Painted Games on a Playground
Painted games on a playground for fun and social learning
Games are a fundamental aspect of a childâs development. Itâs not just pure entertainment, playground games also offer children an opportunity for social interaction. Itâs also possible for certain types of game to be both fun and educational at the same time. Our own playground markings featuring games include classic favourites such as piggy in the middle or twister. These are strictly fun and social activities, but some of our markings also incorporate aspects of learning.
For example, adding markings for games such as noughts and crosses to a play area can teach young people spatial logic, hopscotch may also help them with this. Hopscotch can also help promote numeracy and physical activity. We design our non-toxic games markings to last and they carry a 4-year warranty. There are many benefits to painting different types of games on a playground.
What are the best types of game markings for a playground?
Parents and teachers may have strong feelings about different types of games. However, there is no best game to add to a playground design. Each type of playground game adds something different, and each has its own benefit. Some the more popular playground game markings, and their benefits for children, include the following:
Sports courts and game area lines
An extremely beneficial feature of sports courts is that it provides a method of combining a game and rigorous physical activity. Children can still be active in more traditional games such as hopscotch, especially markings featuring larger patterns such as â4 way hopscotchâ. However, sports courts provide further benefits.
Additional benefits of a sports court marking include:
- Moderate to vigorous exercise: Sports such as netball and football provide the opportunity for moderate to vigorous exercise, from which many children can benefit. Sufficient exercise at a young age helps provide the child with the habits they require to remain healthy as they grow.
- Team interaction: Sports court lines provide the chance for children to interact in a team environment. This enhances the social element of their play, which is a strong advantage. Healthy competition and learning about cooperation and team spirit can help children develop character.
- Scalable skills: Learning and practising a sport from a young age can cultivate an interest in that activity. Establishing and maintaining these skills can serve children as they grow and play more sports outside of the playground. Such skills are appealing to schools looking for pupils with the potential for extra-curricular contributions.
By using our markings it is possible for people to maximise space in their playground design. We provide several multi-use courts, which can add the ability for children to play 2 or 3 sports on one marking at a similar cost to a single-use marking. Sports markings also add the ability for children to enjoy games in schools and community playgrounds in urban environments. Sports-specific areas may be less common or in these settings, so multi-use courts can encourage a lot of use in a small area.
Our game line paint is also resistant to weather or heavy use, so multi-use courts will last a long time.
Dance markings
Markings to encourage dancing provide a fun and social way of inspiring children to come up with their own games. Imaginative play is a constantly fluid aspect of the playground and children may express themselves and interact through dance – as well as enjoy the benefits of it being a physical activity.
Other benefits of incorporating dancing markings in a playground design include:
- Social skills: The interaction and communication that is necessary for a dancing game, such as when children copy each otherâs dance, is something this type of marking can nurture. Cooperation and mimicry are vital skills that serve growing minds in all sorts of learning, through their education and beyond.
- Exercise: The reality is that not every child enjoys playing sports. However, dancing markings provide an alternative to sports that still offers a lot of physical exercise. While team games may require larger groups, dancing is possible with a smaller group – or possibly alone.
- Creativity: While a sport will have rules that are not particularly flexible, an imaginative and expressive activity such as a dancing game is ripe for potential adaptation. The nature of sports markings also means colours are relatively uniform, whereas dancing markings add a variety of vibrant tones that can stimulate a child’s mind.
The markings that we install for dancing games include a âCopy Meâ product, for groups of two, and a âDance With Meâ product for bigger groups.
We can add these to the design of tarmac or concrete playgrounds in many different configurations. Dancing is a fun and healthy activity for a child and will make for an interactive experience. This makes it one of the more enjoyable playground games. Our markings are also non-slip, which can be important for dancing.
Games markings on a playground for sustainable fun
It can be frustrating for people to add markings for games to a playground only for children to wear them out over time. This is why one of our aims is to deliver and install thermoplastic markings that last longer than regular paint. All our markings are also under warranty for 4 years.
For the best results people can contact us to create dynamic designs with environmentally-friendly markings that last. People can explore our brochure for more inspiration on playground games.
