With nearly 20 years experience installing playgrounds across the UK, we’ve worked with outdoor spaces of all shapes and sizes. Whether they’re huge redevelopments or tiny transformations, there’s no awkward or unused space we haven’t been able to tackle. We believe that when it comes to playgrounds, every space, no matter how big, small or awkward, deserves a chance to be played on!
Over the past few months we’ve worked on a couple of projects that have given us an opportunity to test our design skills and create amazing playgrounds in spaces that were previously deemed unusable. Find out how we helped two schools embrace their awkward outdoor spaces and maximise their play value for outdoor fun throughout the school year.
We recently worked with Radcliffe Hall Church of England Methodist Primary School who came to us with a space dilemma. After redeveloping their classroom, a building extension left their KS1 with just a small strip of grass. It was unsuitable as a learning space and gave them the motivation to review their outdoor areas. They wanted to create an outdoor space which encouraged learning and discovery but were concerned that the space they had available was unsuitable.
Our team listened closely to the school’s brief and created a design that maximised the value of the space for play and learning. The result was an outstanding outdoor space that was designed around the seven key areas of learning. We were able to use a range of flexible playground equipment that could be adapted to the space and used in a variety of ways.
Further north at Annfield Plain School, we were faced with a different type of challenge. Space wasn’t the issue in this playground, it was the angle. Annfield Plain’s outdoor space is built on a slope and, whenever the British weather made an appearance, it would become muddy and unusable.
After resurfacing the slope to ensure it would stay dry and safe, whatever the weather, we maximised the slope and made it part of the playground’s appeal. We chose equipment that incorporated the hill into its challenges. The net climbers and trails now have an extra element of fun to them as children clamber up the angled ground. At the bottom of the hill sits a shelter and Storyteller Chair to act as a year-round base for outdoor learning and play.
Many schools have outdoor spaces that they’re not aware could be transformed into an amazing place for play. In other cases, schools have a play space but are not maximising their value for the children. Book a consultation with one of our local advisors to find out how we could turn your awkward, unused spot into something amazing.