Archives for June 2022

Target playground markings are the perfect resource to develop your pupils’ aim. But why stop there when you can use them for much more?

In this blog, we will give you some great ideas for games that you can play and study with our target playground markings which will make break times, and even lessons, much more engaging, active, and educational for your children.

Bullseye

This game is super simple and yet tons of fun. To set up your own game of Bullseye, you will need to draw four or more circles – starting with one in the middle and following up with another around it and so on.

Bullseye can be played with two or more players, but larger groups offer the possibility of forming teams, which makes the game more social and enjoyable. The goal is to throw an object, like a beanbag, and try to hit the Bullseye, grabbing the maximum number of points for your attempt.

Set up your scoring rules with each circle awarding more points the closer they are to the centre (the bullseye), which awards the highest number of points. Each participant should throw the same type of object as the others to make it fair.

To make this game more interesting, each player can get multiple objects that they need to throw, each of them differing in weight and size. This will make every attempt more unique and the game more interesting. Additionally, adding more circles will make for a more diverse score which is a fantastic way to teach maths, too!

A great playground marking to use for this game is our 2-Way Solid Target with bright and bold colours for each circle.

Darts on the Playground

Use a beanbag or a stone to mark the throws instead of darts. Even with the twist of not using darts, playing this fun game on the playground will surely bring smiles to the faces of your infant and primary school children!

Choose a variation of darts that you want to play. There are a multitude of games for you to pick from including 301, 501, and 701, which are all a race to 0. Round the world will have participants race to hit all numbers from 1 – 20 in order and the first one to do so is the winner. Make sure to check out popular darts variations to find the best fit or simply try them all.

Play with two or more players to maximise the fun or easily play this game in teams. Make sure to check out our durable dartboard playground marking, for a more permanent solution for your playground!

21

Another fun game that you can play with a friend, or a group, is 21. You will need to draw three lines, which will mark the spots from which you will be throwing. The first line should be closer to the target area and each line after that should be further from the others.

The closest line will give you the number of points you scored, without multiplying them, while the rest of the lines multiply your score depending on the order from the target area. For example, if you are throwing 4 lines away from the target area, your score will be multiplied by 4.

As for the target area, it can be in any shape you want. Mark as many areas within it, each awarding a different number of points. Keeping the areas awarding a lower number of points will help prolong the game, while higher point awards can make for more fun due to the potential of more mistakes! The goal is to reach a score of 21 without going over. If you score more than 21, your score gets restarted, and your opponents get to catch up to you.

Our solid target with throwing lines playground marking is the perfect marking for this game!

Maths Showdown

Target playground markings are super fun and a seamless way to perfect maths skills, learning how to divide, multiply, add, and subtract.

Draw a circle on the ground and split the inside of it into 10 equal sections, with the lines going towards the centre of the circle. Mark each section with the numbers 1-10 on the outer side of the circle. Then divide each section into 4 more sections by drawing inner circles, starting with a plus for the outermost section, then minus, multiply and divide for the one closest to the centre. You could also use one of our fantastic maths target playground markings too!

Split your pupils in two or more equal teams. Each turn, you will call out a starting number and have a member of one team throw a beanbag onto the markings. This will determine the other number and the sign for the equation. Have the other team then discuss the equation and come up with the answer for it. Reverse the roles for the next turn.

This can be an amazing way for a class to study maths as they can exchange thoughts and help each other out. With an accurate throw, they can also challenge the other team with a tough equation for maximum fun.

You could even make this game more competitive by having just one person solve the equation in each round, giving a point to their team if they do and vice versa.

Education and fun go hand in hand with our vibrant thermoplastic target playground markings. If you would love your pupils to enjoy plenty of fun play and learning on your playground, check out our wide variety of top quality playground markings and give our friendly team a call!

 

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Importance of Role Play for Early Years

5 Fun Basketball Games for you to try

How to play Chess

Role play is a fun and easy way for children to learn more about themselves, what they love, and what they could eventually enjoy doing in the future. It helps children to develop interests in different subjects and many children have discovered their dream profession thanks to participating in role play as a child and sticking with their choice through the years into adulthood.

Role playing also has an essential role when it comes to learning important skills such as creativity, discipline, working as a team, and socialising in general. It gives children a unique opportunity to act out and make sense of scenarios based on real life situations, whist letting their creativity run wild when it comes to how they would handle them. From firefighters and police to kings and queens, the possibilities are endless, the only limit is their imagination!

There are, however, a few different types of role play and each one benefits children in its own way.

Occupational Role Play

Occupational role play is when children take the roles of different careers and act them out. Some popular job roles children pretend to be include doctors, nurses, vets, builders, gardeners, shop assistants, cleaners, and even teachers. When taking on such roles, children engage themselves in a form of play that encourages them to show more empathy towards the people around them.

It’s not only tons of fun, but also very beneficial for children to imagine themselves as people with important roles inspiring care and an interest for the community. Occupational role play is also fantastic for naturally developing their communication and social skills.

There’s a reason why occupational role play is also used in adult life, for example, in job interviews. It helps to improve and demonstrate problem-solving skills as it allows them to discuss different scenarios and solutions with their peers.

You could even practice some of these roles on our playground markings – an astronaut on our Space Trail perhaps?

Fantasy Role Play

Fantasy – not only the most awesome, but also one of the most essential elements and prospects of role play. Almost every child has a favourite superhero, Disney princess, or make belief character that they love, admire, and look up to.

Fantasy characters often represent all aspects of life in an engaging, interesting way to children which is why it makes for such a good way for children to learn. When they have fun and enjoy themselves, they are more likely to remember the knowledge for next time.

Fantasy role play encourages children to use their imagination the most, and whilst doing so, they are able to develop their courage, creativity, confidence, and communication. What’s more, when children role play in groups, they often have to choose who’s going to play who. In turn, this improves their patience and negotiating skills, helps them to better understand others, and develops their teamwork.

Why not try out some of these themes on our Pirate Maze playground marking, or our Jurassic Phonics!

Real-life Situational Role Play

Role playing real-life situations such as building, camping, meeting new people, and having job interviews for example, helps early-years learn more about their real environment and develop both their physical and communication skills. They may be able to start recognising certain scenarios and situations that they see their parents or teachers in day to day. It can help them learn how to react and respond to different problems and circumstances, all the while developing their personal attributes and building their character.

Role playing is a great way for children to develop themselves as individuals and to learn more about the world. It can be played inside or outdoors, within a safe environment, and the best part is there are no limits! Encourage your school children to take part in role play to help them grow and prepare them for what may come!

 

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5 Fun Basketball Games for you to try

How to Play Chess

Playground Markings for Teaching Literacy

If you love basketball, and you want to enjoy this fun game in a multitude of other variations, we are happy to tell you that we have a number of enjoyable suggestions for you.

Being one of the most active, dynamic, and fun sports that promote teamwork and coordination, basketball can come in many variations. What are they? Take a look below for 5 fun basketball games for you to try.

1. 3×3 Basketball

If you can’t always get a large group of pupils at the same time, or if you don’t always have time for a full game, then this is the perfect basketball game. It comes very close to the traditional version but is played in just one half of the basketball court. As the name of the game suggests, it is played by two teams with three players each.

Scoring is slightly different too, where scores within the D are worth 1 point instead of 2, and those scored outside the D are worth 2 instead of 3. A match is only 10 minutes in length without any breaks and the first team to either reach 21 points, or score the most points, is the winner. A shorter length and smaller distance to run makes for a fun and exciting alternative.

2. 21

Just like 3×3 basketball, this game is played using just one half of the basketball court markings, however, it can be played by two or more players. There are no teams in 21, so every player ‘competes’ for themselves.

The game starts with a shot towards the hoop and the basketball must bounce off it without going through, after which each player will be competing for the rebound. Once a player scores, they get awarded up to three free shots if each go is successful.

The aim is to reach exactly 21 points, but this can be tricky since going over 21 points puts you back to 11. This is particularly challenging when you get free shots each time you score. In order to avoid scoring extra points from free shots, you must make sure to hit the basketball hoop so the ball can bounce back. If you don’t hit the hoop while trying to miss, you have to repeat the shot!

3. Knockout

A very popular basketball game to test your reactions and accuracy. To play, you need two or more people and a basketball each. Make a line in front of the basketball hoop and have the first two participants each hold one of the basketballs.

The game starts with the first person in line making a shot and trying to score. If they miss on the first try, they can get a rebound and shoot from wherever they catch the ball, as many times as they need to score. Once they score, they grab the ball and run to the back of the line, passing the ball to the next player who doesn’t have one.

However, after the opening shot of the first player, the second player in line also gets to shoot too. Just like the first player, the second player can also catch the ball after their first attempt and proceed to shoot until they score. The difference being that if they score before the first player, they will knock them out of the game.

The goal of the game is for the succeeding player to score before the proceeding one, having them drop out. This continues until there is only one player left, who is then the winner of the game.

4. H-O-R-S-E

A very fun and simple game which is for two or more players. Pupils will take turns with their friends, shooting the basketball. Whenever one person scores, everybody needs to take a shot at the same spot where the scoring shot was made.

Instead of accumulating points for scoring, you will learn letters every time your opponent’s miss from the spot of your successful shot. The goal is to score from tough positions, so the other players would not be able to repeat the success of your shot, which will let you quickly earn all the letters and complete the word, winning the game.

You could easily switch with longer words to fit a larger group of players. You can also get creative and use on the game to educate smaller children too!

5. Around the world

This game has a multitude of variations, and you can agree on additional rules with your peers. You need two players to be able to players this game.

Together, pick a few positions around the basketball court markings, depending on the age of the participants, with fewer positions for younger players. Each player must complete a course by shooting and scoring from all those positions. If they miss a shot, they go back to the beginning and start the course again.

This game can easily be modified to be more friendly or challenging for children. For example, you can make it easier by not having the participants go back to the beginning every time they miss. Instead, just take the total number of attempts at scoring for the entire course into consideration. If you want more of a challenge, you could add specific types of shots and at a greater distance for each course. Your imagination can run wild with this game!

 

Those are just a few basketball games for you to try with your pupils during PE lessons or break times! All those fun games are better played on a fresh and engaging playground, so be sure to check out our range of durable and vibrant thermoplastic playground markings, including our two styles of basketball playground markings.

 

Read more of our blogs:

How to play Chess

Playground Markings for Teaching Literacy

Taking the classroom outside with Playground Markings

Patience, planning, and concentration are just a few skills that chess will surely help your pupils to develop and improve. This ancient game is a great choice for everyone who enjoys putting their brains to work and can be extremely beneficial for your mental health!

What are the rules of chess?

Classic chess is a fun game that is for two players only. The goal of chess is to ‘checkmate’ your opponent’s king, in order to win the game. You will have to achieve that while defending your own king though, so you need to be careful while pressing the attack, so you don’t open yourself up to a checkmate instead.

The chess pieces come in two colours – black (dark) and white (light) – and the player with white pieces always goes first. Each player gets to move one piece per turn, except in the case of ‘castling’.

How to set up your chess game?

In order to set up the game properly, the chess board should be located between the two players. To ensure that the board is in the right position, players should have the right-most square, on the first row in front of them, be white. Some chessboards have additional letter and number markings on the side, to help with proper positioning.

The chess pieces and their roles

There are 6 different types of chess pieces, and each player has an equal number of them. Each chess piece type has its unique way of moving and some of them even have special functions. The 6 pieces are:

1. Pawn – There are 8 of them and they are always situated on the second row for each player. Pawns can move two squares forward, but only on their first move in the game. If you have moved them once already, though, they can move only one square forward. They can only capture one square, in diagonal direction forth.
2. Queen – Each side has one queen piece. The queens are located in the middle of the first row, always on the square which represents your colour. Queens are the most powerful chess piece, being able to move and capture anywhere either diagonally, vertically or horizontally.
3. King – After that we have the king, which is the most valuable unit in the game. Each player has one king, which is positioned in the other middle square, next to the queen. The king can only move and capture on adjacent squares.
4. Bishop – Each player has two Bishops, located on the first row, one placed next to the king and the other – next to the queen. Bishops can move and capture back and forth only in diagonal direction.
5. Knight – Each side has two Knights. They are located on the first row of each side, between the Rooks and the Bishops. Knights are the most unique chess piece, as they can jump over other pieces. They move 3 squares in an L-shaped manner, with horizontal or vertical movements only. So, if you start with 1-2 squares horizontally, the remaining 1-2 moves need to be vertical and vice versa. They can capture pieces, which are located only on the square they land on.
6. Rook – Each player has 2 of them. The Rooks are located at both ends of the first row right next to the knights. They can also move and capture, back and forth on the board, however, contrary to Bishops, only vertically or horizontally.

Special moves in chess

There are three special moves in traditional chess: ‘En passant’, ‘Castling’, and Pawn Promotion.

‘En passant’ – If player A chooses to move their Pawn two squares forward and lands it right next to a Pawn of player B, then immediately on their next turn player B can choose to capture it without having to move over it, but behind it instead, as if player A’s Pawn was standing diagonally from it. ‘En passant’ can only be performed by player B on the turn immediately after player A has moved their Pawn two squares forward.

‘Castling’ – Can be performed only when one of the two Rooks and the King have not yet been moved by a player and there are no chess pieces in between. The King moves two squares in the direction of the Rook you want, while the Rook will stand on the side of the King which is closer to the middle. This move cannot be performed if your King is in check or will end up in check after the move.

Pawn Promotion – If you reach the other end of the board with a pawn, you can promote (exchange) that pawn to any other higher rank chess piece of your choice, except a king.

Ideas for Chess on the Playground

You could easily add physical health to the benefits that chess already offers if you choose to add a Chess playground marking to your outdoor area. Instead of using chess pieces, you could easily make your pupils take the roles of chess pieces themselves. This will make the game much more immersive and child friendly. It will significantly improve their social skills but will also bring lots of laughter and good times!

If you want chess on the playground to be even more fun and less demanding, blitz chess is also an option! Adding time control to the game may make for more mistakes, but it will significantly boost the mental benefits for kids too. To make it even more interactive, you can let everybody have a say in where the chess pieces should go. Split the class into two teams for each colour and let them take turns making quick moves for their own team!

Chess is great for any playground, and we have the perfect durable thermoplastic Chess playground markings for your school too!

 

Check out more of our blogs:

Playground Markings for Teaching Literacy

Taking the classroom outside with Playground Markings

How to Maintain your Thermoplastic Playground Markings