Playground Markings in Suffolk
What are playground markings?
Playground markings are designs that are added to surfaces like tarmac or concrete that are used to facilitate games, sports and educational activities. For our playground markings, we use environmentally-friendly, pre-formed thermoplastic that lasts up to ten times longer than painted markings. We’ve been installing playground markings in Suffolk for many years so we know to include a good range of bright colours to keep children engaged in the activities.
Why are playground markings so important for playgrounds?
Better safety precautions
You want children to have fun in the playground but it’s important that they do this safely. With playground markings, you can keep the football games away from the windows and the racers away from those playing more calm games. It’s easy for children to knock into each other and trip over one another when they have conflicting games in the same spaces but installing playground markings is a simple way to reduce the danger, while still being fun.
Improve mental health
Breaks are important for improving concentration and knowledge retention but they are also essential for good mental health. Taking the time to go outside and get some exercise, whether that is walking, running or playing a sport, it will help to reduce racing thoughts, improve sleep and control anxiety. You can also encourage children to open up about how they are doing with our Today I’m Feeling playground marking.
Enable an active lifestyle
In addition to the mental health benefits of getting outside for some exercise, there are many physical health benefits to this too. Childhood obesity is an issue that is affecting many children and can cause or contribute to health complications later in life. The National Child Measurement Programme found that 23.5% of Reception children and 35.7% of Year Six children in Suffolk are overweight, obese or severely obese. These numbers can be countered by a good diet and an active lifestyle, which can be supported with playground markings. Encouraging children to use the playground markings may also lead to them discovering a new hobby or a new friend.
What playground markings we’d choose
Have a variety
The first step is to understand who your playground users will be and in what capacity they will be with you. You’ll have a very different set up for a community playground than you would for an infant school, as the first would have to cover a lot of ages and the latter would have a far smaller range. For a school, you’ll need a mix of educational, fun and active playground markings so that you can use the playground for lessons and playtime.
Playground markings for younger children
Taking lessons outside can be wonderful for children, as the change of location can help the lesson stick in their minds more. Large playground markings like our Space Phonics playground marking can be easier for children to see, as they can gather around them. Learning can become more of an adventure when you challenge them to travel through the Maths Maze or teach them to understand directions and send them off on a journey around the playground.
Playground markings for older children
Lessons will be different for older children but that doesn’t mean that they can’t still be done outside. Whether they are learning about the equator and the tropics in geography, or are trying to test their speed and heart rates with the Bleep Test in P.E. (or science lessons), there’s something for everyone. There’s also a great range of sports courts that we can combine into one area to save space, like capture the flag, netball and tennis.
When it’s time to refresh your playground, talk to our experts who have a lot of experience in installing playground markings in Suffolk and will be able to help you make the most of your space.