Whether they’re learning the ropes at pre-school, spending their mornings at daycare or attending a Sunday School class, kids want to play outside.
More importantly, they need to play outside. Outdoor play is good for their physical and psychological development. It helps them learn, gives them exercise and makes them happy. And today’s playsets are designed to appeal to kids of all ages and abilities, with a range of different accessories.
This week, we’re taking a closer look at some of the benefits of installing a vinyl commercial playset at your church, pre-school or daycare center.
1. Physical and mental benefits
American kids are in the grips of an obesity academic, and one way parents and caregivers can combat this problem is through encouraging outdoor play.
A playground is one of the best ways to accomplish this, offering children a chance to run, jump, climb, swing and engage in other forms of fun exercise.
Spending time on a playground can also provide mental benefits. Children can develop coordination and cognitive skills, and learn more about the world around them.
2. Boosting confidence
Playing outside teaches kids an important lesson: life throws challenges at us, even if that challenge is something as small as making it across the monkey bars. When kids overcome these challenges, they develop a sense of accomplishment and gain self-confidence.
3. Making friends
Are your children losing themselves in mobile devices? While there’s nothing wrong with having technological know-how when you’re young, kids will benefit from time spent around their peers. Playing on a vinyl commercial playset helps them develop social skills, make friends and learn important skills such as sharing, patience and cooperation.
The basics of playground safety
When kids play outside, accidents can happen. It’s just part of life. But that doesn’t mean you want bumps and scrapes happening on your watch. Here are a few tips to keep kids safe when they’re using your commercial playset:
1. Make sure they’re supervised
Keep an eye on kids, and look for hazards such as broken equipment or dangerous surfaces. Teach children not to push or shove.
2. Safe surfaces
Kids are going to fall, so your playground should have soft playground surfacing that can absorb the impact: wood chips, mulch, shredded rubber, pea gravel or sand. Rubber mats and synthetic turf are good options as well (and won’t require as much care.)
This surfacing should be at least a foot deep and extend at least six feet in all directions around all playground equipment. The higher the equipment, the greater surface area you’ll need. If you have a 10-foot high swing set, you’d need 20 feet of surfacing around it.
3. Qualified installation
Before you purchase your commercial playset, do some research. Find a company that’s committed to providing safety and quality, and who can offer expert installation and maintenance.
Are you looking for ways to make playtime at your preschool more fun? Swingset & Toy Warehouse can help. We carry five different types of vinyl commercial playsets, and offer installation and maintenance on all our playsets.
Contact us today to find out how we can give the kids in your care new ways to play.
