Best Playground Markings For Schools: Geography & The World Around Us
Updated on: December 9, 2024
The natural world may not immediately spring to mind when you think about playground markings for schools but at Fun & Active Playgrounds, we like to think outside the box. Threading cross-curricular links into our playground designs as often as we can, you’ll soon notice lots of our markings link to geography, science, and the world around us.
The thermoplastic markings we use give us lots of scope to get creative. Basing all our designs on national curriculum requirements, from compass points to animals, skeletons and maps, there’s lots to discover in our exciting collection of thermoplastic playground markings for schools.
Here’s a whizz through some of our most popular cross-curricular designs for schools. We’ve added a selection of our fun school playground equipment to the shortlist too. You’ll find the Equipment for School Playgrounds Collection is equally imaginative and works seamlessly in conjunction with our markings.
Browse our Geography & Science playground marking designs
Best Playground Markings For Schools: Geography & The World Around Us
At Fun & Active Playgrounds, personalised service ensures you have full flexibility to tailor designs to suit your school community. Whether from our collection or your own bespoke designs you’ve created yourself or as a school, it’s easy to obtain unique playground markings for your setting.
Counting school logos and ethos diagrams amongst our services as well as playground marking removals, you’ll find we’re a comprehensive playground markings supplier with the range of services you need.
Utilising the advantages of thermoplastic, our school playground markings are long-lasting and robust. Anti-slip properties mean pupils can use them without hazard in all weathers.
Lasting up to 10 times longer than traditional playground painting, the highly resistant surface withstands the heavy use and range of extreme weather playgrounds endure. …more about our services for schools.
School Playground Markings: Geography & EYFS Understanding The World
Geography
Our thermoplastic map playground markings come in a range of useful designs. The UK Map Playground Marking is great for giving children a sense of place. So often, many pupils struggle to understand what it really means to live in a particular part of the country so the chance to revisit the concept in their own time is beneficial. See how else pupils can benefit from Geography Playground Markings.
For a more custom map design, the Map of Wales Marking is a good example to spark your own ideas. Trimming the locations down to your own region can provide superb opportunities for children to develop their knowledge of locations close to their local area.
In today’s world, where geography lessons are squeezed and satellite navigation has laid waste to regular map use, having regional maps displayed in your outdoor space ensures pupils will at least see one map regularly!
On a bigger scale, our World Map with Oceans Marking offers ample opportunity for children to revisit key learning about continents and world oceans from geography lessons in KS1. As they grow, pupils can indulge in the fascinating task of identifying different countries from around the world on the map.
The simple act of seeing and engaging with the world map on a regular basis provides pupils with foundational geography knowledge which will remain with them forever.
Alongside our maps, we also have a variety of compass point playground markings. Depicting the four main compass points, plus in some cases additional lesser compass points, these designs give pupils valuable time to consolidate knowledge during fun play.
All of our playground designs are open-ended. The range of ways pupils can use our compass point playground markings for educational play, whilst TAs can harness them for group work, is extensive.
Playground Markings For Schools: Science & EYFS Understanding The World
For science, the play panels in our Playground Equipment Collection are home to lots of exciting, interactive designs. Many of those designs are about weather and temperature.
The Water Cycle
The water cycle is a concept pupils have to revisit many times to fully absorb the numerous stages in the journey of water vapour. Regularly seeing and engaging with the Water Cycle Play Panel is a sure-fire way to embed a core concept.
Available on the playground every day, children will consolidate core knowledge they will draw on for the rest of their lives. Whether mounted on the wall or fixed to posts, play panels are a great way to brighten up a playground with equipment high in educational value.
Weather
Bringing real-life science to the playground, from it’s working rain gauge to humidity measure, there’s plenty of learning to be had with the Weather Station Play Panel.
The Solar System
Move through the solar system on foot with our Solar System Playground Marking. From Neptune to Mars, Uranus and Saturn, you can travel the universe in one playtime!
The Body
The concept of a skeleton is often hard for children to grasp but our Skeleton Playground Marking gives pupils plenty of time to revisit and discuss the idea with peers. Accompanied by a handy glossary, the bright design provides pupils with plenty to explore and discuss during free play.
Healthy Eating
For EYFS, imaginary play using the Farm Shop Play Panel is a great backdrop for the consolidation of learning about healthy eating and the journey our food takes from farm to table.
When the farmer arrives laden with fresh produce, it’s the farm shop worker who will need to serve up all these tasty fruit and vegetables. From courgettes to pears and apples, they’ll soon be delving into plenty of knowledge of fresh produce or extending their existing understanding via helpful conversations with peers.
Playground Markings For Schools: Cross-Curricular Links & EYFS Understanding The World
For cross-curricular links, our thermoplastic playground markings for schools, as well as our play panels, cut across an enormous number of national curriculum topics. From languages to maths, English, and PSHE, there’s a huge collection of designs to discover.
Here are a number of our favourites:
The World Around Us
Many of our designs feature botanicals. Head to our trails collection to uncover an array of fun trails for children to explore. A range of tracks and activities edged with plants, mini-beasts and flowers hold plenty of appeal. Alternatively, see our blog on How Playgrounds Can Help Children Learn About Nature.
Languages
The Learning Languages Playground Marking is one of a collection of playground markings and play panels which support experimentation with global languages. From how to say welcome to numbers and common words, playtimes can lay foundations for all sorts of learning in years to come.
Animals & Habitats
Animals from a range of habitats feature widely across our playground markings. From frogs to fish, butterflies and elephants, there’s something for everyone.
People Who Help Us
Our activity play panels include lots of real-life contexts to support children with work within the topic of people who help us. From a fire engine to shops and a police car, there are lots of contexts to choose from.
The opportunity for EYFS pupils to go outside and see and role-play the occupations you’re discussing is invaluable. By engaging in imaginary play, we know it’s so much easier for children to understand the subject matter in greater depth. With pupils able to pretend to be one of the people who helps us, everything from writing tasks to explaining who we should go to for help in different scenarios will be easier for all children.
Instructions
For street signs head to our Play Panels Collection. From give way signs to traffic lights and stop signs, there’s lots to explore.
Inclusion
From sign language to Makaton, we have an array of inclusive designs for schools. With the option to tailor existing designs from the collection to your needs or request a fully custom marking, the scope for creating your own inclusive designs is yours to explore.
And that’s just a few of our most popular playground designs for schools! Browse our full collection. Remember all our designs are bespoke so you can commission any ideas you have in mind.
Browse playground markings for schools
Jess Sparks
Jess is deeply committed to supporting our mission of positively impacting UK outdoor play environments to promote healthy lifestyles in children.
With a CIM Level 6 Diploma in Sustainable Marketing, Jess channels her passion for sustainability into her marketing role, using her skills to promote eco-conscious practices and raise awareness for our initiatives.
Jess’ experience within the industry is instrumental in driving engagement and supporting connections with those who require ultra-durable, high-grade playground markings both locally and internationally.
