Earlier this year, Moscow’s Garage Museum of Contemporary Art launched the Playground Project, an intriguing hands-on exhibition focused almost exclusively on play. Crowds of excited children were thrilled at the chance to run, jump, climb, and unleash their imaginations in the museum space.
Aside from youngsters, there were parents, students, local residents and tourists in attendance at the installation. They learnt about how playgrounds had once been spaces for public art, where architects and urban planners could experiment and exhibit their innovative designs.
Gabriela Burkhalter is the artist behind the Playground Project. The Swiss Curator has always had an interest in urban policy, and she wanted to explore the historical legacy of how playgrounds helped to improve children’s quality of life around the world. Her research project was chosen to mark the museum’s sixth interactive initiative. During this annual event, the gallery rooms are turned in to experimental laboratories for art. Visitors of all ages can come and participate in hands-on experiences and enjoy the creative collaborations exhibited by artists.
Research in Action
The installation publicised Burkhalter’s own research and one of the most notable features for adults was the black and white photographs uncovered by the artist. The snapshots displayed a whole host of old playgrounds that would be considered unconventional today. The wacky designs were all in full use by the public between 1950 and 1980, and they could be seen in Western Europe, the United States, Russia and Japan among several other countries.
Burkhalter’s point was that playgrounds during this time invited children to leave their comfort zone and venture into a new experience. They were places for spectacular sculptures, challenging designs and social experiments.
The playground was, in essence, a work of art in itself. But as well as this, playgrounds reflected the socio-economic environment of their innovators. Interwar Russian playgrounds demonstrated the goals of Soviet propaganda, while in Britain the 1950s gave way to junkyard adventure playgrounds that underpinned the hope of improving society after a devastating war.
Playgrounds were constantly evolving. By the 1960s, playgrounds were being built in New York to strengthen communities and create safe open spaces. Artists, urbanists and architects received a boost of public funding to improve leisure facilities and encourage creative play, leading to developments such as abstract ‘play sculptures’.
Improving Designs
But a decade later this optimism had vanished amidst economic recession and environmental concerns. The rise of the 1980s consumer society marked an end to experimental playground design. From this point on, civic groups and neighbourhood organisations invested in instant adventure playgrounds. More often than not, they used poor materials and had mediocre designs which Burkhalter describes as “standardized and mostly boring”.
So, can today’s playgrounds be restored to the lively and imaginative public spaces that they once were, or have these initiatives been forgotten forever? Burkhalter believes that it’s still possible to achieve real spaces for play when states make it a high priority to work with the most creative minds.
She says that “The exhibition wants to remind us that we have a responsibility toward our children to include them in the public space, its planning and daily use, and not to hide them in the private sphere or behind the screen”.
Any playground that is safe and fun is a winner in our books, but the greatest playgrounds in the world go a step further, doing things like combining art and education with wacky architectural designs. They encourage children to leave their comfort zones and venture into completely new experiences. For this reason, strange and astounding playground designs are often the best places for imaginative play to take place. Here’s our top picks of the most unusual playgrounds from around the world.
Woods of Net in Hakone, Japan
This colourful masterpiece is made to resemble a huge cobweb floating about between trees. The whole of the outer structure is devoid of walls and instead it’s made with piled up wood to blend in with the forest area around it. It really is a stunning blend of inside and outside, colour and shape.
Belleville Park playground, Paris
This park environment was crafted to appeal to the imagination. It could be a huge pirate ship, a flying carpet, or a medieval fort, the possibilities are endless. Both children and adults can enjoy this innovative architectural design and have fun scaling the various levels of the climbing course.
The Large Cod, Vejlebroskolen, Sweden
‘The Large Cod’ playground was designed by Monstrum, who specialise in wacky play area designs. Some of their other creations include ‘An Apple in the Grass’ and ‘The Giant Spider and the Mushrooms’, and they’re just as epic.
Hell’s Kitchen, New York
This gigantic brass man sculpture features a slide as legs, seats for hands and arms a child can shimmy up with ease. The designer, Tom Otterness, is known for intriguing brass sculptures in different locations dotted around the city.
Monster footprints in Shenzhen, China
This playground may be devoid of playground equipment, but its imaginative name encourages children to get creative and make up games while playing on this super-safe rubberized surface. The sunken space and rolling hills of the natural give the play area some really interesting features and make it perfect for ball games.
Sculptural playground in Schulberg, Germany
This continuous climbing structure winds around the park space in a loop, even incorporating existing trees to blend in with its surroundings. Twists and height changes of its frame make the sculpture really exciting for children and there are multiple options for play including swings and trampoline areas.
The Trinidad, Copenhagen
Play areas that are designed exclusively for toddlers do not have to be boring. Monstrum created this playground for 2-5 year olds in the Danish capital, and it’s the perfect place for children to play creatively while practicing their climbing and balancing skills. All while getting to indulge their imagination with a sea-faring theme.
Outdoor fitness has taken off over the past decade and many people around the world are moving from the confines of indoor gyms to get healthy out in the open. Initiatives like Parkrun have successfully brought communities together by hosting free 5km runs in parks across 14 different countries, while group obstacle courses such as Tough Mudder have become a popular way to get fit and raise money for charity at the same time.
But most notably, outdoor gyms have been popping up in local community gardens, beaches and parks. The brightly coloured fitness equipment can provide year-round fun for the whole family. It’s usually funded by local councils and is designed to help both children and adults get back to basics. From the sunny beaches of Tel Aviv to the leafy parks of China, we’ve picked out 5 of the most impressive outdoor gym facilities where you can work up a sweat, chat with locals and take in the surroundings.
Green Heart at Shaw Park, Hull, UK
Shaw Park’s eco-wellness zone is the first human-energy-powered outdoor gym in the UK. Participants can burn calories on four energy-generating units including a hand bike, a cross trainer and two different varieties of fitness bikes. Gym activity charges up a central battery to light the area overnight and the gym users even have the option to charge their mobile phones.
Gordon Beach Gym in Tel Aviv, Israel
What could be better than watching the waves roll in as you keep fit at the beach? This outdoor gym in Israel includes various weather-resistant fitness pieces that are suitable for all ages. Beach-goers can work out on rowing machines, bicycles, steppers and gliders. Rather than free weights, there are cleverly designed machines that work by using your own body weight for resistance.
Landscape Park Project in Hainan Province, China
Landscape Park in China’s Hainan Province features a really creative range of outdoor gym equipment. Unlike other public fitness areas, there’s a canopy over each weather-resistant machine to protect exercisers both sun and rain. This is just one of 600,000 outdoor gyms that are located around the country.
Grijalva Community Park at Orange, California
Parents can bring their children to join in with a workout at this neighbourhood gym, or keep an eye on them as they play in the park or nearby basketball courts. As well as all the usual gym equipment, it includes machines that can be used by up to four people at a time and unlike a lot of indoor gyms, the site is wheelchair friendly.
Burrows Park in Sydney, Australia
This outdoor gym is situated on one of Sydney’s most iconic coastal walks. Gym users can inject variety into their outdoor routines since there’s both cardio and strengthening equipment. Visitors at the park love to experience the fresh sea air as they work out. With the park overlooking a beach, families can bring dogs along and share a picnic after their workout.
Did you know that only 21% of boys and 16% of girls aged 5-15 achieve the recommended levels of daily physical activity?
SOURCE: Health Survey for England 2012
Despite physical active playing a key role in brain development in children, as well as improved physical, emotional and social well-being, many schools today are still struggling to incorporate sports and fitness opportunities onto their sites.
However help is at hand as through various avenues, such as the newly introduced sugar tax, schools can now receive funding for the provision of additional sports and fitness opportunities – known as PE and Sports Premium.
About PE & Sports Premium
PE and Sports Premium funding is received by the majority of schools with primary-age pupils. Funding amounts differ depending on the number pupils in years 1 to 6- however in cases where schools do not follow year groups, such as some special schools, pupils aged from 5 to 10 attract the funding.
Schools must use their funding to make additional and sustainable improvements to the quality of PE and sport they offer.
THIS MEANS YOU SHOULD USE YOUR PREMIUM TO:
• Develop or add to the PE and sport activities that your school already offers. • Make improvements now that will benefit pupils joining the school in the future.
Taken from the National Curriculum for Physical Education, we have summarised all skills and processes that need to be mastered by the end of Key Stage 2 into 12 key activities. When our specialist in-house design team created the four sports and fitness package below, we wanted to be certain that all 12 key activities were included.
Designed to inject some more colour as well as more sports opportunities to your existing court area, our TARGET panels cover a wide range of sports. From Cricket to Basket Ball, Tennis to Football, there is something to suit everyone.
Package includes:Football Shape, Goal Trainer- Single, *NEW* Basket Ball and Target- Senior, Tennis, Batsman with Mesh Panel
Package 2: Trim Trail £3,937 exc VAT
Ideal for promoting physical activity in the playground, our trim trail items are always a hit! Featuring classics such as our Hurdles, Chin-Up Bars and Balance Beam, children can work on perfecting a number of key skills. A Solar Stop Watch is also included so you can time your friends to see who is the quickest!
*NOTE: Package price reflects only one unit of each item
A complete sports court area, our Court Package has everything you need to play a wide variety of court sports. A great school resource, use this package for PE lessons, break times or even after school clubs!
Cover all 12 key activities with our ultimate Combo Package. Combining an impressive trim trail circuit, with favourites such as our A-Frame Double Net and Ramp Jump, along with our popular Multi Court and numerous other playground markings, this package will definitely encourage your pupils to stay active!
The national curriculum physical education programmes of study focuses on inspiring all pupils to succeed and excel in competitive sport and other physically demanding activities. It should provide opportunities for pupils to become physically confident in a way which supports their health and fitness. Opportunities to compete in sport and other activities build character and help to embed values such as fairness and respect.
The national curriculum for physical education aims to ensure that all pupils:
develop competence to excel in a broad range of physical activities
are physically active for sustained periods of time
engage in competitive sports and activities
lead healthy, active lives
By the end of each key stage, pupils in England are expected to know, apply and understand the matters skills and processes specified in the relevant programme of study.
Key Stage 1
Key Stage 1 focuses on developing fundamental movement skills as well as building competence and confidence across a broad range of activities. KS1 Pupils should be able to engage in competitive and co-operative physical activities in a range of increasingly challenging situations.
KS1 pupils should be taught to:
master basic movements including running, jumping, throwing and catching, as well as developing balance, agility and co-ordination, and begin to apply these in a range of activities
participate in team games, developing simple tactics for attacking and defending
perform dances using simple movement patterns
Key Stage 2
Pupils in KS2 should continue to apply and develop a broader range of skills, learning how to transfer them to different scenarios and to link them to make actions and sequences of movement. They should develop an understanding on how to improve in different physical activities and sports and learn how to evaluate and recognise their own success. Pupils should also enjoy communicating, collaborating and competing with each other.
KS2 pupils should be taught to:
use running, jumping, throwing and catching in isolation and in combination
play competitive games, modified where appropriate, and apply basic principles suitable for attacking and defending
develop flexibility, strength, technique, control and balance
perform dances using a range of movement patterns
take part in outdoor and adventurous activity challenges both individually and within a team
compare their performances with previous ones and demonstrate improvement to achieve their personal best
Here at Creative Play we have a wide range of sports and fitness-focused equipment that focuses on the skills and techniques mentioned above. We have simplified these down into 12 key activities that can be easily summarised. See below for our list of these 12 key activities as well as key products ideally suited for each.
Running
“Move at a speed faster than a walk, never having both feet on the ground at the same time.”
Our running tracks are always popular as they can be used for both PE lessons and break times (as well as after school clubs, too!). Whether they are created as part of an inlaid safety surfacing design (as above) or as thermoplastic marking strip, children can undergo cardiovascular exercise and improve their staminia and overall fitness.
Jumping
“Push oneself off a surface, into the air, by using the muscles in one’s legs and feet.”
Practise your jumping skills with our challenging Leapfrog Posts! Coming in a set of 4, children will love channelling their inner amphibian in the playground. A great aerobic exercise jumping is also fantastic for increasing bone density.
Throwing
“Propel something with force through the air by a movement of the arm and hand.”
Ball skills, such as throwing, are an important activity for children as they do not only help with a fitness, but also help address bilateral skills, hand-eye coordination, timing and increase attention. Our Green Mesh Steel Goal with integrated basket ball net is ideal for ball skills, such as throwing, as a child does not just work their arms and shoulders, but also their hips, wrists and core as they try a score.
Catching
“Intercept and hold something which has been thrown, propelled or dropped.”
Get ready to put your catching skills to the test with our Ball Catcher. Perfect both your throwing and catching skills as you try to get your ball into the central unit and catch it on the rebound. Ideal for both solo and group play, improve your hand-eye coordination and scenario planning skills with this playground favourite.
Other products we recommend:Penalty Play, Piggy in the Middle, 4 Square
Balance
“An even distribution of weight enabling someone to remain upright and steady.”
Not for just working your legs, improving your balance skills simultaneously works a multitude of muscles all over your body, challenging them to work together in new ways. Using sports and fitness items, such as our Zigzag Beam, are not just a great way of getting more control over your body, they can also aid improved posture and strength.
Other products we recommend:Balance Beam, Log Walk, Jelly Board
Agility
“The ability to move quickly and easily.”
Our Multi-Use Games Areas, or MUGAs, are ideal one-stop structures that can cover a variety of sports and fitness activities. Great for encouraging teamwork, children can put their agility skills to the test as they compete. With a wide range of colour options and sports markings available, why not tailor your MUGA to fit your individual needs and requirements?
Other products we recommend:Multi Court, Rounders, Hockey Target Panel
Coordination
“The ability to use different parts of the body together smoothly and efficiently.”
Once a child has grasped fundamental movement skills, coordinating different movements or actions together can still seem tricky. Popular items such as our A-Frame Double Net help children focus on both their legs and arms as they traverse, climb and descend the challenging structure in a safe environment.
Other products we recommend:Swinging Grips, Mirror Me, Stepping Logs
Teamwork
“The combined action of a group working towards the same end goal.”
Great for encouraging teamwork, groups of children can both collaborate and compete with our Target One. Featuring a Football and Penalty Play Target Panels along with a Goal End with Basketball Net, children can pick and choose what sporting activity they want to work on together.
Other products we recommend:MUGA, Ball Catcher, Tennis Target Panel
Rhythm & Movement
“A variety of fundamental movements usually undergone in a regular repeated pattern.”
Work on creativity as well as fundamental movement and hand-eye coordination skills with our Mirror Me thermoplastic playground marking. Lead and follow as you work in pairs to observe and match chosen movements and sequences.
Other products we recommend:Spin Spot, Arm & Pedal Bike, Twirler
Flexibility
“The quality of bending easily.”
By increasing a child’s flexibility items such as our Tai Chi Spinners allow children to work on their range of motion while undergoing play. Through repetitive usage, children can improve and develop their flexibility, enhance their aerobic capacity and improve muscle conditioning.
Other products we recommend:Hip Twister, Double Air Walker, Stretch Spot
Strength
“The quality or state of being physically strong.”
Ideal for challenging KS2 pupils, working on strength is great for increasing muscle mass as well as energy levels. Items such as our Overhead Ladder always go down a treat in any playground as they allow children to combine physical activity with imaginative play as they pretend to swing through the trees.
Other products we recommend:Pull-Up Bars, Swinging Grips, Seated Leg Press
Control
“The ability to hold a set position.”
Again, another challenging activity for KS2 pupils to master, control is all about intentional fundamental movement. Through control, children can become more aware of their bodies and how to limit or restrict movement when necessary. Classic items such as our Situps allow children to take control of their bodies while undergoing exercise and through isolation, become more aware about individual muscles.
Other products we recommend:Parallel Bars, Chin-Ups, Jelly Board
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