How to have a successful play area - in one easy lesson
Forget catalogue shopping
Play equipment catalogues are attractive but be warned! They may
seem like the obvious place to start planning a school play area
but there is a better way. Defining desired outcomes is where to
start.
The secret of success
A school should aim to ensure its selected playground
manufacturer develops a complete understanding of the
school’s desired outcomes. The playground manufacturer can
show the school what is possible, feasible, and affordable.
Together, with the PTA, parents, governors and especially the
children, they jointly take an important step towards a design that
is a success for the children and the school. That includes
meeting; pupil/child development objectives, budgets, time plans,
complying with safety standards and planning maintenance.
Indeed with a successful play area, ‘the whole is usually
greater than the sum of the parts’. The secret of success is
that there is no secret. Success lies mostly in a well informed and
well-developed, jointly created brief, the result of partnership,
cooperation, brainstorming and teamwork. API play manufactures can
create wonderful places to play for children to enjoy and learn
from – so invite an API member to be creative.
A full list of API Members can be viewed at
www.api-play.org