play zones often feature a distinct boundary wall or limited entryways to the play zone so grownups can better watch their little ones enter and exit this space dedicated to them. Gated entrances might be employed around the perimeter to make watching little ones easier.
Children from ages 2-12 will benefit from access to a variety of independent play units and multi-purpose structures, including several versions of the same kind of freestanding equipment with different height levels will permit children of all sizes equal access to the same types of play. This approach can involve installing different sized slides or having swing sets with bays for longer and shorter chain lengths. A diverse collection of differing climbers can also keep a playground exciting. Alternatively, if site constraints are a factor, a single structure can again serve as a playspace for multiple ages. These structures are composed of decks at higher or lower elevations and connections via elevated tunnels, bridges, or other transition passages. They feature bigger and smaller scope climbers and slides. A structure with a robust collection of play options can then adequately satisfy older kids while still letting younger ones find comparable goals to achieve.
Find more about the author: Kim Hart
