Active Playgrounds

Active Playgrounds

Active Playgrounds encourage physical activity through structured, safe and fun activities. A thoughtful programme can help improve behaviour and reduce break time incidents. It’s a simple way to boost wellbeing and help pupils achieve 30 minutes of physical activity during each school day.

Circles showing safe, structured, fun

Active Playgrounds encourage children to be physically active in their free time. A thoughtful programme can enrich imaginations and improve mental wellbeing. It’s one of the simplest ways to help ensure children return to the classroom with happy faces, ready to learn.

Getting started with Active Playgrounds

Primary PE and Sport Premium funding lends itself to Active Playgrounds. You could invest it in:

  • Lunchtime Supervisors
  • Playground Leaders
  • Zoning playgrounds

The benefits of Active Playgrounds

Physical development

Active playgrounds can improve pupils’ coordination, skill, strength, agility, balance and endurance.

Social development

Active playgrounds enable pupils to learn how to work with others and to build an understanding of tolerance, cooperation and sharing.

Cognitive development

Active playgrounds enable pupils to explore their environment. This gives children time to understand the world in which they live.

Lunchtime supervisors

Lunchtime supervisors are an important part of Active Playgrounds. They can support, encourage and promote physical activity by organising structured play. This enables children to get involved and get active in a safe environment.

Organise training for your school to equip staff with the tools to:

  • successfully zone the space you have within your school
  • utilise the equipment to provide safe and engaging games
  • identify a repertoire of suitable games for all year groups

Zoning playgrounds

Zoning the playground is a great way to help children get to know what activities are available. It can also help to prevent negative experiences. And it doesn’t have to be expensive; it could be as simple as using existing markings or equipment such as cones.

Some children struggle in the playground. There are different boundaries outside of the classroom – both physical and social. Zoning can make it easier for children to navigate.

Zones could include a/an:

  • Free running zone
  • Quiet zone
  • Small equipment zone
  • Informal games zone
  • Formal games zone

Our young leaders really enjoy organising games at lunchtime. Their confidence has grown over the weeks... Communication has improved between the captains and this has also developed their teamwork.

Morage Pearce, Lunchtime Senior Supervisor, Beechwood Junior School

Playground Leaders

Playground Leaders is a structured training programme designed for children in Years 5 and 6. It equips pupils with the skills to organise and deliver lunchtime activities for children throughout the school, with support from school staff. The training includes communication and leadership skills and teaches positive ways to engage and encourage younger children. It focuses on promoting inclusion and creating a safe space to be active.

Get in touch with Kelly to find out more about the training.

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