Zingo the birth of a fresh idea
SMP Playgrounds, one of the world’s leading designers,
manufacturers and installers of outdoor play equipment, launches
their latest groundbreaking innovation, Zingo.
The Zingo range of play equipment is an all-new ‘ground
up’ product aimed at the 2 to 7 year old age group. Its
development follows an in-depth study by SMP Playgrounds and
leading child psychologist Dr Amanda Gummer, into how children play
with structural forms as well as their interaction with their
peers.
Dr Gummer, who undertakes extensive research into
children’s play, enabled SMP Playgrounds to match the
appropriate social, physical and cognitive skills required and
developed during play, within the design of Zingo. A sustained play
experience has been achieved by incorporating natural activities
which contribute to life learning skills.
The teardrop shape of the play ‘bubble’ featured by
Zingo stimulates the child’s senses and imagination during
play, using a collection of sounds, specific movements and actions.
The message to the child is intended to be ‘What are you
going to do with this? Sit on it? Shake it? Kick it? Spin it?
Wobble it? Bounce on it? Listen to it? Climb through it? It’s
up to you.’
The noise and rhythm that can be created by playing with the
bubbles are designed to develop a child’s ability to express
themselves in an environment where noise is not restricted by
adults. In turn the creation of and understating of musical and
sound patterns can help to develop both mathematical and linguistic
skills.
Children playing on Zingo are encouraged to use many different
physical skills, from gross motor skills applied in climbing and
running to more finite movements required in the interaction with
play panels. For example the movement of finger tracing is a
pre-requisite for writing skills. The crossing of hands and making
sweeping movements from left to right or vice versa has been proven
to benefit neural connectivity between the left and right hand
sides of the brain, developing the speed of brain formation and
information processing. The platforms set at different heights
allow the child to take the appropriate action at each stage and
exercise decision-making skills about taking risks.
The organic forms of both the structure and the play
‘bubbles’ aesthetically appeal to children and
complement the outdoor environment. Liz Bright, European Sales
& Marketing Manager for SMP, comments:
“When SMP set out on this journey, we had a clear view of
what we wanted to achieve. Zingo definitely meets all the criteria
set by our key client base, our end users and ourselves. We have
developed a range of products that are feature rich and are high on
benefits for both the child and the specifier boasting a lot of
activities in one space. We set out to provide the child with a fun
and exciting place to play, offering challenges and new
experiences, learning opportunities and a springboard to a fresh
world of new discovery”.
SMP launched the new Zingo range on 6th November 2007.
Learn more about SMP by visiting www.smp.co.uk