Best Playground Ideas To Build Social Skills In Children and Promote Friendship
Updated on: March 28, 2024
When designing a new playground, you’ll need to include playground ideas which build children’s social skills. We know happy children are successful children. Children without friends, who are unable to communicate and socialise in the way they want, won’t achieve the same level of cognitive and physical development as their peers.
We want play to be a rich and fun experience for all children. It’s really important any plans for play equipment incorporate playground ideas that build social skills and promote friendship.
A lot of people don’t realise children need support to develop friendships. The experiences we give children to help them develop confidence, curiosity, language, self-expression, motivation, and resilience help them to socialise successfully.
At Fun & Active Playgrounds, we’re passionate that all children should enjoy play. We design playground markings and equipment that’s both fun and educational for all children. For us, interaction, communication, curiosity, and friendship-making are at the heart of all our designs.
For example, we incorporate national curriculum subjects and children’s interests to ensure our ideas spark curiosity in all children. By using contexts for play that are familiar and of interest to a diverse range of children, our playground markings and equipment are accessible and relevant to all.
There are lots of ways to build interaction, curiosity, and communication on the playground. Whether you’re planning for a school playground, park, EYFS setting or other type of play space, here are some of the best playground ideas to build children’s social skills and promote friendship.
Best Playground Ideas To Build Children’s Social Skills and Promote Friendship
1. Outdoor Dance Mat Game – Dance With Me Stations
No matter your dance ability, dance has universal appeal for all children. Our Dance With Me Stations are a great playground idea to support creative and quieter play.
Playground Ideas For Different Types of Play
To ensure children can build social skills it’s important to include playground equipment that supports different types of play. It’s easy to think about energetic play which is really physical, or sensory play where children are immersed in the natural world.
However, playground ideas for quieter play are equally important. Reflective play where children play in a small group or on their own and creative play where children explore the arts are the types of play you don’t want to miss. More about playground design.
Outdoor Dance Mat Game: Creative Playground Ideas
Our Dance With Me Stations enable children to unwind through dance. This creative activity gives children room to unleash pent up emotions as they play. There’s no rules or agility levels required so anyone can play.
A clearly marked space for the leader and players plus lots of visual clues mean children will immediately know what to do.
With everyone playing next to each other, interactions and friendships will develop quickly as children laugh, make mistakes, and have fun together. The set number of players immediately makes the children into a group, building bonds that help to break the ice for less confident children.
Whether children are shy, nervous, or lonely, our outdoor dance mat ideas are a great way to ease children into interacting with peers.
Incorporate Your Own Ideas
At Fun & Active Playgrounds, we make it possible for you to incorporate your own ideas in a custom design. Any of our ideas for playground games can be customised to suit your community.
In the past, schools and other children’s organisations have involved a group of children in the design process. We love to see this! From school council reps to prefects, learning mentor groups and more, our highly experienced team are ready to create any bespoke designs you have in mind.
Previous ideas have included school year group topics, school values, local features and more. More about bespoke design.
2. Snakes and Ladders
Our giant snakes and ladders grids are instantly recognisable. Available in 1-100, 1-36 or a custom range of your choice, snakes and ladders is a classic game all children can access.
With a diverse range of children already familiar with the rules, joining the game is easy. The jumbo grid adds extra appeal because children can engage lots of senses as they physically move around the game.
From the cheering as children move up the ladders to the fascinating experience of using our dice playground marking this playground game is guaranteed to spark the curiosity of all children.
From seeing where the beanbag lands on the dice marking to encouraging each move up a ladder, friendships will form easily.
3. Chess
Children who prefer reflective play are too often left to their own devices during play. Our outdoor chess board, noughts and crosses grid, mazes and more, provide plenty of playground ideas for reflective play.
Using logic and problem-solving skills, lots of children who enjoy quieter play will be drawn to the giant chess board. With the game only needing at least one more interested child, there’s no pressure to wait until lots of children want to play.
The familiar context of a classic game enjoyed around the world guarantees the chess board has diverse appeal. With children free to exercise lots of cognitive skills, our outdoor chess board is a brilliant way for quieter children to unwind together.
4. Tabletop Games
Our tabletop games are another fantastic playground idea to support reflective play. For less confident children, tabletop games are a superb way to build social skills and make new friends.
We have a wide range of tabletops which fit easily over any standard picnic bench. These versatile, hardwearing, and weatherproof games come in a wide range of options. From world maps to snakes and ladders, there’s a tabletop to suit every type of play space, creating plenty of opportunities for socialising on breaks.
5. Ball Court Markings: Football and King Square
Whether it’s basketball, cricket, bowling or four square, there are so many ways to play with a ball. Incorporating playground ideas for different ball games helps to ensure you have activities to engage a range of children.
Football, basketball, and other large games are important for children who enjoy energetic play. Meanwhile, king square (also known as four square), target boards or our bowling alley playground marking hold a much wider appeal.
Playing with a single ball together means children are forced to communicate. The shared experience of using the same ball to win stimulates easy conversation which leads to solid friendships.
Our playground markings are designed to endure heavy use. We make them from high-grade thermoplastic. Thermoplastic playground markings deliver superior performance and won’t fade under UV light. Plus, they can be used safely by children in any weather!
Lasting up to 10 times longer than traditional playground paint, our bright playground markings are highly-resistant to flaking or chipping away.
6. Structured Group Games: What’s The Time Mr Wolf?
From what’s the time Mr Wolf? to piggy in the middle, duck, duck, goose, and hopscotch, we have a wide range of creative playground ideas for structured play. Whether for a school playground, EYFS play space or park, these are recognisable games, children will enjoy playing together.
We’ve given each game wider appeal with updated designs that solve problems of old. Clearly marked spaces make the games calmer, easier to play and more inviting to quieter children. Meanwhile, our multi-grid hopscotch ensures children don’t get left out whilst multiplication and language hopscotch spark the curiosity of a diverse range of children.
See all these top playground ideas plus more now.
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.