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Size of 5 a Side Court MUGA

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5 a Side MUGA sports courts have a minimum playing size of 25.91m x 16.76m. The dimensions you choose will depend on the design you want for your facility. Many schools and clubs have these pitches for playing football, both as practise and for matches. Having the smaller recreational size can help to cut costs compared to installing full sized areas.

Alternatively, many organisations choose to install multi use games areas which accommodate multiple sports. If you choose this, then the dimensions could alter to suit other activities. The maximum 5 a side pitch size is 25.91 x 42.62m. The larger playing surface will mean the construction cost will be higher. We try to make our quotes cost effective, but it all depends on the customer’s budget.

You can speak to our team today and get a price for installing one of these facilities. The dimensions and sizes will vary depending on what you need and this can also affect costs. Just fill in our contact form and let us know what you’re looking for so we can offer more advice. You can also find out more about all weather pitch floodlights along with other accessories we offer.

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5 a Side Pitch Designs

The MUGA surfaces come in a few different options. See below to find out more about each product:

  • 2G Synthetic Turf Carpet – Suitable for playing football and hockey, popular at schools.
  • 3G Artificial Grass – Ideal for football and rugby, contains rubber infill for natural playing qualities.
  • Polymeric Rubber Surface – Play football, tennis, netball and basketball, good ball bounce and slip resistance.
  • Macadam Sports Court – Multi use qualities for tennis, netball, football and basketball, perfect for schools.

The 5 a side pitch designs completely depend on how you would like to use the area. Lots of schools and clubs choose to have multi sports markings so they can make the most out of the facility. The game line marking or sports lines for 5 A side football are normally white with a 50mm width. We also offer different colours to mark out individual sporting activities. Sport lines can normally be touched up or replaced during the life of the sports surfacing.

Dimensions of a 5-a-Side Facility

When it comes to designing these areas, the dimensions of a 5-a-side facility can be tailored to suit each project. Since these pitches are generally used for recreational purposes, there are no strict guidelines to follow. It’s completely up to you and your budget, and we can offer a design and quote to suit you. Take a look at this 5 a Side MUGA Construction in Gloucester to see one of our projects from start to finish.

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You can also have a look at the video below to see how the work was done by our team:

The 5-a-side football pitches are usually best to be played on 3G synthetic turf surfaces because these give the best playing characteristics. The synthetic 3G sports surfacing is an artificial grass carpet infilled with sand and rubber infill. There is sometimes a need for a shockpad beneath this third generation sports grass dependent on the accreditation they are looking to achieve.

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Contact our team today to learn more about our different products and to get an idea of costs. We can send you over some previous case studies and product sheets as examples. Just get in touch and let us know what you’re looking for along with an idea of your budget. We’ll respond as soon as we can with an in depth quote for the work.

Wetpour Installation in Glasgow, Scotland

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At Soft Surfaces, we’re a specialist install on wetpour in Glasgow, Scotland and are able to fit this surface nationwide.

In addition to installation, our team can offer wetpour repair services for existing wetpour surfaces within this location, so if you currently have a wetpour surface that needs either rejuvenating or resurfacing, feel free to get in touch with us.

For this particular blog post, we show off one of our wetpour installations that we carried out in Glasgow, Scotland.

Below you can see the specific information for this install, as well as the video transcript describing the job in detail.

As always, if you are interested in any of our wetpour services we offer throughout Glasgow or Scotland as a whole, feel free to get in touch with us for a free, no obligation quote today.

Wetpour Surfacing in Glasgow, Scotland Case Study

What was the specification? : Wet pour surfacing at 40mm, 50mm and 60mm depth
What colours were used? : Orange and Green EPDM with coloured graphics
What was the size of the job? : 302m²
How long did the job take?: 5 day on site
What sub base was used? : MOT Type 1 Stone

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We are professional installers in the UK and we have completed a range of designs for wetpour safety surfacing across the country.

Wetpour Play Surfacing

Have a look at the video below to see the installation prices of a multi coloured wetpour play area in Glasgow.

Please see video transcript below:

00:05 Hey, you guys. It’s Dan from Soft Services here, and on this video we’re going to be showing you a wetpour installation and color design at a school in Glasgow.

First thing we do with this job is actually remove the previous surface, which obviously helps us then install our wetpours. You can see that being removed there on these photos.

Next up, the wetpour itself is actually prepared. You can see us here actually adding in the wetpour with the resin into the mixer ready to be actually installed with the surface. Wetpour’s a great surface really because it actually meets the critical fall height standard.

Obviously if a kid were to fall on the wetpour they’re a lot safer than falling on perhaps a concrete or any other kind of surface really for a playground.

It’s also a very customisable surface as well, which is great. We’ll get into that later on.

So now for the photos of the base course actually being installed. You can see the playground coming together now, with obviously the equipment around it and us fitting that.
And then next up we actually lay the graphics in the desired area.

So as I said earlier about them being customisable, you can actually fit many different graphics and educational hopscotches, all that kind of stuff, onto wetpour depending on what your needs are.

So now for the completed project. As you can see, the graphics are laid there. It looks really, really great. You’ve obviously got lots of animals in there for the kids and different hopscotch to be using.

I know the clients were actually incredibly happy with this install as well, with it being different colors and really making the playground stand out for them.

As we do a lot of work in the Glasgow area, we actually rank in Google for these phrases: “Glasgow play area designs,” “Scotland playground installation company,” “UK wetpour safety surface experts,” “Glasgow wetpour playground construction,” “multicolored playground in Scotland,” and even more than that.

So if you are interested in any prices or specifications of the surfaces that we install, please just find our website in the description of this video.

Thanks for watching, guys, and we hope to hear from you soon.

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Benefits of Wetpour Surfacing in Glasgow, Scotland

Having a wetpour surface installed in the Glasgow, Scotland area has many benefits, these including the following:

Easy to Repair

If your surface does happen to get damaged or vandalised it is possible to repair just the area rather than replacing the whole surface.

Impact Absorbent

Wetpour has been specifically designs to massively reduce the risk of head injuries and can be installed at different depths to meet a wide range of critical fall heights.

Colourful

Wetpour is available in a large range of bright colours and blends. It is possible to create to blend to truly get the look you want.

Wetpour Surfacing Applications in Glasgow

A lot of our clients are often interested in what types of surfacing wetpour can actually be used for, and the truth is, its an extremely versatile flooring type.

To give some examples, here are some applications that wetpour can be used for in this area:

  • Wetpour Playground Glasgow
  • Wetpour Pathways Glasgow
  • Wetpour MUGA Glasgow
  • Wetpour Parks Glasgow

and many more.

Why Choose Us?

At Soft Surfaces our team have over 25 years of experience installing wetpour flooring in Glasgow, as well as across Scotland in general.

The team pride themselves on only using the highest quality materials for our works, and our hard working installers will work relentlessly to ensure your Glasgow wetpour surface looks brilliant no matter the specification you desire.

Additionally our team can take care of the maintenance of your surface post installation, making the process of caring for your new wetpour surface a breeze. Feel free to get in touch with us if this is something you would be interested in, and a member of our team will get back to you as soon as possible.

Other Scottish Areas we Install Wetpour

At Soft Surfaces, we’re able to install Wetpour surfacing throughout Scotland, including the following areas:

  • Wetpour Installation in Edinburgh
  • Wetpour Installation in Aberdeen
  • Wetpour Installation in Dundee
  • Wetpour Installation in Paisley
  • Wetpour Installation in East Kilbride

and any other surrounding areas.

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If you wish to find out more information on the installation of wetpour surfacing and the addition of EPDM rubber graphics, please enquire today. We will be happy to offer you a quote and some free advice.

Uv Degradation and Discolouration of EPDM Wetpour

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Lots of children’s playgrounds have EPDM Wetpour surfaces to provide a colourful atmosphere with added safety qualities. The designs of this play surface can be varied as there is a variety of bright colours to choose from.

However over time the wetpour coloured rubber can be affected by UV degradation and discolouration. These are processes which occur when the flooring is exposed to high levels of radiation from the sun, and they can lead to changes in the overall appearance.

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UV Degradation

Some colours of wetpour surfacing are more prone to higher levels of degradation from UV (ultraviolet) light exposure. This means that certain colours in the manufacturing process of the rubber can fade over time because they have been exposed to ultra violet radiation from the sun. Generally speaking, the brighter colours are more prone to UV Degradation. During this process the sunlight radiation attacks the synthetic polymeric within the EPDM material. This then leads to a loss of the original vibrant colour.

Check our our full wetpour colour range to see all of the different options we have available. The colours which are generally more susceptible to this deterioration include Purple, Bright Yellow, Pillar Box (bright) Red and Orange and we recommend applying these colours as smaller design features rather than main background colours. However different factors in the surrounding outdoor space will also have an impact on the overall affects. Please contact us and speak to a member of our team if you have any questions or you need some advice on a coloured wetpour play area design.

UV Discolouration

During the installation process for EPDM play surfacing, we mix the rubber granules for the wearing course with resin before laying onto the base course. A process of UV discolouration can occur when the resin reacts with the ultraviolet rays, causing it to turn a yellow/brown shade rather than clear.

This can then affect the appearance of the surface colour, of the laid rubber crumb and can mean that they do not truly represent the chosen colour design. The discolouration of outdoor play areas can happen with all colours of EPDM however, some show a more visible change than others.

For this reason, we often recommend using certain colours more than others to ensure that every playground we install has a high quality, long lasting finish. You should avoid large areas of Blue for example as bay lines can be more visible than on other colours.

Many schools, play groups and public parks have vibrant nursery play areas installed to capture children’s imaginations. These can include numerous design features and graphics which are completely customisable for each client. We always aim to complete our work to the highest possible standards. We’ll also ensure that we apply any aftercare maintenance where necessary.

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The effects of UV degradation and discolouration will vary depending on a number of factors for each different site. Things like location, area size, and chosen colour will all have an effect on any weathering from sunlight. Other things like nearby trees and structures can affect this as well.

Please feel free to speak with a member of our team by filling in the contact form. We’ll gladly provide some further details on the EPDM play surfacing we supply . We would also be happy to send you over some more information regarding the colour Degradation and Discolouration. Alternatively one of our experts can speak to you about this personally.

SEN Playground Equipment for Schools

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Playgrounds are meant to be an area which everyone can enjoy. However, they can sometimes be incredibly daunting for children who have special needs. This blog will cover how SEN playground equipment for schools is important and how it can benefit kids.

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Special Needs Outdoor Playground

Special needs children require different environments compared to other kids. Due to the main problems being sensory overload, physical restrictions and difficulties in social interactions, the design process should have these factors included to avoid any problems from occurring. It’s vital to avoid children with learning difficulties suffering during play time.

Regardless of what the child might have, they should still be catered for. Ofsted bases their ratings highly on equality on how SEN kids are treated compared to other pupils. A balance of fairness is required to achieve a higher rating and by creating the play area facility to reflect that can make your school rated even higher.

Not only that, but during play time, many children who have special educational needs will find themselves feeling excluded and isolated from everyone else. Creating a playground which allows everyone to have fun is key to avoiding these feelings from occurring. It’s a great way to help these children who find it difficult to socialise make friends.

There are many types of special needs playground equipment that schools can use to enhance the outdoor play space. Visit this post to find out more about the various learning opportunities children can find on the playground.

SEN Play Area Designs

Area designation is key to create a fully functioning playground that allows all pupils to have fun and enjoy. A few ideas that many SEN Play areas have include features such as:

  • Quiet areas – As previously mentioned, many children with special educational needs can suffer with sensory overload and become in a panicked state of mind. By having a quiet area which reduces sound and maybe includes a plain colour palette and patterns which will relax the senses. You can install playground furniture in these areas to make them more comfortable.
  • Daily sensations areas – SEN play areas can include play equipment and features which encourage children to interact with them through their senses. Preparing them for their daily lives and how they will encounter different senses, these daily sensations will gradually get them used to encountering new environments.
  • Performance areas – Restrictions of social interactions can stop SEN children from reaching their goals. They will often be quiet in lesson due to fear of being mocked. However, performance areas enhance their confidence by allowing them to feel like they can act however they want for the performance.

These SEN playground designs are incredibly popular when it comes to the development of one of these playgrounds. Feel free to create your own ideas but these are just a few of the most popular ones that have been developed and may help you start the development process of your SEN playground. Find out more about children with special educational needs and how you can create a positive play area for them here.

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Playgrounds for Special Educational Needs

Creating playgrounds for special educational needs requires a lot of planning and designing in advance to keep the area suitable for everyone. A key factor which many people overlook when creating a playground is the surfacing of it.

Bright colours and wacky patterns may seem like a good idea at first but if they are too bright and vibrant and cause too much thinking, then replacing them with a bit more of a calming colour tone and pattern is a much better idea. Sensory overload can lead to children panicking during playtime and leading to many problems disrupting on the playground.

Materials should also be considered for the surfacing as well. Giving the children protection from falls and trips is important, especially special needs kids who may find themselves getting injured a lot more frequently. Shock pads would be a great investment for this problem as they can take a lot of the stress out of the fall and stop many injuries from occurring. A common surface for these areas is wetpour safety flooring which helps reduce impact from trips and falls.

Another good thing to include would be simple signs. Some

SEN children may have a great memory with facts but may struggle to remember daily routines and instructions. Including simple signs, which prompt straight to the point actions, will help kids like this remember certain instructions and get them into a daily cycle.

Sensory Play Activities

Sensory overload has been mentioned a lot throughout this article since it’s a major problem amongst SEN children. Many other pupils are big fans of these types of activities which can lead to children who suffer with sensory overload feeling scared of rejection as they don’t want to take part in the activity. Check out this post to learn more about cooperative play which can help children work together and learn new skills.

Inclusion can still occur, however. By designing sensory play activities with this thought in mind, all types of children can take part in them without feeling forgotten about or ignored. A great way to introduce them to SEN playgrounds is by starting off small. Introduce kids to water and sand in controlled environments to avoid any stress being evident. Offering inclusive play areas is important in making sure every child feels welcome on the playground.

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Once achieved, you can start introducing them to more expansive environments which include more materials and substances. Encouraging the kids to get involved will help them start to feel comfortable as they will start to recognise it as a common occurrence in their daily routine. It’s important to be able to make them comfortable with their environment using different types of outdoor play equipment.

Imaginative Play Ideas for Kids

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Kids can take part in many different activities to have fun and develop as a person but one of the most popular is playing imaginative games.

Today’s blog will go over some imaginative play ideas for your school and why they are so popular among children.

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What is Imaginative Play?

Imaginative play is simply when children are acting out a wide variety of experiences that they know (or more commonly known as ‘role-playing’). Often overlooked by many parents, children really do like this form of play as it can be incredibly interesting and fun for the kids who are taking part in it. Check out this post to find out more about sensory playground ideas and designs as well.

Alongside this fact, this activity has a lot of benefits for those who participate. Some of these benefits include:

  • Understanding more about the adult world and how it works.
  • Introducing children to new and different situations.
  • Developing their social skills.
  • Improving imaginative functions.
  • Having a moment to relax and unwind.
  • Greater knowledge of emotions.

Knowing all these factors, the idea of this activity becomes a lot more appealing to children. It’s not just a form of entertainment but also a form of exploration and understanding. Imaginative games offer plenty of benefits for children of all ages. This is one way of meeting Ofsted requirements for playgrounds if you are looking to improve your outdoor space.

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Imaginative Playground Activities

On the playground, there are ways in which you can create a more suitable environment that encourages role-play and imaginative playground activities a lot more. Whether it is alterations of the flooring to introducing new facilities to the outdoor space, certain features can help spark children’s creativity.

A common surface that is used on playgrounds is wetpour rubber flooring. Using this material allows for the installation of wetpour graphics which can be installed on top of the flooring to reflect certain designs (e.g. snakes, rainbows, footprints). These bright and vibrant designs will engage the children whilst sparking their imagination early.

Little shelters can also help with imaginative games as they provide a new environment for kids to find themselves in. With this, kids can use these new environments in conjunction with their role play ideas to feel a lot more engaged with the activity. You can even incorporate learning with things like play area maths games or letters and words.

Providing the kids with certain materials as well (like props, costumes etc.) will help them get into character a lot easier and feel a lot more comfortable role-playing. Imaginative games and pretend play ideas should allow youngsters to escape easy without any problems whilst being able to enjoy the activity in full. When all of these are combined, the playground becomes a lot livelier and more colourful and children will therefore start having stronger feelings of wonder and excitement in that environment.

Using Children’s Imagination for Play

A child’s imagination is an amazing tool when it comes to play time as it offers a lot more excitement and thrill for the activity the children may be taking part in. Imagination can improve the current activity and keep the kids engaged and stop them from getting bored too easy. Click here to see another post that explains the benefits of children using their imaginations.

For example, by using some of the imaginative props and materials in combination with a little den, you can create an environment in which pupils can decide what the story is, and role-play it out. Whether it’s about entering a dragon’s cave to save someone or pretending to own a shop, giving them these materials and encouraging them to participate is a great method.

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Here you can see a video showing our team installing a roadway design onto an existing play area. A surface like this is perfect for teaching children road safety and allowing them to make up their own games.

You may know that playing is a great method of engaging children into learning as when kids find something fun, they can learn a lot quicker than normal. Roleplay and pretend play allow this factor to occur and help kids learn certain aspects like Maths and English quickly. Knowing these skills, a lot more proficiently can help with understanding other playground games. These can all be included as part of independent learning games which encourage children to discover new things themselves.

Role Play Games for Kids

A few pretend play games which you can try to incorporate during sessions are things like:

  • City role play – Having road lines be drawn onto your playground with little stalls on the side of the road can create the environment of a busy town. It can also be a time to teach kids about road safety and how to act in public. Those who run the shops can also learn basic maths and communication skills.
  • Cooking show – Kids love to have a snack from time to time. Creating an environment that allows pupils to mess around with food to create new and unique dishes can really get them into the spirit of a chef. As well as this, it can be a method for teaching children more about food and trying to promote healthy alternatives.
  • Medieval stories – Knights, queens, mystical beasts and treasure is all you have to say to get kids excited for playtime. Children will feel amazed in the world of fantasy that is created and will learn a lot of about bravery, royalty and morals. Alongside this, it can be incredibly fun and interesting for the kids to take part in.

Overall, role play is incredibly vital to a children’s development and not only that but is incredibly favoured by children due to how fun it is. Schools and parents should really encourage these pretend play activities as there are a lot of benefits to those who take part.

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If you’re considering making your playground more suitable for these activities with imaginative play ideas for kids, then send our team a message and get some of the best service and advice in the industry.

School Playground Ideas

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Has your playground got a patch of land that could be put to better use? Are you unsure of what to do with it? Do you need some school playground ideas that would not only reinvigorate the school grounds but be of huge physical and mental benefit to the children too? Then look no further…

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In addition to traditional playground apparatus such as climbing frames and rope bridges, there are other installations such as raised flower beds that give children the opportunity to learn outside of the classroom and have a tactile relationship with nature.

Golden Mile walking surfaces made of rubber crumbs encourage children to walk a mile every day to enhance their physical development. Even something like a giant snakes and ladders board where they are the counter, improves dexterity, balance, mathematical skills, cognitive development and social skills.

There really are a multitude of options for you to consider. If you need any help designing a play area then get in touch with your local supplier by filling in our contact form.

School Outdoor Equipment

School outdoor equipment is rarely given the praise it is due. It uses recreation as a way to enhance children’s learning experiences by introducing fresh air and fun into the learning process, and the results are truly remarkable. Numerous studies show that the following traits when children have access to play equipment;

  • Eye-to-hand coordination is improved
  • Physical dexterity increases
  • Social bonds and learning roles develop faster
  • Physical fitness overall improves
  • Imagination is stimulated
  • They learn about empathy, leadership and friendly competitiveness at an elevated rate
  • They are more attentive back in the classroom and concentration levels are higher
  • They get the recommended allocation of fresh air, physical activity and fun required by OFSTED

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School Playground Equipment Ideas

If you are thinking of updating your play area or installing some for the first time, here are a few school playground equipment ideas to get you started;

  • Hobbit holes – encourages role play, sharing and social bonding
  • Monkey bars – promotes physical advancement and friendly competitiveness
  • Slides and swings – child learn to share and the importance of taking turns and patience
  • Mud kitchens – encourage tactile play, imagination and social skills
  • Balance beams – improves balance, encourages determination and focus
  • Building blocks – imagination is stimulated and working together as a team is forefront

This is just a few of the many options available, but the one thing that all of these things have in common is FUN. Inject a little fun into kid’s learning and watch them flourish. Invest in your children and your school by installing playground apparatus as soon as you can.

Best School Playground Ideas

The best school play area ideas can come from the kids themselves. Give them input into what they want to see and they’ll and amaze you with their ingenuity. Of course, they can’t have total free reign, so here are a few examples of the best ideas.

  • Safety flooring – made from recycled tyres, can be any colour you can imagine, kind to young bones, encourage physical activity.
  • Jungle gym – encompasses everything from slides and swings, to tunnels, climbing frames and rope ladders.
  • Communal seating – this is a bit of a dark horse. Introducing communal seating encourages kids to sit together and bond without them even realising it.
  • Pirate ship/Castle – a large wooden structure that demands to be shared with friends. Imagination is born right here.

This is literally a tiny snapshot of the playground equipment that is available. Assess what is right for your establishment, take the plunge and purchase an installation. You’ll be glad that you did. Children love climbing and exploring all the different features of a diverse playground.

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School Playgrounds

School playgrounds look bare without playground equipment. Why not fulfil the potential your playground has by installing some quality apparatus for the children to play with. In addition to instantly cheering up an area, you will have an investment that multiple generations of kids will learn, play, and have fun on.

Playground equipment is robust, colourful and an essential part of every child’s mental, emotional and physical development. Different features in the playground can help improve organisational skills, preparing them for the future too.

Imagining adventures with their friends on rope bridges and balance beams, discovering friendly competitiveness on climbing frames and acting out role-plays in mud kitchens and Hobbit holes are just some of the money-can’t-buy experiences that playground equipment provides.

School Playground Equipment UK

School playground equipment in the UK has a lot to live up to. Not only does it need to stand up to a battering from the children, but it needs to be able to survive our inclement weather system too!

You’ll find that maintenance is kept to a minimum with most outdoor equipment. They are made from highly durable materials and last for years once they have been installed, making them a very good investment. Check out the various materials and colours that are available now.

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Outdoor Play Equipment for Schools

Outdoor play equipment for schools has become an integral part of the curriculum. They make a primary school look more appealing, encourage social interaction between the children, and ensure that they are getting their recommended amount of daily exercise.

You don’t have to blow the budget to get one of these installations. Building blocks and mud kitchens are a cheaper alternative to bigger pieces of equipment like jungle gyms and pirate ships, and they do just as good a job of helping the kids develop. So, whatever your budget, there will always be something that you can purchase to make the kids learning experiences that much more enjoyable.

When researching outdoor playground equipment for schools you the only thing you need to remember is that it is an investment for the future. The primary school playground ideas that you have will provide hours and hours of joy and stimulation for hundreds of children across a wide age group.

Every kid loves messy play, playing outdoors and using their imaginations to make learning more fun, and playground apparatus give them all of this and more. See just how much you can enrich children’s lives by investing in a few pieces of playground equipment. Your children will thrive and so will your school results.

Inclusive Playground Equipment for Schools

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With times changing, playgrounds are becoming a lot more accessible for children who have certain disabilities. These types of playgrounds are known as “inclusive playgrounds” and offer a wide amount of benefits not only to disabled children but to other kids as well.

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There are many different types of inclusive playground equipment for schools that you could incorporate to create a diverse outdoor space.

Ideas for Inclusive Play Areas

The key idea to keep in mind is that every piece of equipment should be suitable for children with disabilities. This doesn’t mean that the playground must be totally different from the usual ones. Slides, tunnels and sensory stations can stay the same. Check out our post on school play equipment to find out more about the different options. By keeping these the same, children who are used to regular playgrounds will feel more comfortable due to the environment being more recognisable.

Certain things like swings, playhouses and climbing walls will usually have to be developed to be accessible for disabled children. Usually, swing seats are adjusted so they can support the back of the child, playhouses have ramps meaning wheelchairs can be pushed up and climb walls are given more support, so children with disabilities can still be challenged and not find it too hard to join in.

However, certain things are important to include when thinking of ideas for inclusive play areas. Quiet spaces are great to allow children to have a moment to relax and not become too overwhelmed. Seating areas are another great thing as sometimes kids can become uncomfortable without rest, so giving them an area to chill is important. There are plenty of simple ways to refresh your playground if you feel it needs some improvement, check out this post for more details on this.

Outdoor Activities for Children of all Abilities

Incorporating a mixture of group activities and individual play is a great idea with these types of playgrounds. With a mixture like this, children can not only increase their teamwork abilities but can improve their independence while at school. It’s important to offer outdoor activities for children of all abilities so everyone can have a meaningful experience.

Group work can be challenged by simple things like noughts and crosses, which requires both players to be respectful and play by the rules. Sandboxes are another great way to increase group work as all the kids could be working together on one big project. As they complete their work, they will start to realise how much they can accomplish together compared to by themselves. Of course, group work doesn’t just mean taking part, but even giving support on things like climbing walls can suffice. There are so many benefits of outdoor play which you can discover.

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Individual play activities include things such as climbing walls, sensory stations etc. Using these activities, kids can start to focus on themselves and understand how far they push themselves to achieve things that they want to achieve. It’s a great way for children to understand that some activities don’t require a team and that they are more than capable of performing the action by themselves. It creates independence, whilst also creating a better knowledge of teamwork. You could also install various types of SEN play equipment that are designed for children with Special Educational Needs.

Diverse Playground Designs

When designing these types of playgrounds, there are some common features that are usually requested. Bright colours and thermoplastic graphics are incredibly common on these types of playgrounds due to the way of how they can encapsulate the child’s imagination, meaning the child can be occupied without even being on any piece of equipment.

Another thing to note is the actual surfacing material. Wetpour and Rubber Mulch are the most common types of surfacing in these types of playgrounds due to the ability to absorb impact and how they can be patterned/coloured. A lot of people opt-in for this type of surfacing on inclusive playgrounds.

Soft Surfaces have had over 20 years of experience in this industry and are more than happier to help with any questions or enquiries you may have. We can help with any part of the process and make sure that you are given some of the best information surrounding the subject. If you have any ideas or questions about inclusive playground equipment for schools, then send us an email today to get in contact with one of our members.

5 Elements of Inclusive Play

When it comes to developing an inclusive playground, there are five main elements that are usually kept in mind to ensure that the playground meets every child’s requirements. These five elements are:

  • Physical – As the child is engaging with the playground, they need opportunities to be physically active. This allows to release some stress and excitement for the child and therefore, gives them the chance to get themselves exhausted. Climbing in the playground is a great form of exercise and fun for children.
  • Cognitive – Physical play is important, as well as cognitive games as children are given the chance to improve their thinking abilities. Giving them challenges to do which require problem-solving and logical thinking will help them build on their existing cognitive skills.
  • Social – Through play, children can become more confident in social situations as this type of environment encourages pupils from different backgrounds to interact with each other. Doing this allows children to understand how some people are different and starts to build a great mindset on accepting everyone.
  • Communication – To fully get the benefits of the playground, children often play with others. Swings become easier to use, climbing becomes less scary and playtime becomes more fun overall. Achieving this requires communication, which inclusive playgrounds like this help children get better with their expressions and communications.
  • Sensory – Children don’t know much about the world around them, but through sensory play activities this can be changed. With the senses all being put into effect, kids learn at an accelerated rate about the environment they find themselves in. It’s a great way to educate and introduce them to the bigger world around them. These areas can be designed to support children with Sensory Processing Disorders on the playground too.

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All five elements blend themselves together nicely and can work together effectively to create a strong inclusive playground. Many playgrounds usually focus on one of these five elements, but the opposite is true with inclusive playground equipment for schools as the aim is to make the environment perfect to improve all areas at the same time, whilst being accessible for children with disabilities.

World Book Day 2020 – Thursday 5th March

Posted on by Elliot

Encouraging reading is something we should always be doing! Literacy is a skill which opens up some incredible doors for people – not just children – all over the world. What’s more, books offer people a fantastic way to escape to another world.

Rather than just sitting in front of a screen, a book will encourage readers to use their imaginations. There’s a reason why libraries are still in business – people of all ages, all over the world, still love books!

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That’s why World Book Day is always a roaring success. This year, World Book Day 2020 will be taking place on Thursday 5th March. It’s a brilliant opportunity for schools and public bodies to share books with young people.

It’s also a fantastic occasion for children and young people to get together and share their favourite stories. World Book Day allows children to try new stories and to explore new worlds.

2020 World Book Day Theme

The main 2020 World Book Day theme is all about sharing. Brought together by creative and funny new bookmark mascots, children will be encouraged to share their favourite stories and to explore new ideas. Older children and young people who use social media can also use these channels to explore events and get involved with discussions about their favourite authors and tales.

The main theme for World Book Day this year appears to be taking advantage of social platforms and creativity. There’s a fantastic national competition opening up, for example, where kids can design their own book tokens to win a fantastic selection of stories.

Schools and educational bodies across the UK, as well as the world, will be taking advantage of the latest theme and setting up events to help bring young people further into the world of literature. Why watch the movie when you can take your time and read the book instead?

Events for Schools

There are plenty of events for schools opening up surrounding World Book Day 2020. Schools can set up pop-up sales and libraries for children to sample new stories and old favourites. What’s more, there will be workshops and masterclasses opening up.

Some of the nation’s best-loved children’s authors will be coming together to share, through video, their inspirations and their own favourite stories. It’ll be a great way for young people to really connect with their favourite wordsmiths.

School events will likely vary from area to area. This means that they can get really creative when it comes to themes and activities. Ultimately, the idea is to encourage young people to read!

This could mean setting writing activities, creative book reports, storytelling areas and even book swapping clubs. The main World Book Day website is awash with brilliant ideas and concepts which will likely appeal to children and teachers alike. It’s one of the best days of the year to be a voracious reader!

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World Book Day Activity Ideas

There are some great World Book Day activity ideas already getting shared online. Schools looking to join in the fun can take a lot of inspiration from what’s appearing on the main World Book Day website, as well as through social media. The #WorldBookDay and #WorldBookDay2020 hashtags are already full of brilliant photos and ideas!

Here are just a few great ideas you could put into practice at your own school or World Book Day 2020 event:

  • Poetry and limerick competitions
  • Creative arts contests – bring your favourite characters to life
  • Acting masterclasses – bring books and stories to life
  • Reading Trees
  • Book swaps
  • Book sales
  • Fancy dress competitions – dress as your favourite characters

Of course, the list goes on! As a festival for celebrating imagination, it’s a great chance for kids and teachers to let their minds run wild. These activities can help enhance a range of skills including speech development, social interaction and more.

What are some of the most creative ways you can celebrate your favourite books, characters and authors? It’s well worth exploring what people are already bringing to life online.

Encouraging Reading in Schools

Encouraging reading in schools has never been more important. While most people are able to read from an early age, there are some who find themselves illiterate in adult life. It is nothing to be ashamed of! However, World Book Day offers a great opportunity to help encourage young people to connect with the written word.

It’s a great chance to explore some of the best-loved titles in our libraries. Iconic stories from the likes of Enid Blyton, Jacqueline Wilson, Michael Rosen, JK Rowling, JRR Tolkien, Roger Hargreaves, Michael Morpurgo and more have really made an impact on our lives. Who knows? There may be one or more up and coming authors who kids really want to get into.

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World Book Day 2020, taking place on March 5ththis year, will allow young people and their teachers to get into some exploratory reading and creative writing like never before.

Why Choose an Artificial Hockey Pitch?

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With hockey being one of the most popular sports on the P.E. curriculum, many schools dedicate a lot of resources to the sport but fail to recognise that one of the most important resources (the surface) plays a huge part.

In today’s post, we shall be covering why you should consider swapping a natural surface for an artificial hockey pitch. Check out our full range of different sports surfaces here to see what’s available.

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Benefits of Synthetic Turf for Hockey

Artificial turf has many great benefits with it that not a lot of people know about. Some of these benefits include:

  • Usable in different weather conditions – Many sports that play on a natural grass turf face one major problem. Weather. Winter can freeze up the grass and make it solid and painful to fall on, rain can cause puddles to form and slow down the pace of the sport and sun can cause the pitch to lose its colour. Synthetic grass doesn’t suffer from these problems as much and can really allow your players to carry on playing regardless of conditions.
  • Strong and versatile – With many sports fields taking a lot of damage during activity, natural grass usually struggles to keep up with the demands of players. This can lead to your pitch gaining horrific damage and ruining its looks. Synthetic grass, however, can handle the heavy use without showing any problems for over 500 hours.
  • No growing – When installed, natural grass requires a period to grow to a certain point until it is okay to play on. This can waste a lot of time and cause some matches to even be cancelled.

Synthetic grass doesn’t need any time to grow. As soon as it’s installed, it can be used pretty much instantly with no time being wasted. In addition, this saves time on maintenance as you won’t have to dedicate so much of your day to keeping the pitch in great condition.

Synthetic Hockey Pitch Surface

Synthetic Hockey Pitches can be made up from a wide range of different surface types. However, the most commonly selected (and the ones we recommend) are 2G artificial turf and Multisport synthetic turf. Both offer an incredible environment playing hockey in as well as many benefits to the players and the owners.

2G artificial turf is a sand-based surface with short synthetic grass blades sticking up. Many people agree that this surface is one of the best to play hockey on due to how flat the ground is. One of the many problems hockey players can encounter is an uneven pitch. Certain areas may slow down the ball whilst others may speed it up. With this playing surface, however, this problem doesn’t occur as water is drained away and the sand provides a good level of cushioning and friction.

Multisport synthetic grass is a lot more popular within schools and is also known as activity surfacing. Whilst 2G artificial grass is a lot more specific as it’s mainly suited around hockey, multisport artificial grass offers a more suitable surface for a wide range of sports. It can be cheaper for schools as the hockey pitch can support multiple sports instead of requiring separate pitch installations, many schools have recently started to get these types of pitches installed.

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Maintaining Artificial Hockey Surfaces

Maintaining your artificial surface is important. Even though it doesn’t require the same time and resources as maintaining your natural grass, it’s still important to keep it running well. Firstly, always perform a routine check is a great place to start. Walk around your pitch and see if you can spot any sort of problems with the surface. Maybe some of it is starting to tear up or maybe the sand infill has been lost over time.

If you spot any damage to the hockey pitch, act quickly. Acting straight away can save you a lot of money and time as leaving the problem may let it develop into something worse and possibly lead to further issues occurring in the future. Contacting us at Soft Surfaces will allow us to help analyse what the problem is and recommend the right course of action to take.

If you spot no damage, make sure to keep the hockey pitch clean. Brush across the surface with a soft brush to remove any dirt from the surface and to keep it clean to avoid any dirt entering the surface. Dirt and contaminants can end up blocking the porous surface and cause draining problems whilst making it quite dangerous to play on.

Soft brushing can also help evenly distribute sand around the pitch and stop build-ups occurring on certain sides of the pitch. By this happening, you can keep your pitch performing at its full potential and avoid any unnecessary problems from popping up. The level of play required will depend on whether or not you need England Hockey standards or just recreational use.

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School and Club Hockey Facilities

As mentioned previously, a lot of schools like using the Multisport synthetic grass due to how it’s a cheaper alternative than buying several different pitches for sports. Customisation is available on both surfaces as well to really allow school and clubs to reflect themselves and create a more unique playing environment.

Different colours and patterns can be chosen as well as different coloured lining to make sure that you have full control over how the pitch looks in the end. Many people like this feature of synthetic turfs and usually leads to a lot of people enquiring about them as again, you can make your turf a lot more personal with these factors.

These artificial hockey pitch surfaces are also incredibly soft and can have shock pads installed underneath to minimise any injuries that might occur whilst taking part in the sport. Shock pads give kids a little more confidence during the sport as they’re not as scared about injuries and pain and will more focus on the sport.

If you are interested in the idea of a 2G artificial turf or a Multisport synthetic surface, then get in contact with us today. With over 20 years of experience, our team will be able to help with any questions or queries with some of the best answers in the industry. Send us your enquiries for hockey pitches now and get started on bringing your ideas to life!

Outdoor Play Ideas for Children With Dyscalculia

Posted on by Elliot

Modern playgrounds and outdoor play areas should offer more than opportunities for children to let off energy and steam. They should also stimulate and engage with children of all ages and abilities! Many invisible disabilities, like dyscalculia, can be overlooked through playground designs. Sometimes play areas can exclude children who struggle to understand numbers.

Therefore, which playground toys and staples are ideal for children with dyscalculia? How does it affect children, and how can we help to encourage young people with the condition to play and explore?

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What is Dyscalculia?

Dyscalculia is a learning disability that is referred to as an ‘invisible’ disability in the wider scheme. Children with dyscalculia will struggle to learn how numbers and calculations work.

This means that young people with the condition may find it frustrating to take part in maths lessons. Play specific games on the playground might also be challenging.

There are a number of ways in which schools can support children with dyscalculia. Not only are there recommended teaching practices, but there are also playground toys that help to support their understanding.

How Can it Affect Children?

Children can be affected by dyscalculia in many different ways. As dyslexia affects people’s understanding of words, dyscalculia affects people’s understanding of numbers. who may have difficulty processing numbers and figures, as well as simple sums.

  • Children with dyscalculia may struggle to easily count the number of objects in a group up to ten at a time.
  • These pupils may also struggle to understand basic maths symbols, and how addition and multiplication work.
  • Children with dyscalculia may also find it hard to recall numbers, keeping scores, or telling what time it is.
  • Dyscalculia can be very frustrating and scary for young children. In a school environment, children face numbers and sums on a daily basis. Many with the condition try to avoid mathematics and numbers altogether. Others may get upset or lash out.

Therefore, it is important for us to identify the needs of children with dyscalculia. Even more important, of course, is ensuring that children have respite from intensive mathematics. This can be provided through gentle, explorative play.

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Playground Activities to Help Dyscalculia

There are many brilliant ways to help support children with dyscalculia on the playground. Playground activities to help dyscalculia will ensure that children gain confidence in their abilities to handle numbers. It will also offer them a gentle route towards exploring maths outside of classroom environments.

Here are a few fantastic examples of fun and games children with dyscalculia might enjoy. You can incorporate these into an inclusive playground setting.

Practical Maths Games

Practical maths games take advantage of a child’s innate ability to ‘learn through doing’. A practical maths game will revolve around children working together to solve problems. They can use balls, tubes, counters and buckets, kids can collaborate on exciting, physical maths projects.

Children with dyscalculia may find practical maths games to be an exciting new way to approach numbers. Practical maths can help to instil knowledge of quantity and counting. Many children with dyscalculia struggle with maths in a classroom setting as they are handling figures on a page. In a practical environment, numbers may seem more appealing, and so might maths in general.

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Role Play Activities

Role play activities are where children of all ages shine. From a young age, we all have incredible imaginations. Therefore, through role-playing games, children get to explore their creative side, and get the chance to think a little more ‘outside of the box’. There are plenty of role-play systems and toys available. These can all help children to explore mathematics, too.

For example, in pretend kitchens and workshops, children may pretend to collect a specific number of items. They could also mix together a specific amount of mud to make pretend cakes and pies. Working together through role-play, they might also learn to share the load when it comes to measuring and counting. These activities can be very beneficial to all children. In particular, those who lack confidence with numbers in the classroom.

Visual Mathematics

Children largely learn by seeing, as well as doing. Many children with dyscalculia may find visual mathematics very exciting! Instead of having to handle a bunch of boring numbers on a page, they can explore the relationships between numbers. This includes how they work together through new ones, through exciting, visual games.

Perhaps the most popular visual maths game is, of course, hopscotch. It is a playground classic that is painted on the floor of a play area. It has clear numbers that are bright and easy for young children to see. You can also set up bigger number grids with shapes like various creatures and characters, too. There are plenty of ways to incorporate maths games on the playground.

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Outdoor Chalk Boards

Outdoor chalk boards might not sound like too much fun. But think about the possibilities children might have with a chalkboard during role play. It’s a great tool for working out simple sums! For example, children playing shops can make note of the prices of food items before asking for payment!

An outdoor chalkboard is another fantastic visual mathematics tool. These can help children with dyscalculia approach numbers and basic sums in a different, more appealing way.

Supporting Children on the Playground

In the modern age, we should be supporting all children on the playground. Exploring and learning doesn’t start and end with the classroom, and this should never be the case! Children with dyscalculia should feel confident and safe to explore numbers and basic maths. They should be able to do this in environments they find appealing and exciting.

Children with dyscalculia must receive support from teachers and playground supervisors. Childhood is a crucial time for developing social confidence, and for developing basic everyday skills. This includes calculating sums and understanding the concepts of quantity. Without these skills, children may grow up struggling to adapt with some of the more stressful aspects of adult life.

Therefore, we must start supporting children on the playground. We can do this with inclusive, inspiring and exciting toys and games!

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Feel free to contact our team for more details on outdoor play ideas for children with Dyscalculia.