There is more to children’s playtime than just somewhere fun for them to be with their friends and letting off steam, it is also vital to develop children’s physical strength, coordination and balance, alongside opportunities for children to learn and develop other aspects:
- Imagination: playtime can help bring out their creative side, encouraging children to think about what and how games can be played
- Social skills: in playing with other children communication skills are developed massively to include how they share and empathise with others
- Problem solving: playing with others and using playground equipment and games can present challenges for children where they will be assessing risks and overcoming new tasks, they get the opportunity to try new things and persist and persevere which are all good skills for children
- Self care skills: managing physical and social challenges forces children to think about how they can keep themselves safe
Play spaces should include areas for active, free, quiet, social, imaginative, exploratory and natural.
More so today than ever, children need to stimulated and challenged every day, not just at school but in their leisure time also which means that having a safe environment for them to play is a priority.
Safety Flooring:
To support the learning process behind playing providing safe flooring to surround play equipment is important. All play spaces should allow children to continue playing without interfering but still protecting them.
A natural instinct for all children is climbing, exploring and this will mean that they can fall so having a good safe protective flooring will reduce the risk of injury from heights as well as reducing the number of cuts and grazes that can occur when falling over.
Canopies and Shelters:
Using canopies can provide shelter from all weather conditions like wind, rain, snow and sun. Helping to reduce injuries as a result of slippery surfaces and muddy build ups, somewhere dry in the rain and somewhere shady in the sun.
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All year round play, no matter what the weather as well as sun and rain protection but giving the opportunity for fresh air outside. A range of shelters specifically designed on request are available at Clovis Canopies.
Safe Equipment:
Investing in the right equipment on the playground is crucial to ensure that children are safe. A variety of different play equipment is available from a range of different places but it’s definitely worth ensuring that they come with good recommendations, unsafe equipment could lead to a serious injury.
Upkeep:
Maintaining all of the above is also vital to keep children safe, even if you have safe equipment if it becomes dirty or wood is not sanded down and splinters are on show or loose screws and bolts are on show this can quickly become a hazard to children.
Checking play areas over regularly will make it easier to monitor and is definitely a worthwhile use of time.
