What Makes a Great Playground?
Learning Is Magic
Playgrounds are famous for doing exactly what they say on the tin….providing a ground for play! And whilst we strive to literally make it ‘all fun and games’ for the children so it is an engaging and bright safe space, the use of ground marking based activities in a playground environment also allows children to learn the important skills of communication, problem solving and cooperation amongst their peers. Not only this, but a better understanding is able to be gained of their own emotions as well as those around them.
Here at Thermmark, these magical aspects of play are at the forefront of our minds when creating our innovative markings. Finding moments for learning through play is socially and emotionally vital for the development of personal skills as well as educational ones. Abilities such as turn taking, understanding body language, recognising personal space, good listening, developing self-discipline, paying attention and inclusion are learnt as the children are able to gain the self-confidence required to engage in new experiences and environments, in turn, learning to make sense of the world around them.
From the Adult perspective, whether Teacher or Parent, the play method of education helps children improve creativity, language, numeracy and fitness skills, acquiring information and abilities which are crucial to cognitive growth, and cultivating life lasting aptitudes whilst thriving via the medium of play. We have heard it described as ‘perfect practise for tomorrow’….the opportunity to think, negotiate, adapt and try again when things don’t quite go to plan.
And we love nothing more than catering for this important opportunity! The pure joy and excitement exuded by the children through the use of their own wildly wonderful imagination or via the hand holding of a more experienced mentoring mind demonstrating the way will never be something we could tire of. The gorgeous thank you cards we receive from schools and fantastic photos of our markings in use are celebrated at length by our hardworking team of magicians.
After all, when values such as respect, resilience, and exploration are all innocently discovered whilst laughs, giggles and shouts of glee can be heard from precious young minds, it really is nothing short of magic!
The Ideal Playground
Fun….without question. Subjective…absolutely. Educational….ideally. But what key elements are needed to create the ideal play space? This can be a little bit tricky, especially if this is a new project you have been tasked with so we have compiled this guide to try to assist the decision making process;
Funding – it’s always worth a little research into any external funding available to help enhance your play area. A quick search online will let you know that you can apply to local authorities for grants and other organisations such as Big Lottery Awards For All, ASDA Foundation and Tesco Bags of Help (links included further below for quick reference). Of course there are also many other fun and effective fundraising activities which can be achieved via schools setting their own goals which everyone can take part in! These range from school discos, raffles, quiz nights, fun days, talent shows, treasure hunts….you name it, the options are as limitless as the markings we can create for you!
Space – our sales and design team really come into their own when considering the important aspect of space to maximise what you can achieve for your budget. Need to alter the scale or design to accommodate; consider it done. Have a bespoke requirement; fantastic, in fact we thrive on such a challenge! Different colour variations or muted colours a requisite; not a problem. We stock a wide range of RAL colours ready to accommodate any need. Creating games on flat ground surfaces is a fantastic use of space, accessible to all and a bright enhancement to any area. And of course should you wish to propose a design challenge to the bright young minds in your school then we would be overjoyed to translate this into a thermoplastic marking reality!
Choice – with such a wide range of markings available and bespoke options furthering the amount of choice, we are here to guide you through the best layout for your needs. We will take into account any specific requirements and have pre-compiled package options ready for presentation which include a carefully selected array of markings covering a range of bases. Once we have considered the best options for you, our talented team will create a playground plan depicting your new enhanced space for your approval! With our wealth of experience at hand for the duration of your project, you can rest assured that your choices will result in a long lasting durable design to be enjoyed for years to come!
Reputation – we all prefer to work from recommendation where possible. Why? Well, it provides a reassurance as to the quality of workmanship you will receive, particularly when spending any amount of money in receipt for a product or service. Thermmark prides itself on being a UK based manufacturer, supplier and installer of thermoplastic ground markings which means we retain full control of all aspects of our processes…..our reputation is key to our status as a market leader and therefore our driven team are constantly working to a super high standard! We also offer referral schemes which Partnerships, Trusts and our repeat customers all benefit from and we work hard to look after each customer with our honest and friendly approach.
References & Further Reading
https://www.gov.uk/apply-funding-community-project
https://scvo.scot/funding
https://www.gov.wales/
https://www.communities-ni.gov.uk/
https://www.tnlcommunityfund.org.uk/
https://www.asdafoundation.org/foundation-grants
https://tescostrongerstarts.org.uk/