Share12 WAYS TO SPRUCE UP YOUR SCHOOL’S PLAYGROUND (PART 3)
(Part 2 – Please click here)
- Don’t Underestimate Paint
Even if you’re not adding functionality to the playground, beautification projects can help shape the environment and set the play space’s tone. Adding a mural to a wall could add an educational element if you decide to paint a map or history of the school’s county — or it could help enforce core values by showing students sharing, collaborating, playing, exploring or studying.
Students could get involved in the painting or in selecting a theme. They could all vote on a particular design and watch as a professional artist works on the mural during recess. This way, they can see the creation process and gain a greater appreciation for the fine arts.
Even painting or staining existing structures could freshen up the school playground and revitalize contemporary pieces. Children gravitate towards expressive, vibrant colors, and repainting these pieces will make the spaces feel new again.
- Protect Empty Space
Not every part of the playground should have the equipment. Students need space to create their games or play pick-up sports. Having an empty space allows students to continue playing classic games without passing through other areas. Leaving some spaces open gives students a place to play more unstructured games and even lets them create games of their own.
- Create Nondescript Spaces Free From Rules
Providing simple pieces without explicit instructions gives children the space they need to incorporate structures into make-believe. Playing pretend is a vital element of recess because it allows children a chance to use their imaginations. It improves their problem-solving skills, increases their language usage depth, and enhances their recognition that other minds are different from their own — known to psychologists as the theory of mind.
To a child, a balance beam could be the pirate ship ships. A freestanding climber could be a mountain they need to scale. Letting them be the builders of their universe gives them the skills to direct their own lives and believe that they can achieve anything they set their mind to out in the real world.
- If Possible, Make it Eco-Friendly
Playgrounds at their core are eco-friendly. They’re the kids off devices and back out into nature, giving them an appreciation for the outdoors. In an urban area, offering a playground space becomes even more important in getting kids safe to stay outdoors.
But projects can become wasteful if companies don’t have sustainability in mind. Try to find a manufacturer that either uses recycled material or actively reuses, reduces, eliminates and offsets the impact of their production.
Ready to Get Started?
Start Improving Your Playground Today
Do you want to start imagining a better place for your students to grow, learn, and play? Ready to get started improving your playground today? Have questions on what the building process would look like? Are you looking for more inspiration?
Our representatives are excited to talk with you about ways the New Play can make your studenstudents’s experience more exciting, inclusive, and cognitively stimulating. Contact New Play representative today!
NEW PLAY
Address: 3rd Floor, No. 38, Ven Ho Ha Dinh Street, Ha Dinh Ward, Thanh Xuan District, Hanoi City, Vietnam
Tel: (84) 24 667 33 777 – (84) 24 667 39 777
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