ACTIVITY |
PROS |
CONS |
COMMENTS |
A sandpit with activity station |
Children love playing in sand. Brilliant for crawling in and very tactile. Sandpit play stations allow for imaginative scenarios. |
Can end up being flicked / thrown at other children. |
Don't use builders sand! |
Pirate ship / boat / house |
Superb for the imagination and great for role play. Limited input required -just let them get on with it |
None really |
|
Toddler slide |
Have you ever been to a play area that doesn't have a slide or 2? |
None really as long as they are appropriate for age and area of playground |
|
Roundabout |
Great fun for those that like them. Must consider design (open / vs closed). |
Not so great for those people that don't like them. Children can fall from 'open' roundabouts and older children can get carried away with the speed. |
Maybe 2 needed to allow for different age groups? Service and maintenance must be considered. |
Rockers & Springers |
Whole variety of designs available from single occupancy to those that can accommodate a number of children at once. |
Some of the bigger rocker designs are quite springy so probably more suited to older children's area. |
Fall potential especially if younger children are on with older, more exuberant children. A number of Springers that are spread throughout the area will allow for differing age ranges to be segregated. |
Seesaws |
Whole variety of designs available from single to those that can accommodate a number of children at once. |
Some of the bigger seesaw designs are quite springy so probably more suited to older children's area. |
Fall potential especially if younger children are on with older, more exuberant children. A number of seesaws that are spread throughout the area will allow for differing age ranges to be segregated. |
Toddler swings |
No playground is complete without some swings. Presently the 2 toddler swings are often not enough to accommodate the number of users. |
Some of the designs out there are too limiting with short structures and short chains. |
Sensible siting throughout the play area will allow all children to have swings appropriate to their age range. |
Castle structure with curly wurly slide |
Modern designs are almost indestructible and so vandal proof. Enclosed structure prevents fall from height. |
Such a big structure will undoubtedly become a focal point and crawling babies may be inclined to be drawn towards it. |
Distance from baby area activities must be considered. Expensive. |
Swings for older children |
Swings are great for all age ranges. |
Must be sited sensibly to reduce toddlers from being knocked over by older children. |
Sensible siting throughout the play area will allow all children to have swings appropriate to their age range. |
Cableway |
Excellent fun for bigger kids |
Must be sited sensibly to reduce toddlers from being knocked over by older children. |
Reasonably expensive for what is intrinsically a solo activity. But they are great fun. |
Multi activity climbing frame
|
A great one for the older children. Presently there is not really enough for the older children. |
Must be sited sensibly to reduce toddlers from attracted towards it and getting in a tangle. |
Sensible siting throughout the play area will allow all children to have activities appropriate to their age range. |
Arc swing |
Variation of swing for multi use. |
Must be sited sensibly to reduce toddlers from being knocked over by older children. |
Sensible siting throughout the play area will allow all children to have swings appropriate to their age range. |
Inclined roundabout |
Some people love them |
Some hate them |
|
Wobbly boards
|
The possibilities are endless. Good fun for all ages. |
|
|
Basketball hoop / target net
|
An easy one for kids to occupy themselves. Different sizes available for different age ranges. |
Nothing really - except that you need your own ball. |
|
Cycleabout
|
A new one on me - never seen one of these before but this pic was e mailed from a very impressed Grandmum. She liked the concept, the fun and the sense of achievement. |
Not sure about cost - but it looks expensive. Still that shouldn't be an problem, merely an obstacle for us to overcome. |
|
