The best playground equipment for schools can help kids of all ages grow both mentally and physically. The benefits of unstructured play at recess include improving motor skills, developing social skills and teaching children how to take turns. These activities can also help kids pay attention in class and improve their behavior and organizational skills.

The type of playground equipment you choose will depend on your school’s budget, space requirements and safety standards. You can also choose to focus on specific themes to amplify the learning experience. For example, musical structures like chimes and bell panels can encourage kids to develop a greater appreciation of music and learn how to recognize differences in pitch and intensity.

Creating Dynamic Learning Environments: The Role of Playground Equipment for Schools

Slides are another popular choice for elementary playground equipment. They can provide kids with a little rush as they fly down toward the ground, and they come in a variety of designs to suit different preferences and abilities. For instance, you can go with the classic tube slide, an open slide or a 360-degree slide that allows kids to make one full rotation before they touch down.

Other popular items include climbing walls, spinners and spring riders. Climbing walls can help kids build their upper body strength and coordination. Other types of climbing gear can also promote teamwork and collaboration, like the seesaw (also known as a teeter-totter). The CPSC handbook notes that traditional fulcrum teeter-totters should limit their maximum angle to 25 degrees and should have partial car tires or other shock-absorbing materials on each end to prevent hard impacts.