Play surfaces are a key component of the outdoor environment and should contribute to providing risk, challenge, fun and variety. There is an ever-increasing range of materials to choose from and it is important to keep an open mind about what combinations of surface might work best in your setting.
Tarmac
Tarmac is a relatively cheap play surface and yet it is one of the surfaces that people often dismiss, according to Mary Jackson, development manager for school grounds charity Learning Through Landscapes (LTL). 'There is a lot of potential for tarmac and it can be used for drawing or writing on in chalk or making marks with water,' she says. 'It is very flexible, a great base for putting things on.'
Tarmac can be laid in different colours, which is slightly more expensive, and also works well with markings. 'In terms of markings, you can lay temporary markings, which you spray on yourself,' says Ms Jackson. 'Alternatively, there are permanent markings, which are made out of thermoplastic. This is much more durable. Cycle tracks can also be put on tarmac.'
Ms Jackson finds that a lot of settings want to cover everything with safety surfacing, but feels there is a lot of misunderstanding about this.
She advises that settings with any play equipment over two feet high will have to think about having some kind of safety surface.
'It reduces the severity of head injuries, so it is appropriate for putting under equipment, but it is not designed to protect you if you slip over, for example,' she says. 'There is also conflicting research on safety surfacing. Some think that it lulls children into a false sense of security and they take more risks, as they think they are safe if it is underneath.'
She adds, 'To use safety surfacing over large areas can be very expensive and it is usually not appropriate.'
Grass
Grass is another good surface to use, but you have to think about where you are using it. Ms Jackson warns, 'In shaded areas, there is not enough light for it and if you have children going across it every day, it will get worn down very quickly.
'Grass is also a good safety surface. However, the problem about grass is that it can get muddy and slippery in the winter and hard in the summer.'
Artificial grass is a way round all this: it can be a good play surface, especially for shaded areas or in areas where there are lumps and bumps.
Bark mulch
This is another good safety surface, but settings will have to ensure they acquire play mulch rather than mulch for plants. This is more high maintenance than rubber or tarmac. Cats often use mulch as a toilet and you need to keep it topped up and clean.
Sand
Sand can be versatile and some countries use pea gravel, which is really fine, smooth gravel. Big gravel is no good, as small children will hurt themselves if they fall on it.
Concrete paths
Ms Jackson also recommends putting down concrete paths in different colours, as you can embed different fossils in them. Nurseries also need to think about entrances and gateways. Stiles can be a nice addition.
Inclusion is another factor to bear in mind when thinking about the mobility of the children. 'However, all children should be challenged, so it is important that not all of the areas are smooth,' says Ms Jackson.
'However, there are some surfaces which are no good for wheelchairs - such as bark chippings,' she adds.
GIVING TEXTURE
Tim Archer, a landscape gardener, based in Kent, has been creating play areas for nurseries and schools for the past 12 years. He believes the play surface is the starting-point for the design as a whole.
The first thing he does when visiting a nursery is to look at the layout of the play area and see where the sunny and the shady areas are. This will affect the types of surfaces used.
'I try as much as possible to incorporate existing walls and buildings into the play area. I speak to the staff and the children as they usually have a wish list,' he says.
'Ideally the design, including the various surfaces, should be ergonomical, as well as being durable and user-friendly.'
He adds, 'I have found that it is very important that the staff enjoy using the play area; if they do, they will encourage the children to use it.'
Mr Archer likes to give the play areas he builds an element of quirkiness. Everything is made by himself and his team and a lot of the climbing equipment is made from branches in their natural state.
He and his team make their own slides out of stainless steel and water cascades are made out of wooden troughs. 'This gives the play areas a very rustic look. Most of the wood we use is chestnut and hazel, which has been coppiced, so it is sustainable.
'It is important to think of the health and safety aspect, but also be ethical at the same time, so we use EcoSoft Bond bark chipping, which is 100 per cent recycled,' he says.
He believes it is important to have a variety of surfaces in the play area. 'We embed tyres and unusual things such as cogs into coloured concrete,' he says. 'We also use artificial grass and decking and timber. Some of the paths will have markings on to use for games. If there is enough room for a cycle area, we put on road markings and a zebra crossing. It helps children to recognise what they will see on the roads in their daily lives.'
Mr Archer has worked a lot in urban areas in London. 'Play areas are especially important in inner city areas where many children don't go outside and will just sit inside watching television.
'There is a fear factor in letting children go to parks, so we create these wonderful settings where they can experience the outside,' he says.
Another of his projects, the Webb Estate Playgroup in Clapton, East London, managed to secure some funding from the Learning Trust to spend on a play area.
Manager Linda Qureshi says, 'The only outside area we had was a concrete strip of land, so we used to have to take the children over to a little park on the estate. But there have been problems with drugs there, so it is not a very nice park.'
The pre-school hired Tim Archer and he managed to transform the space into an exciting and fun-packed play area, complete with a bear cave with a network of tunnels, a playhouse, a large sandpit and a cycle path. He painted the grey concrete walls white and got an artist in to paint a mural of a beach scene. Ms Qureshi says: 'We now have a big sand area and lovely palm trees. There is also a simple bridge of reclaimed timbers which the children can clamber over.
'There is a textured path with fossils and red tiles embedded in the concrete.
'For some of the children, this is the only time they play outside,' said Ms Qureshi. 'The rest of the time they will stay in their flats. It has meant such a lot to them.'
LEICESTER: USING EVERY INCH
Children 1st@ Leicester, part of the Children 1st@ Breedon House Day Nurseries chain, has made it a priority to use every inch of its outdoor space, which has involved putting cycle tracks on tarmac in a side area of the nursery which was previously unused.
The nursery managed to secure a grant from its county council to spend on its play area and matched the grant with its own funds. From the outset, Children 1st had a very clear idea of what it wanted to achieve.
'Before, we just had some springy tarmac and a 'little tikes' slide and climbing frame. Now it is more stimulating, with tracks and lots of flexible equipment,' says Stella Bookham, deputy manager.
'We have had a large wooden sand area put in and we have a yellow tiger slide with stripes which is more challenging for the children. The sandpit has a cover, so we can go out in all weathers and it can be used by all age groups.
'We also have a wooden teepee with a seating area. It has a wooden structure and is over 10ft high with canvas on top. We can fit 26 children in there.
'We have been out there in the teepee in thunderstorms, when it has been pouring with rain. We do musical sessions in there and listen to all the sounds we can hear outside. We did a dolls camping day in there and we set up a play hospital one day. We have books out there for reading.
'The boys at the nursery particularly love the area with the three mini-tunnels and humps.
'We have kept the springy tarmac and we have the slabbed area so the children can do water painting and draw with chalks. We have also painted flowers and butterflies on the slabs.'
ALL ON THE SURFACE: SUPPLIERS
- Charity Learning Through Landscapes (LTL) offers site visits to early years settings, giving advice on how to develop their outdoor space. Costs of visits are available on the LTL website. T: 01962 846258; www.ltl.org.uk
- Archer Landscapes builds and revamps play areas, constructs slides out of stainless steel and uses sustainable wood for bear caves, tunnels, bridges, etc. Works in London and south-east England. archerlandscapes@aol.com; T: 01795 843196 07988 861229
- Magical Marking uses thermoplastic, so playgrounds can become spaces of vibrant colour with various markings and adventure play equipment. T: 01977 662 500; www.magicalmarkings.co.uk
- Outdoor Solutions specialises in designing and building bespoke play areas and outdoor structures, such as 'jungle track' assault courses, pirate ships, dragon cycle tracks, tree surround sandpits and giant removable canopies. T: 01293 527721; www.outsol.co.uk
- Fawns Recreational Services designs, produces and installs play equipment, offering both off-the-shelf and bespoke items. T: 01252 515199; www.fawns.co.uk
- DCM Projects is one of the UK's leading specialist installers of impact-absorbing soft play surfaces. The flooring is colourful and versatile. T: 0845 6500066; www.dcmprojects.co.uk
- Nova Sport specialises in the supply and installation of 'wet pour' multisports and safer play surfaces. T: 01332 292202; www.novasport.co.uk
