A school playground is an important place in a school where students play and learn many things. It is the very place where students spend a certain portion of their schooling time right from pre-school till the end of elementary school. A playground not only gives the children an opportunity to play in fresh air but it is also important in developing various cognitive and social skills. Whatever a child does in a playground holds an important place in the overall development of a child. School playground design hence must be done properly with planning.
Important aspects of designing a school playground A well-designed school playground has its own benefits in terms of health and behavioral enhancement of a child. Here are a few tips that can help design the playground in the appropriate manner. `
Design a playground which can accommodate different play types- Most of the playgrounds focus more on the physical play elements. However, children use their school playground for a number of plays. A good playground is a one that challenges the children to explore new ideas of gaming. While creating a school playground design you must make sure that there are different types of play which a child might like to explore. Active play, sensory play, creative play, social play, imaginative play and reflective play are some example of plays which children love indulging in.
Remember that children are creative- Usually; playgrounds have a limited set of play elements. For example you can see swings for swinging or r slides for sliding. But as adults we often forget that children are highly creative and they need opportunities and channels to show case their creative sides as well. So, while creating a school playground design you can contemplate on adding some elements that can be used in a number of different ways. Leave loose materials that can be carried, moved and altered in a number of ways for the child to use their brains for.
Build elements of risk- Usually as adults we run far from risks. We tend to forget that risks are an inherent part of nature. Risks give us opportunities to learn new things. And sometimes, risks even add fun in the life. Use some risk elements in playgrounds for the students to recognize them and learn how to avoid them. This will help in boosting their confidence. Managing risk is not something that students learn in school but much later in life. You can add risk elements like walls for climbing, monkey bars and rope equipments which can make play adventurous and exciting. Right from school students can learn managing risks thus get prepared for life while playing.
Well-connected elements- A school playground design should be such that everything ‘flows’ together in a seamless manner. This means that all the aspects in the playground should be well-connected.
Don’t give too much attention to looks- Playground should be a beautiful place- full of colors, shape and textures. However do not pay too much attention to the look of the space. The playground can be messy as well. The main f
ocus of the playground is that the kids should be able to enjoy and play different games.
The element of surprise- One of the best ways of designing a playground is by adding elements of surprise. If you are putting a trim trail for example then at the end of it you can add various other connected elements and exciting equipments to add the fun factor. Creating a school playground design is not an easy task and it is indeed quite a challenge. One needs to collect a lot of information and equipments keeping in mind the budget and space. A well designed and thought of playground can be the very reason why your kid will love going to school every single day of their life.
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