Enjoyable PE Equipment For School Children
Updated on: June 5, 2024
Whilst there may be plenty of love for PE lessons amongst pupils, if you haven’t got an exciting stock of PE equipment school children will enjoy, it can all be a bit of a challenge to get pupils enthused.
School PE equipment has come a long way.
If your physical education department has been overlooked for a while and you want something more than the basic staples of cones, balls, beanbags, racquets and hoops, we’ve pulled together a quick collection of some of the most enjoyable PE equipment available for school children at the moment.
Why?
Learning has got to be fun if we want children to be motivated and engaged in what we teach. For PE, the more enjoyable the session is, the more physical activity children will want to participate in.
The Importance of Enjoyment In Education
As a leading school PE equipment company, fun has always been one of our design priorities. For us, any PE resources we create have to be both enjoyable to use and educational.
Our PE equipment for school children includes sports courts, PE apparatus, workout playground markings, athletic playground markings and lots more.
A 2018 study of primary school children by Putwain, Becker, Symes and Pekrun found children with higher levels of enjoyment experienced greater academic achievement.
The NHS recommend all children in the UK should be taking part in at least 60 minutes of energetic activity every day, which should involve a variety of different types of activities across an entire week.
When pupils participate in a range of physical activities, they’re able to build movement skills, muscles, and bones. Having an array of different types of PE resources for staff to use during physical education will help to ensure children get the right level of exposure to different kinds of exercise.
Essential PE Equipment For Schools
So, what should a basic stock of PE equipment include? Although opinions may vary from school to school, it’s generally accepted that the following are essential for PE education:
- Beanbags
- Balls
- Hoops
- Skipping Ropes
- Cones
- Sports Bibs
- Gym Mats
- Athletic Equipment
That’s your PE essentials covered. Now let’s take a look at what else you can order to ensure your school has a range of PE apparatus available which will inspire all pupils to get active.
Enjoyable PE Equipment For School Children
1. Beanbag Target Game
Beanbag target games, also known as beanbag toss, are a popular way to help children build their throwing and aiming skills.
This is a stage of ball skill development that’s frequently underserved during PE lessons. A beanbag target game gives each child time and space to throw the ball into a range of achievable targets and practice the skill over and over again.
Beanbag toss or target games come in a variety of designs. The vertical games offer the most value because they require children to throw at a range of heights.
2. Striking Sports Courts
Install a snazzy sports court and say goodbye to bulky cones and make-shift courts.
Sports court markings have come a long way. Today, sports courts can be installed in unique, custom designs or vibrant colours.
From football to netball and basketball, the installation of a professional-looking sports court is guaranteed to make all pupils raise their game whilst saving staff tons of time. With the court marking already in place, there’s no need to waste time taking out and putting away equipment.
3. Play Parachute
There are few things that get children of all ages more excited than the prospect of using a parachute during PE. The sight of a billowing, silky parachute is enough to get even the most jaded year 6 child running underneath it with gusto!
Parachute PE resources tend to be much more well-known by EYFS staff but they’re a very enjoyable piece of PE equipment for children of all ages. Look out for parachutes with cut-outs for an added layer of challenge during ball play for KS2 children.
Most parachutes come with their own set of energetic parachute activities, and you can find plenty of other ideas for parachute PE activities online.
4. Custom Workout Playground Markings
Warm-ups, stretches and workouts are often overlooked during PE teaching, but they have an important role to play.
According to Harvard Health Publishing by Harvard Medical School, stretching keeps the muscles flexible, strong and healthy so we should all be stretching on a daily basis. A lack of stretching can lead to joint pain, muscle damage and other mobility problems.
We tend to shy away from stretches and workouts because they’re a bit more technical than say, a team game. Our PE playground markings are the perfect solution.
Once present on your playground, PE playground markings can be used by any teacher during PE as well as children in their own time.
Take our Active Spot Circuit Playground Marking for example.
Active spot circuit markings can be custom designed for you with a tailored collection of exercises.
Installed in robust thermoplastic, these playground markings are extremely hardwearing, non-slip and proven to last up to 10 times longer than traditional playground paint.
5. Two-Handed Bat
Bat and ball sessions can be some of the dreariest lessons going if children don’t have well-developed skills. More often than not, the majority of pupils fall into the category of having seriously under-developed ball skills.
There are a number of innovative designs which can give pupils more time to build bat and ball skills before embarking on one-on-one games, so children don’t waste huge chunks of time running around after the ball.
Two-handed bats for example, give children space to develop hand-eye co-ordination on their own before trying to hit a ball back to a partner.
Other equipment, such as velcro catch, allow pupils to practice moving and catching the ball from a partner without having to worry about hitting it straight back.
Find more fun PE equipment for schools in our exciting collection now.
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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.
