Tag Archives: School playground

Educational playground designs: Enhancing play and learning by incorporating educational elements in playground equipment

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Playgrounds offer learning and growth opportunities, not just fun and physical activity. Incorporate educational elements into your playground designs to foster cognitive, social and physical development. Explore some effective ways to infuse educational playground designs into your school, childcare or community playgrounds below.

Lower Huron Metropark playground overhead image

Themed Playground Structures

Consider incorporating educational playground design themes into the design of your playground environment. Whether it’s a nature-inspired structure or a space-themed play area, themed elements can spark children’s imagination and encourage imaginative play. Themed playground components like climbing walls resembling mountains and entire structures offer endless learning possibilities.

Alphabet and Number Panels

Integrate alphabet and number panels into your playground. These play panels, installed on walls or integrated into climbing structures, help children learn letters and numbers as they play. Encourage interactive learning by incorporating sensory elements, such as different textures and braille.

Musical Play Equipment

Including musical elements like our Rhapsody® Outdoor Musical Instruments in your playground can enhance auditory skills and creativity. Install a selection of chimes, metallophones and drums to engage children in musical exploration. These features encourage collaboration, rhythm recognition and the development of fine motor skills.

Science and Nature Zones

Create dedicated spaces where children can explore scientific concepts and nature. Incorporate planters for gardening, sensory paths for tactile experiences and weather stations to teach about climate. By encouraging hands-on learning, you can foster curiosity and a deeper understanding of the natural world.

Sensory Play Stations

Incorporate sensory play elements into your playground design. Sand play like fossil digs, water play areas, and interactive sensory walls stimulate children’s senses and promote cognitive development. Sensory play encourages problem-solving, fine motor skills and social interaction.

Storytelling and Reading Nooks

Designate areas for storytelling and reading within the playground. Install benches, small libraries or even mini amphitheaters where children can gather for storytime. We also love incorporating Talking is Teaching panels from Too Small to Fail into the playground design. Story trails along a walking path also encourage children and caregivers to talk, read and sing with each other. Encouraging literacy in a playful environment fosters a love for reading and language development.

Incorporating educational elements into your community, childcare and school playground designs create an enriching play space for children. Themed playstructures, alphabet panels and outdoor musical instruments are a few examples of how to infuse learning opportunities into the playground. Remember to consider age-appropriate designs and create an inclusive play environment that caters to children of all abilities. The combination of play and education will not only ignite children’s creativity and curiosity, but also provide a foundation for their lifelong love of learning.

Innovative designs deliver a whimsical play experience

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If you’re looking for innovative playground designs at affordable price points, you’ve come to the right place. Our design experts have curated a collection of preconfigured playground structures that are perfect for your community park or school playground! Our Smart Play® family of playstructures not only fit in a compact space, but they are packed with activities to help kids develop key sensory, motor, cognitive and social skills. Choose one or pair the affordable Smart Play playground designs together to create a whimsical play experience.

Smart Play Billows

Smart Play Billows™ Imaginations will soar as kids ages 5 to 12 float across the sky on bridges, climbers and down two sensory-rich slides.

Smart Play Breeze™ Kids ages 2 to 5 will find plenty of airy insights to explore as they crawl, walk and climb up to the hot-air balloon basket.

Smart Play Tree Tops

Smart Play Tree Tops™ Give kids the sense of playing in the treetops as they navigate wiggly bridges, the 3-ring climber, roar down two slides and much more.

Smart Play Sprig™ Encourage kids ages 2 to 5 to explore leafy pods and flower blossoms while they flex their emerging skills on this fresh-as-spring playstructure.

Smart Play BeachComber™ Young imaginations are encouraged to go with the watery flow as they surge forth to explore oceans of activity.

Help create memories for kids in your community to look back on with these affordable Smart Play playground designs. Learn more about this family of playstructures and contact your local Landscape Structures playground consultant to get started on your playground design today.

Principals give back to the local community

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On Monday, more than 100 principals representing the National Association of Elementary School Principals (NAESP) came together to build a playground at Adams Elementary School in Spokane, Wash. The community service day was part of the 2019 NAESP Pre-K-8 Principals Conference held in Spokane.

The school playground was designed for students ages 5 to 12, and features playground slides, climbers, and activity panels in addition to overhead events and bridges. The playground is ADA compliant and designed to welcome children of all abilities. In addition to building the playground, principal volunteers participated in landscaping, painting and other beautification projects at the school.

As you can see from the tweets, principals had a blast during the build. This community service day marks the 11th anniversary of our partnership with NAESP to build a playground at a deserving elementary school.

See more about the playground build from The Spokesman-Review.

Big fun comes in small packages

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Centre

Centre – 2 to 5 years

Smart Play® playstructures pack a lot of activities into compact structures, taking kids from early crawling exploration on up to active climbing and social play to a challenging course for older children. This line helps span several critical periods of childhood development, making it ideal for childcare, early learning centers, neighborhood playgrounds and schools.

Motion02-Blog

Motion – 2 to 5 years

Each Smart Play playstructure makes the most efficient use of materials to create a large number of activities. For example, cut-outs from panels are used to create activity components found elsewhere on the playstructure. And the compact size of these structures requires less space and surfacing materials than typical playgrounds resulting in a lower total investment. That means Smart Play playstructures are ideal for tight spaces and tight budgets, too.

 

Smart Play structures are preconfigured and designed with your choice of color. All at a smart price. Lots of Smart Play options are available for kids ages 6 months to 12 years:

Nook

Nook – 6 to 23 months

  • Nook – 6 to 23 months
    Sized right for little crawlers and early walkers, this whimsical playstructures 20 colorful activities to capture young ones’ attentions.
  • Loft – 2 to 5 years
    As young children grow, they become ready for Loft. With language prompts and learning activities connected to early childhood curriculum goals, you’ll find plenty of interactive elements.
  • Fire Station – 2 to 5 years
    Kids will enjoy lots of activities that teach them about fire safety and helping others in this imagination encouraging playstructure.
  • Market Cafe – 2 to 5 years
    This farmer’s market and cafe lets little ones take turns placing meal orders, dining with friends and learning about healthy food choices.
  • Centre – 2 to 5 years
    Connect all three playstructures–Loft, Fire Station and Market Cafe–with elevated crawl tunnels to create Centre, and enhance the fun.
  • Motion – 2 to 5 years
    This accessible playstructure packs 16 activities into its compact size, and encourages kids to engage in social and imaginative play.
  • Cube – 2 to 5 years
    A curated collection of interactive play events help build cognitive and motor skills for toddlers and preschoolers while they play.
  • Venti® – 5 to 12 years
    Nets, slides, belts and climbers provide challenges that promote physical development and strategic thinking while also creating hangouts.

Venti®

Venti® – 5 to 12 years

See Centre in action below, and visit playlsi.com for more details.

[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lxVLX5A5m28]

Principals Build Playground at Pennsylvania Elementary School

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Last Saturday, nearly 150 principals representing the National Association of Elementary School Principals (NAESP) and the National Association of Secondary School Principals (NASSP) came together to build a playground at Stonehurst Hills Elementary School in Upper Darby, Penn. The community service day was part of the 2017 National Principals Conference held in Philadelphia.

The playground was designed for students ages 5 to 12, and features the new GeoPlex™ climbing panels as well as various ground-level climbers, overhead ladders, and bridges and balancing activities. In addition to building the school playground, principals landscaped, painted and participated in other beautification projects at the school.

As you can see from the tweets, principals had a blast during the build. This is the ninth year that we’ve partnered with NAESP to build a playground at a deserving elementary school. Learn more about the NAESP Annual Conference and save the date: July 9-11, 2018 in Orlando, Fla.

Show your school spirit… on the playground

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Versailles Elementary School created a school spirit theme for their school playground.

Personalization adds a unique element to playgrounds, and it also lets you show your school spirit! Versailles Elementary School in Versailles, Ohio, went all out to show their support for the Tigers. By incorporating their school colors—orange and gray—and a couple of personalized panels showing their school mascot, there is no doubt to anyone that visits the playground that it is the home of the Tigers.

Personalize your playground activity panels or welcome signs on your school playground.

Not only can we help you create an entirely personalized playground like Versailles Elementary, but we can add any level of personalization to best meet your needs. From a personalized welcome sign to playground panels with your school name, motto or mascot, or a customized freestanding play component, we’ll help make your school playground design your own.