In the last few years thermoplastic playground markings have continued to steadily gain more and more popularity, and reasonably so! They have turned out to be an amazing and affordable solution to almost every school playground in England. We have talked about how entertaining playground markings are, how easy they are to maintain and how durable they can be. Now we’re focusing on what benefits they bring to the playground and why are they so good for children, not only to play on, but to learn and develop too.

 

They Encourage Interaction

It is highly important for children to learn to socialise and feel free to be themselves around other people. Nowadays it has become extremely hard for young people to socialise and connect due to their constant exposure to social media and technology. Playing outside and meeting new people face to face has become the second best choice for them, and due to that many kids find themselves having anxiety and trouble socialising with their peers when it comes to it.

Playground markings are the heirs of the original social media for children, and more precisely outdoor games and activities.  For many years before the era of technology, children have created both long-lasting friendships and memories by playing outside. And even now it is essential for them to do so! Many school playground designs are designed in order to encourage children to form teams and to be played as group activities where the players have to interact among themselves, and in turn create bonds by playing together.

Motivating Children to Learn More

Many playground markings are specifically designed for educational purposes. When children think of school, homework and sitting in the classroom is what often comes to mind. But there is something else as well – meeting and playing with friends. Kids perceive the first as the more negative part of school and the second as the fun part of going to school.  So why not combine both – education and having fun? It is important to show children that learning can be lots of fun too, especially when it is done with friends!

A Big Yes for Physical Activity

Playground markings are many amazing things, but one of the best possible benefits they bring with themselves is the amount of physical activity they stimulate amongst children. Since the lockdown, many had to stay at home and kids were deprived of the opportunity to play with their friends. Playing outside is the main source of physical activity for children and they absolutely love it! Encouraging children to play more outside is always beneficial and one of the main purposes of playground markings is just that!

 

Read more of our blogs:

Study shows young children need to play outdoors more

How children benefit from creative play

Tennis court markings for your playground

Playing is something that comes naturally to children. No matter where they are, there is always some way to play, whether it’s on the playground, in the classroom, or even just at home. In fact, Healthline explains that this is how children learn and reduce stress. However, the pandemic has reduced opportunities for children to play, especially outdoors. This has affected their chances to explore and learn about their natural environment, test their physical limits, and socialise with their peers. Here’s what research has shown about children’s need to play outdoors more often.

What Studies Have Shown

A study cited by The Guardian shows that children spend less time playing outdoors today compared to previous generations. Most children today are 11 years old by the time they are allowed to play unsupervised outside, compared to their parents who were outside playing by the time they were just nine. While COVID-19 had a significant impact on this, findings show that this was true even before the pandemic restrictions took place. This is due to parents being more risk-averse, showing greater concern for instances of stranger danger and the increase in vehicular traffic in neighbourhoods. Children who were raised on the outskirts of urban areas, however, were more likely to be allowed out to play at a younger age.

Another study from Norway explores the relationship between children’s play, well-being, and engagement. The research looked at how indoor and outdoor environments played a role in the aforementioned factors. Results showed that there was a significant correlation between children’s play and their well-being and involvement. Researchers also found that the types of play children spent their free time doing varied significantly between indoor and outdoor settings. Functional play, which involves physical play activities such as running, climbing, and riding, was more evident outdoors. Mixed play was seen in both indoor and outdoor settings.

How Children Can Be Encouraged to Play Outdoors More

Given that children aren’t getting enough opportunities outdoors, there are a few things parents can do to encourage more time to play outside.

Find a good playground. Playgrounds are one of the best ways for children to learn while having fun. It is also much safer because your kids will be around their peers and other parents too. As we discuss in our blog, playground-based learning takes lessons from the classroom while allowing children to get the physical exercise they need to keep healthy. You can also make use of playground markings to catch children’s attention and keep them interested. Children can also use the playground for structured and unstructured play, all while socialising with their peers and learning valuable lessons in the process. A good playground that is well-designed for children can help them enjoy the outdoors and grow more confident.

Do outdoor activities with them. Children often learn from the adults in their lives first. If they are apprehensive about spending time outdoors, then ease them into it with a joint activity. Gardening is a fun way to be productive while also encouraging your child to get a bit messy. This outdoor activity helps develop locomotor and body management skills as they manoeuvre around tools, plants, soil, and water. There is also plenty of sensory stimulation to be had, with colourful plants, tools, and textures. Your child can also develop their cognitive skills as they learn how to keep plants healthy during their time outdoors.

Invest in equipment for all ages. One of the best ways to encourage children to love the outdoors is by exposing them to nature as often as possible at a young age. As a family make it a point to take your children on nature walks. Today, brands like Regatta have created specialised walking boots for young children. By giving them their own walking boots, young children will have a sense of ownership and be more inclined to go out. If you have younger children, invest in a pushchair that can be taken as easily off road as to a park. As iCandy demonstrates, parents can buy pushchairs with all terrain wheels designed for both rural and urban use. Getting your children outside more will require hard work and some investments, but it will be worth it.

 

Read more of our blogs:

How Children Benefit from Creative Play

Tennis Court Markings for your playground

Games to promote fun and learning in your playground

We’ve had our challenges like many others this year but as 2021 comes to an end, we wanted to look back on some of our highlights and celebrate our achievements at Fun & Active Playgrounds. Read on as we reflect on 2021!

5 winning schools were made very happy

We gave away some awesome prizes and made 5 winning schools very happy, including Elson Infant School, Locks Heath Infant School, Southampton Hospital School, Perry Court E-ACT Academy and Marlpool Infant School.

In January, we launched a competition on our social pages to win a free Active Trail playground marking and after it’s popularity, decided to give another two away in March and April. Following that, we upped our prize and put two whopping Silver Sports Packages up for grabs in June and July to help schools start the next academic year with a £3,000 playground transformation.

We planted 50 trees

We contributed to planting a total of 50 trees with the help of Carbon Footprint to offset our carbon emissions. This has also helped to fund an important VCS approved project in Brazil to prevent deforestation in the Amazon Rainforest. The Amazon is the largest remaining rainforest in the world, known for its amazing biodiversity; containing at least 10% of all species – many of them endangered.

Our trees were planted here in the UK through Carbon Footprint’s tree planting programme and will contribute to protecting habitats and maintaining biodiversity. We will continue this initiative next year and schools are still able to get involved by applying for free trees to be planted at their site! You can register your interest with us for a fantastic hands-on, educational activity.

Katie completed her qualification

Our fabulous Graphic Designer, Katie, completed her Level 3 Junior Creative Producer qualification and was awarded Outstanding Contribution to the Workplace!

Katie joined us as an apprentice graphic designer in June 2019 and ever since had been studying for her qualification, visiting college one day a week. After passing the course early this year, Havant and South Downs College also awarded Katie with Outstanding Contribution to the Workplace.

Our Managing Director, Dave Bailey, said: “Katie is nothing short of amazing, she has exceeded all expectations and continues to impress us. Katie came to us at the beginning of the year and asked for a meeting. Over her time off she had conducted an audit on our social media and made a comparison to our competitors…

“Fast forward to the end of the year, Katie looked after our social media for 9 months unaided, sometimes creating weeks at a time to support the company during lockdown and on minimum hours. Katie now supports our marketing manager Jess with design and content.

“Katie has made herself an integral part of our team and we are so happy we took the decision to take her as an apprentice.”

We won two awards

In September, we won not one but two awards in the Southern Enterprise Awards 2021 – for Leading Provider of Thermoplastic Playground Markings and Customer Service Excellence! We were over the moon to receive these awards after such a challenging year and to be recognised as an industry market leader and innovator for playground markings for schools and other sectors.

We wouldn’t have been able to do any of this without our amazing team, fabulous customers and followers so a huge thank you to you all. We hope to make many more achievements in 2022!

 

Read more of our blogs:

How children benefit from creative play

Tennis court markings for your playground

Games to promote fun and learning in your playground

Creative play, or as it is also known ‘imaginative’ and ‘role’ play, is one of the best and most beneficial ways in which children can improve their imagination, stimulate creativity, and just invent their own little world. Imaginative play has a highly important role in every child’s development. Children love to dream about fantasy worlds, fairy castles, and many different scenarios involving their favourite characters, movies, or fairy tales. Imagination is just as important as physical and educational activities, and similarly to these, imagination can also be enhanced with some interesting equipment and additions such as thermoplastic playground markings.

We have highlighted some of the benefits that creative play brings with it so let’s get to it!

Imagination is the key to solving problems

Imaginative play is something that highly stimulates the mind as it gives children the amazing chance to experience new and different sensations, emotions, and scenarios. It allows children to see things and make decisions from many different points of view, which is highly important for their growth. Such play helps develop empathy, creativity, and problem-solving skills.

The possibilities are endless, whether they want to be a doctor, princess, policeman or any other job in the world, children have the means to experience what it is like. Many children choose their future professions and base their dreams exactly on what they have experienced and imagined during creative play. Imagination plays a vital role in letting the young people of the future experience the world around them and learn what it is like to take responsibility, even if it is just a game.

Physical and emotional development

One of the many awesome things of creative play is that it helps children enhance both their physical and emotional skills. It gives them the chance to experience both positive and negative emotions and gives them the possibility to form and develop their very own coping mechanism, without being suffocated by any stress that comes with reality. Since it is just a game, the disappointment and negativity is not as heavy as it would be in reality, which in turn let’s children think about the situation that has occurred without being too worried.

While imaginary play may not be as highly intensive as sports and active play, it is also beneficial for children’s physical health. It helps them improve their hand-eye coordination and their physique in general as there is often a lot of running around included.

Many of our playground markings can be used to assist imaginative and creative play at school so why not take a look at our wide range of designs!

 

Check out more of our blogs:

Tennis Court Markings for your playground

Games to promote fun and learning in your playground

Festive games to play in the playground

Court markings have quickly and easily become one of the most desirable playground markings for primary schools! The opportunity to play a well-known sport, enjoyed by many, tempts children to join the fun in no time!

When it comes to sports court markings, we make sure to exceed expectations when it comes to design, material, and overall quality. By choosing us, you not only choose long-lasting and eye-catching markings, but you also choose something that is proven to be good for both your pupils and the environment too.

We always use only the best thermoplastic materials on the market. It’s anti-slip so children can play without any worries, non-toxic with no lead or chromates, and it lasts up to 10 times longer than paint!

Why Tennis Court Markings?

Tennis is one of todays’ modern games that has managed to earn a great amount of popularity amongst children and adults. Kids love watching as well as playing it, and dream to be like their favourite tennis players.

It’s a game that requires a lot of movement and precision, so it helps children to always keep their mind sharp and improve their reaction time.

When it comes to developing physical abilities, tennis is one of the best options! It enhances bone density, metabolic function, and helps with lowering blood pressure.

Playing tennis is proven to help with mental alertness, and tactical and critical thinking, by making connections in the brain. It is a great way for children to relieve stress and get in a better mood. It not only puts a smile on their faces, but also stimulates the brain to produce more serotonin, otherwise known as the hormone of happiness which is vital for better sleep, a healthy emotional state, and prevention of depression and anxiety.

Playing tennis also helps young people increase their self-esteem and have a better self-value as it improves both their mental state and physical fitness! Improving muscle tone, burning fat, and developing hand-eye coordination is something that tennis is known best for.

What’s more, tennis can help with socialising. It motivates students to spend more time outside playing and meeting new friends as they play in different pairs – an amazing way to stimulate social interaction and overcome anxiety.

Our Tennis Court Markings

Our tennis court line markings come in 18 different colours. Traditionally in white with a red centre line, but you have the choice between an array of bright and bold colours. You could even choose the colour to match your school logo.

Why not make your tennis court pop even more by choosing to use our sports coating too? These bright colours can really make the sports court look inviting for pupils and is something different to tarmac. Not to mention it’s slip-resistant and safe for all weathers.

Contact us if you want to know more about our tennis court markings or any other playground markings. We are here to help you and answer any questions that you may have!

 

Read more of our blogs:

Games to promote fun and learning in your playground

Festive games to play in the playground

Ideas for Playground Markings for Secondary Schools

Why are playground games so important?

Playground games allow your students to blow off some steam, which reduces stress and gives them the opportunity to engage in an active lifestyle. Having permanent markings on your playground – like our pre-formed thermoplastic playground markings – means that you won’t have to set up games every time you want to play one, and you can also use them to entertain the children during their break times. Our playground markings also last up to ten times longer than paint so you can count on them being there for a long time.

Best games for playgrounds

Court sports

Court sports like tennis, football, basketball and netball, are fantastic for encouraging some healthy competition, as well as improving co-ordination and agility. Your students can really get their hearts pumping while playing and it will contribute to their weekly exercise. Students who discover an aptitude for these sports may find that they can take them to a professional level or gain entry to educational institutions.

Target games

Target games like a large darts playground marking will improve their aim and also give them a subtle way to practise their numerical skills when they add up all their throws. A maths target board can also be used to improve aim if a student is trying for a particular number – but more importantly, if they land on a different number and instruction each time, they will get a good mental workout too.

Teacher or student-led activities

You can really work on concentration, comprehension and mobility with games like Dance with Me and Mirror Me, where students will be copying the teacher. You can even mix it up by having a student lead the actions and rotate round so everyone gets a go. It will be interesting to see what kind of creative movements they come up with and could help shyer pupils when they have seen others do it before them.

 

This category could also include games like Duck, Duck, Goose or What’s the Time, Mr. Wolf? as the students will be leading the interaction in the games.

Puzzles and lessons

Teach the children valuable skills like how to tell the time and compass directions with a Smiley Compass Clock, and once they’ve absorbed that, send them on a round-the-world trip with our World Map playground marking. Ask the children questions about the places on the map, where they’ve been, where they’d like to go and what they know about the areas.

Bright colours are great for holding children’s attention so take advantage of that and use bright playground markings with fun characters like elephants to teach them phonics, a colourful maze for teaching maths skills, or a multi-entrance maze to help with problem solving.

For more information about our playground markings and how we can help you achieve an amazing play area that will wow your students, get in touch today.

 

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Festive games to play in the playground

Ideas for Playground Markings for Secondary Schools

Boost physical activity by moving a mile a day

The sound of jingle bells and Christmas songs are upon us, and you may be thinking about how to bring the Christmas spirit to your Infant or Primary school. Look no further as we’ve come up with some entertaining ideas for festive games to play in the playground! From Santa Says to Festive Tic Tac Toe, there’s plenty of seasonal cheer and festive fun to be had by all.

Snowball Toss

Put a festive spin on the throwing games using our targets! You can make your own snowball bean bags for a game of Snowball Toss! Whoever can score the highest points with the snowball wins – a great way to practice your maths and numbers. 

 

Santa Says Mirror Me

Use our Mirror Me for a merry game of Santa Says! Gather your pupils into groups of 4 or 6 depending on how many stations your Mirror Me has. Each person can stand on their station and choose one person to be the leader. This person will then give different commands beginning with “Santa Says”. The group must listen carefully and obey Santa whilst being careful not to be caught out. When Santa says a command without the words “Santa Says” and the children obey, they’re out!

Festive Tic Tac Toe

Decorate your Noughts and Crosses playground marking with a game of Festive Tic Tac Toe. The traditional rules of the game apply but instead of drawing noughts and crosses, use different coloured chalk to draw baubles and candy canes.

 

Santa’s Spelling Bee

Use one of our letter playground markings to get your pupils excited for Christmas this year! You can choose different festive words for your pupils to spell out and jump from letter to letter. Perfect for active outdoor learning and fun.

 

Reindeer Relay Race

Get your students to dress up in their best reindeer costumes for an exciting Reindeer Relay Race! Use either our running track or bleep test marking to take it in turns dashing like Dasher in their teams. The fastest herd of reindeer wins!

 

Santa’s Christmas Journey

Another seasonal activity you could do to get in the festive spirit is use our World Map playground marking to map out Santa’s Christmas Journey across the globe! Find a piece of chalk and draw from country to country with a dotted line.

 

Santa’s Trip

A popular game to play amongst children is Santa’s Trip! You can use our A-Z spiral for this jolly activity. The first player says, “On Christmas Eve, I’m travelling with Santa and I’m going to take”, they then say something beginning with the letter A. The next child then repeats the first object and adds an object beginning with the letter B. Continue the game through the alphabet!

Whether they’ve been naughty or nice, there’s so many wonderful games Santa’s little helpers can play whilst they’re at school. By using your imagination, the opportunities are endless!

 

Check out more of our blogs:

Ideas for Playground Markings for Secondary Schools

Boost physical activity by moving a mile a day

Playground-based learning – why is it important

Recently more and more secondary schools turn to playground markings. Why? Because they are innovative, attention-grabbing, and fun for the students. Playground markings prove to be one of the best solutions when it comes to playground decorations and school game activities.

Here at Fun & Active Playgrounds, we have always made sure that our wide variety of designs will make your playground more colourful, aesthetic, and ready for games.

Although some may think of playground markings being more suitable for younger children in infant and primary schools, they are also great for secondary schools. Check out the markings below that would be perfect for your pre-teen and teenager pupils.

Sports Court Markings for team games

Court marking are very popular with secondary schools as they enable team games and encouragement of competition. Many secondary schools compete with others and hold after school sports clubs. This is fantastic for promoting an active lifestyle.

 

MUGAs with sports coating can also be a great way to engage your students and really make your playground pop with colour. You can even add your school’s logo to the centre of the court to create a sense of community.

We have a wide range sport court markings and it can sometimes be hard to choose just one if you have a smaller area, especially when your students all have different favourite sports.

Whether it’s football, basketball, tennis or netball, we can combine courts to make the most of your space and open up more opportunities at your school.

Other Playground Markings for fitness

If you’re looking for playground markings that aren’t sports courts, but also encourage physical activity and development of fitness among your pupils then we have some eye-catching options. Our Active Spot Circuit uses an innovative design that allows students to exercise in groups as well as individually, taking it in turns to complete a set on each activity spot.

These Active Spots can also be used in trails as well as in Mile a Day tracks around the perimeter of your playground. Using these designs can inspire your children to get moving. Not only this, but they’re also great for their mental health too and allow them to release any stress they may have built up during exams and tests.

Educational Playground Activities

Who said that having fun can’t be educational as well? Our educational markings can be very helpful with developing and enhancing children’s skills in maths and geography.

Our 16-point compass is great for secondary school children. Plus, you can be creative and come up with your own games to play on the marking or use it for orienteering!

We also have world map playground markings to help students learn about the different continents. Any ideas you may have we are happy to work with you on and we can even create bespoke designs to suit your requirements.

Quality and Value

Except for having extraordinary designs, vibrant colours, and lots of choices when it comes to different categories of markings, we also provide the highest quality material.

Our thermoplastic material is the best on the market and ensures that the markings will stay on the ground for a long time. They last, they stay bright, and don’t fade!

So, what are you waiting for? Choose your markings and contact us our friendly team. We are here to answer all your questions and to provide the best experience for both you and your children!

 

Read more of our blogs:

Boost physical activity by moving a mile a day

Sport Premium Funding extended for 2021/2022

Playground-based learning – why is it important?

Staying active has a wide range of benefits, from taking care of your heart and lungs and building muscles, to improving flexibility and boosting your mood. There are many ways to keep active, including running, walking, sports and swimming. Though, a popular way of keeping young people moving is the Mile a Day initiative, particularly in schools.

What is the Mile a Day initiative?

The Mile a Day initiative was set up as a way to boost fitness for children in primary schools in a way that is accessible to all. As little as 2.5 hours of exercise a week can be enough to help ward off complications in later life caused by obesity. 25.5% of Reception children and 39.8% of Year Six children are either overweight, obese or severely obese across England so it is important to act early to help prevent these issues.

What does the Mile a Day initiative entail?

It’s exactly what it sounds like. Children are encouraged to move a mile a day, whether walking, jogging, or running, during break times and sports lessons. As it’s the distance that counts, not the speed, it will be easier for the children to complete the mile as they can take it at their own pace, without pressure. When the children progress in their fitness levels, they will be able to move through the mile faster and it can be a good idea to keep records of their times at the beginnings and ends of school terms so that they can see their progression. If a child does not become faster, that’s okay too. The point is for them to keep up the activity so as long as they are doing that, they should be praised too.

How do we encourage children to take part?

How you use encouragement and incentive can vary from child to child. The children may want to have the freedom to talk to their friends when they walk. They might enjoy combining other activities like telling stories as a group while they move. Who says you can’t include the walk during another lesson so that the children can enjoy some sunshine while they learn? For some, it can be a great idea to have a race to inspire healthy competition. Or it might be that explaining the health benefits to the older children will give them enough of a push to get moving.

The best way to encourage them though? Make it fun! Include some sprints and obstacles so it’s not the same through the whole mile. You can have lines to make tracks or tightropes and dots that mark the path or work as stepping stones. Don’t forget to include some marker points – kids like to ask how much longer there is, so this way they can learn to pace themselves.

You may also like to look at our Build Your Own Trail playground markings for more playground fun. Combining some of our fun activity stations along the way will help to add variety and keeps the children engaged. You can make the mile a day as simple or as fun as you like with different active spot activities such as squat, lunge, star jump, spin, stretch, jump and hop. Why not get the children involved and get them to choose which activities they’d like to add?

For more information about our Mile a Day playground markings, get in touch with our friendly team and we’ll be happy to discuss your requirements. We can provide a free quote and even offer free, no-obligation surveys so you can get an idea of what your new playground will look like.

 

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We’re proud to sponsor the AFC Portchester Youth U10 Vikings

Sport Premium Funding Extended for 2021/2022

Playground-based learning – why is it important

Fun & Active Playgrounds are proud to sponsor the AFC Portchester Youth U10 Vikings for another year, supporting the young players in enjoying their football.

Though our mission is to promote active play and fitness at schools, we’re pleased to be able to extend this into non-school hours too. Through our sponsorship, we hope to encourage the children to keep active, stay fit, and most importantly – have fun!

Football is a fantastic sport for kids to take part in as it has many benefits for physical and mental health. From developing different skills such as teamwork, cooperation and coordination, to maintaining a good stamina and improving fitness. Playing as a team also helps to create friendships and improve communication.

This year will be the third year Fun & Active Playgrounds has sponsored AFC Portchester U10 Vikings and the second time we have provided them with a branded football kit.

After winning an impressive 17 out of 17 league matches last season, the U10 Vikings have now been put in the league above because of their advanced ability.

Previously playing 5 aside matches as the U8 Royals with a squad of 6, they are now playing 7 aside matches with a squad of 9, against teams who are a year older than them.

Our very own Managing Director Dave’s nephew plays for the U10 Vikings, amongst many other talented and aspiring young footballers. All of the players have trained for academy teams and are looking forward to the challenge of playing against slightly older children this season.

Team Manager, Alan says “The club really appreciates the support from Fun & Active Playgrounds, enabling the kids to have so much fun playing with their teammates and building lasting relationships.”

So far this season the U10 Vikings have played 6 games and won 3. We wish them luck with the rest of the years matches and hope they continue to keep active playing their favourite sport!

 

Read more of our blogs:

Sports Premium Funding Extended 2021/2022

Playground-based learning – why is it important

Benefits of thermoplastic markings over paint