The playground has changed dramatically over the years however is it still an integral part of any school environment or community setting. The playground is used in a variety of ways to aid our children’s learning and social development, as well as a way to give our children access to low cost high quality activity. Our children have changed and they seem to lead more sedentary lifestyles or be part of organised sports or activities. Playground markings are a way to retain a child’s imaginative play.
- So how are modern playgrounds utilising traditional line markings?
- How are playground markings helping children no matter the age as they develop in their childhood and teenage years?
- What are playground markings used for?
Playgrounds provide school or the children in our community with a dedicated space to enjoy the outdoors in safety. Most playgrounds around the UK will have some form of playground marking applied to the surface. They are usually snakes & ladders or number grids to traditional hopscotches. And as we progress we use ball courts for sport specific play.
Playground markings are used to initiate imaginative play, encourage different learning styles and extend learning beyond the classroom, giving children a unique and timeless way of enjoying and achieving during break time. A child will get lost on their own games with a set of markings that inspire or they will engage in groups if they choose. The versatility of a great playground marking is you can choose from games which are long standing or you can design your very own, your designs can cater to specific interests and ages, choose from our range of 26 colours to create unique designs to meet your own needs.
Let’s Learn
Playground markings are now used more often to provide an outdoor learning platform. In early years line markings are used to help teach in a modern and interactive way. Mathematics, English and phonics can be introduced to children using the playground.
Children can enjoy numeracy lessons without even knowing they are learning, and then by using markings to create their own games they develop these essential skills. Playground markings are a great resource for learning that can be used throughout a child’s school life as their needs develop.
For sporty types…..
Playground markings are one of the best ways to encourage an active break times. Schools and communities increasingly try to dedicate space to Football, Tennis, Volleyball or Basketball courts, as well as Multi Use Games Areas (MUGAS). Adults & Children use these in school time and in family time.
Giving children the arena to participate in physical activity is a great way to nurture crucial personal and social skills. Sport encourages teamwork and communication. Playground markings are long recognised as an effective way to nurture this away from the supervised sports hall allowing independence.
Social Development
In modern education the playground is now an accepted extension of the classroom and is the place where early social learning takes place. We see increasing levels of creative thinking of our children in the use of playground markings. Aside from traditional sporting markings, designs such as; painted mazes, maps, life-size board games, dart board targets and A to Z throwing targets will give children plenty of opportunity to work and learn together.
These types of games stimulate the imagination and encourage play in our children. Our markings will also improve hand-eye coordination, gross and fine motor skills and spacial awareness. Kandu is a marking designed to improve the fundamental movement skills of children without thrusting the child into a daunting sports specific arena. Equally target games are perfect for this development, and even simple coloured line patterns can be used in creative ways – a modified version of chase, for example, where children have to stick to the lines.
Easy to install and long lasting
CPM are expert thermoplastic installation specialists with over 30 years’ experience in the Play & Construction industry. We are an independent professional playground, road (or any other surface!) marking company who take great pride in ensuring our customer experience is based on basic good old-fashioned customer service. I have included some images of recently completed projects.
Our services cover all aspects of educational play, safety surfacing and road markings.
- What do you want?
- Quality line markings installed safely by reliable & experienced installation experts. That’s us!
We have completed our apprenticeships working for the very best in the business. So, you can be sure that when you choose us as your installation partner you are getting the best installation quality around.
We only supply the best quality thermoplastic for our customers, so you can be certain that our work will last for three years if not longer.
Prefer painted options? That’s no trouble for us. Just ask.
We have a host of markings packaged and ready to go, you can select from our brochure products or design your own, we have access to first class designers who are waiting to help. All our bespoke games or logos are waterjet cut on site using the latest technology to ensure maximum attention to detail. You can even pay us a visit us and watch your design become a reality through our viewing window.
Want to get noticed? How about complimenting your shop front or building signage with a floor mat in your company logo to welcome your colleagues and visitors. Precision cut to your design in as many colours as you choose our mats are anti-slip, vibrant, washable and they last for at least three years. And they do not go soggy in the rain!
And if what you need are safety zone markings or demarcation lines indoors or outdoors then we are the team for you. We have worked with local and national contractors to mark out car parks, warehouses, private roads, retails outlets large or small, community centres, logistics providers and even a small village. We popped to Wembley recently and got busy there. And we are proud providers to the Royal Mail in there sorting offices throughout the North West.
Thermoplastic preformed material is laid onto any existing tarmacadam surface a little bit like a big jigsaw and then heated up until it melts and sticks down onto the tarmac.
Once applied, the thermoplastic line markings are very vibrant & durable as well as being dry within 30 minutes of laying. The general life expectancy can be over three years if the surface remains in good condition.
Thermoplastic will not become dull during heavy weathering so they’ll retain their colour and provide clear lines over long periods of time. Simply brushing with some warm soapy water will restore colour throughout its lifetime. These lines can be used in sports courts, demarcation areas as well as the popular use for bright fun and interactive playground and recreational area designs.
Thermoplastic can be bought in lines or can be made in sheet form enabling us to design customer logos or welcome mats for any organisation using the latest in water-jet technology. We use thermoplastic on road ways, cycle lanes, car parks, and areas were safety comes first such as transport yards or walk ways in busy airports & train stations. Thermoplastic line markings are great for recreational outdoor sports courts and school MUGAs where activities are more focused on fun rather than serious competition. Thermoplastic is applied with an anti-slip beading and glue for extra assurance that the users will be able to enjoy them for many years.
Painted lines are commonly used for marking out sports courts and playground graphics onto play areas or courts. Painted line markings are usually almost flush with the surface onto which they are applied. This ensures that the lines do not interfere with the play on the ball during a game or match.
If you tell us or if we feel your area is to be used for competitive sports, then line marking using paint really is a must.
We do not recommended thermoplastic for these areas, we wouldn’t want any users believing they were put at a disadvantage would we!
It must be noted that painted line markings simply do not last as long as thermoplastic so a regular maintenance programme should be established if this is the right choice for you.
