The playground is more than just a place where children can enjoy fun activities. As it is a space that encourages holistic development, you should be careful when it comes to constructing a playground for preschool.
In this article, we’re rounding up nine things to remember when designing a playground.
Choose the right location. A cleverly designed playground will be put to waste if it’s not installed or constructed in a strategic location. When choosing your playground’s location, select one that is visible and easy to access. This will help parents and teachers to supervise the children while they are playing.
Know how many will be playing. The size of your playground will depend on the population of your preschool students. Be careful about the capacity of your playground because overcrowding can lead to accidents. Make sure it has enough space where its users can freely and safely play.
Plan your playground layout wisely. Strategically locate and cluster equipment according to their use and purpose. When planning a layout, you should also follow all manufacturer’s instructions regarding the equipment’s proper installation (e.g. How far apart should it be from another equipment? Which ones should be kept separate from another cluster of playground facilities?).
Include a variety of play equipment. For a playground for preschool to be fun, interactive, and educational, it should have a wide array of equipment — there should be an area for passive play and another for active play. This will aid in enforcing the playground’s use as a place for developing various skills.
Use age-appropriate equipment. As the playground you’re designing is meant for preschoolers, equip it with playground facilities and toys that are appropriate for their age bracket. Take note that younger kids tend to be attracted to bright objects. Also bear in mind that they’d need supper structures like railings and ledges to help them use your equipment.
Put functional accessories. From benches to pathways and signages, your playground accessories can also be used as a learning tool for children. For example, you can paint numbers on pathways to subtly teach preschoolers how to count.
Prioritize the children’s safety. When designing a playground for preschool, safety should always be a top priority. Make sure that there is no safety hazard in the premises, and that it is surrounded by perimeter fences. When the playground becomes operational, you should see to it that children are always supervised whenever they use it.
Use the playground to let children get closer to nature. Playgrounds are known to help develop children’s creative, analytical, social, and motor skills. But did you know that these spaces can also be used to foster care for the environment? This can be done by adding signages instructing them to throw garbage properly to locating the playground to an area with trees.
Incorporate cultural aspects. If you want preschoolers to learn about the culture or history of your community early on, you can use the playground as a platform to educate them about it. For instance, if your community is known for a certain thing, you can incorporate it in signages or use it as artwork painted on a certain equipment.
General Recreation can help you every step of the when it comes to building playground for preschool. Contact us today and let’s talk about the project you have in mind.
