Overhauling the EYFS Playground to Create a Stimulating Play Space
A blank canvas with plenty of loose play parts has been overhauled at the very lucky John Perryn Primary School in Ealing! From grey paving bricks to bright and colourful surfacing, the new outdoor play and learning space has truly been brought to life.
Our playground consultant, Becky Hazell, was delighted to liaise with the passionate headteacher, Leah Wright, to transform her outdoor play dreams into a reality.
Here’s what we did…
Undercover Outdoor Learning Space
With an existing timber canopy already in place, we extended the undercover learning space through the installation of a Timber Canopy with plenty of features to create a practical, sheltered and shaded area.
Internal benches, half-clad and half-glazed sides, built in chalkboard and a fully watertight roof ensures the unpredictable elements will never prevent play!
Artificial Grass Playground Surfacing covers the inside of the classroom space to provide plenty of comfortable seating for the children to sit down, lie down or roll around on.
The teachers at the school have created a wonderful intervention and learning space through the inclusion of loose play equipment and resources to inspire imaginative play.
Race Around the Roadway or Climb Like a Monkey
Adjacent to the new timber canopy, we installed our huge Harter Fell Climbing Frame to provide the little monkeys with a space where they can swing, climb and balance to their hearts content!
Pulling themselves up on the ropes, balancing across the beams and taking a leap of faith off the highest point is brilliant for improving their climbing confidence and key physical skills.
Through the clever use of playground surfacing, the little ones are always safe whilst they are assessing and taking their own risk in the playground.
In order to zone the new active play space, we used our bright blue Saferturf surfacing to create a dedicated roadway for bikes, trikes and scooters.
Children can clearly see where the active play zone begins and ends and have even been learning how to look left and right before crossing the ‘road’ onto the active island – life skills they can then transfer to the outside world.
A Moveable Obstacle Course and Dedicated Digging Area
Using our natural-looking bow top timber fencing and gate, we split the outdoor space into two halves. Teachers can decide when the children can and cannot access the other area to help with supervision.
On the other half of the playground, we again surfaced the space with our clean artificial grass to ensure the space can be used throughout the four seasons but extended the early years outdoor provision, too.
A set of our most-popular EYFS play product, the Get Set, Go! Blocks (The Mendips Set), helps improve early physical skills and climbing confidence as the little ones jump, step and balance from each of the various blocks.
They can even be moved around the environment to create a varied challenging obstacle course each day!
Outside of the classroom doors, we also included a Large Covered Sand Box. Little pirates can step straight onto the beach and hunt for the buried treasure as they manipulate the sand and improve their fine motor skills in the process.
The new area is now a practical, all-weather and stimulating space for little learners to play, learn, socialise and have fun with their friends every day!
Could your EYFS play environment do with an overhaul? Contact Us Here today to begin your journey with Pentagon Play.
Alternatively, you can view all of the excellent playground projects we’ve completed in the Ealing area on our dedicated Ealing Playground Projects Page Here.
