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Monthly Archives

January 2019

Wooden play boat for children

More fitness equipment for Appledore Primary School in Devon

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In May 2018 we completed the play equipment installation at Appledore Primary School here in Devon. We have returned to the school to inspect the play area on several occasions and are often reminded how much the children like the play boat and musical play instruments. The biggest attractions have been the physical play equipment including the monkey bars and net and rope play products which apparently are swarmed every break time.

It’s now 2019 and the school wants to invest more in its play areas as it recognises the benefit that the outdoor play is having on the kids and in particular the parallel bars monkey bars climbing trees and zig zag ropes.

Climbing poles zig zag ropes and monkey bars installed over safety surfacing in the play area

An array of wooden fitness equipment for the kids at Appledore

 

So after a consultation with the staff at the school we came back to the workshop to see how we could improve the playground facilities and provide more of the play equipment that was proving so popular.

Fitness equipment for primary schools

Fitness equipment seems to be the key at this school so we set about designing a double run of monkey bars at different heights that allow a greater range of height of children to use them. We added block steps to help the children to reach up to the higher bars.

We also designed a range of climbing poles that encourage kids to use their upper body strength to clamber from one pole to another before stepping over to the zigzag ropes.

We prepared some drawings showing how the play equipment would appear on site and showed them to the school. We soon got the go ahead to start the second phase and build the various wooden play equipment ready for the installation.

The area where we were to carry out the play equipment installation already had some old dilapidated kit in place which we had to remove. We then prepared the ground so that it was suitable for the safety surfacing to be applied. Next came the installation of the parallel bars, monkey bars and other wooden fitness equipment.

Monkey ladder play equipment installed over green safety surfacing

Wooden play equipment and safety surfacing installed at primary school in Devon

Once installed, we were able to lay the safety flooring and complete the job by adding perimeter fencing to the play area to finish things off.

In addition to the new playground equipment we were asked to provide a wooden shelter to give protection from rain and shine so we also installed a fantastic huge wooden gazebo with its own entrance ramp that provides the children with somewhere to shelter when they are not using the fitness area. With an overhanging roof and half open sides this shelter keeps the rain and wind out but allows an all-round view of the school grounds. When tired from playing there is wooden bench seating all around the gazebo.

A beautiful wooden gazebo for school children installed in the playing field

A wooden gazebo shelter complete with bench seating

Before and after the playground installation

What a difference, with the play equipment installed, the school play area has been transformed and now provides some new challenges for the school children in their outdoor play area.

Before and after photo of playground installation

Before and after photo of the playground installation at Appeldore Primary School

 

All of the wooden fitness and exercise equipment comes with our new 20 year warranty that provides real peace of mind for schools and owners of other play areas. If you are looking to replace or repair your play equipment then please don’t hesitate to call us on 01803 814523 so that we can visit your school, holiday park or other play area to discuss your options.

We provide play equipment installations in South West UK including Devon, Cornwall Dorset and Wiltshire.

 

Wooden play tower in play space

We install a new feature castle in the school play area over the Christmas break

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We were contacted late last year by the primary school who wanted to have some more outdoor play equipment installed at their play area. We promptly visited the school where we talked about the options for the play castle that they had in mind.

When we got back to base we set about designing the play castle complete with fun extras including the dungeon den, traditional slide, rock holds ramp, scramble net, fireman’s pole and rope bridge. As with all of our play equipment quotes we then created a drawing to demonstrate the proposed design and how it would be constructed using timber from a sustainable source.

A themed castle for childrens play area

A fantastic theme castle for the kids play area at school

Within a week or two, the school gave us the go ahead and we were able to agree a date while the school was closed for the installation of the new play equipment.

Fortunately, the play area already had some very suitable bark flooring so our first job was to create a chunky wooden frame using laminated redwood timbers that come with our 20 year guarantee against rot. This was ideal and saved the school some budget as we didn’t have to lay any safety surface such as rubber mulch surfacing.

We provide play equipment installations in South West UK including Devon, Cornwall Dorset and Wiltshire

Most of the play castle and was constructed using solid wooden timbers which provides a nice natural finish and a very safe and durable solution. The wooden ramp was fitted with rock holds which help the kids to scramble to the top where they can enter the first castle tower. A rope walk bridge then allows them to cross from one tower to the next where they can use the slide to get back down and access the castle’s dungeon den !

Wooden play towers installed during the Christmas holiday go down a treat

A play castle complete with rope walk, traditional slide and climbing ramp

With the installation complete and the castle looking good we tidied the play area and left it ready for the big surprise that the children would have when they returned to school after the Christmas break. See our range of wooden play towers here

If you are interested in a similar themed play area such as a castle, boat or plane then please feel free to call us and we can come and see how we can spruce up your park or playground.