It has never been more important to encourage children to get outdoors and play. It is estimated that young people aged between 5-16 spend six and half hours in front of a screen daily. This increase in a sedentary lifestyle and prolonged screen time is damaging our children’s health and well-being. Not only is it increasing the rate of childhood obesity and related illnesses like diabetes due to reduced physical activity.
Encouraging children to play outdoors and be more active has never been more important to their development. Getting outdoors in the fresh air not only gets them active but also gives children new experiences. There are many benefits to children playing outside, such as a development in strength and co-ordination whilst also building on their confidence and social skills. Playing in the outdoors without the stimulus of a screen also leads to more imaginative play and promotes outdoor learning. This, in turn, encourages creativity and creates independence, as they are no longer relying on a virtual world for their experiences.
However, we all know the challenges with getting children getting out and about with weather being so unpredictable in the UK. Luckily, we have a great range of shades and shelters offering all year-round protection from the elements. Children’s delicate skin can be protected from the sun’s harmful rays with our Sailaway range, which can be added at ease to provide a shelter above the play area to not inhibit the activities and fun that they can have.
Shelters
Summer Protection
Our Sailaway Canopies, Pergolas and Free Flow Shelters are a perfect addition to all playgrounds. The shelters are carefully designed to ensure there is enough UV protection so the areas can be used safely in the hot summer months, while still staying active and having a good time. They create excellent social spaces in school playgrounds and provide a safe space where children can spend time learning and socialising.
Winter Protection
For more wintery conditions, children and parents can continue with outdoor activities under Fawns range of All Weather Canopies, Pergolas, and Free Flow Shelters . These structures will both keep your children safe and dry in inclement weather and importantly, it provides further landscape for their imaginative play to run wild in. Of course, these same structures continue to be handy year-round as they provide shelter and shade once it starts becoming warmer.
Both shelters also have enough space to allow for outdoor furniture such as our surrey picnic tables and benches, as well as an outdoor playground equipment, which provide endless physical activity, socialising, and fun for children of all ages throughout the year!
Outdoor Classrooms
While all our shelters provide protection from the sun, rain, and wind, they are also an excellent space to be used as outdoor classrooms.
Our Outdoor Classroom range is a perfect example of bringing the indoors, outside to the school playground. They encourage educational games, and imagination whilst providing a perfect learning environment for teacher led lessons. The classrooms can be adapted to suit a school’s specific requirements, such as addition of benches, whiteboard/blackboards, and a choice of side panelling, if your outdoor classroom requires it! They are an excellent asset for outdoor learning.
Safety Surfacing
Here ay Fawns we also provide a variety of playground safety surfaces that are suited for a range of ages, help keep children safe all year round while they continue to play outside and are used as safety surface for free fall heights of equipment.
Wetpour
Wetpour surfacing is available from 20mm to 140mm and provides an in situ laid rubber safer surface catering for a range of fall heights under play equipment.
It is an attractive, virtually seamless rubber surface, available in a range of colours, and a choice of bright vibrant graphics to suit your playground, that can be laid onto existing tarmac, prepared bases or concrete surfaces.
Durabond
Our Durabond is a rubber mulch which is very natural looking, impact absorbing surfacing made from recycled shredded rubber, combined with a special binder and mixed on site. It is a cost-effective and attractive surfacing system for all play areas and is available in a variety of colours.
Duralawn
Duralawn is our version of artificial grass, which, looks realistic and adds an authentic feel to a child’s outdoor play experience. Due to the Duralawn being weather resistance it will avoid getting muddy or overly wet in the winter.
Duralawn is also an excellent surface for an early year’s foundation stage outdoor area due to less mess with mud and can be easily cleaned after any messy play.
Outdoor Playground Equipment
Not only does is our school playground equipment enhance physical activity, sensory development, social skills and encourages kids to explore and challenge themselves but they are also carefully designed from pressure treated timber and HDPE panelling, meaning they are weather resistant to all the weather in the UK!
Our equipment is suitable of a range of age groups, from early years foundation stage to young adults, and provide endless fun for any school playground.
How we can help
If you would like to discuss your playground project, contact our helpful team today on 01252 515199 or sales@fawns.co.uk.
Alternatively click here to complete our contact form, and one of our advisors will pop you a call at your earliest convenience.
If you would like to request a brochure, click here to fill out a request form.
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