Playgrounds are opportunities for fun, inclusivity and developmental improvements for children.
Installing activity panels is a great way of doing this - so what type of panels should you choose and where to find them?
1. Tic Tac Toe
Tac toe has been an essential part of people's childhoods for decades.
First, it adds a new sense of excitement. Second, it improves hand-eye coordination, as kids need to see the whole panel and slide the squares accurately to place their marks.
Most importantly, it creates more opportunities for social interactions. Having a Tic Tac Toe activity panel in your playground creates opportunities for friendly competition between local families boosting social skills and relationships.
2. Music Panel
Music panels offer children the freedom to play music however they want, with no rules or restrictions which can be a more casual way to introduce children to music. This is a good first step to test their interest in music before committing to more formal music lessons.
These panels create an inclusive playground where everyone feels welcome.
It promotes inclusivity by involving all children, including those who are talkative, shy, and non-verbal. They can all come together to play music-focused games which is what a playground is all about.
3. Pilot Co-Pilot
How many times have you heard a kid say they want to be a pilot when they grow up? A pilot panel is the closest thing they'll get to living that dream.
With steering wheels and an illustrated airplane control board, they can participate in imaginative play which is vital for development at a young age.
It's an effective way to keep them entertained without causing too much trouble for their peers and guardians. These panels are built with twin wheels to foster children's social skills and sense of cooperation.
4. Weather Panel
If you're a teacher, you probably had to teach your students about weather/climate changes at one point. While offering a verbal/textual description of these phenomena is a good start, you can't explain these without visual elements.
Weather playground activity panels have simple, appealing designs and complementary colors, that aims to teach children the basic weather forms in a simple, engaging way.
That presents an opportunity for teachers to challenge kids to notice the weather on a daily basis and move the slider accordingly. It's educational, fun, and innovative.
5. Maze and Gears Panel
The maze and gear playground panel offers double the value other panels do. As the name suggests, it incorporates two panels in one.
This is a simple design that incorporates the turning of gears which seems simple, however, this panel promotes the learning of the cause and effect concept.
The maze panel incorporates a classic game where kids try to move a slider through a complex maze to go from the entry point to the exit point. It encourages them to think logically and remember the patterns of the maze so they can move faster.
6. Maze Panel
Maze panels are great at challenging the mind and are a fun activity for children to enjoy that can also help with spatial awareness improvements.
By having to take a mental note of the maze and figure out the right path, it challenges their logical thinking as well as problem solving and communication skills.
The satisfaction and sense of accomplishment that comes with solving a maze can also help them in real-life scenarios and help them tackle complex challenges in future.
7. Hand Orientation Panel
The idea is to have children place their hands on the hand-shaped carvings in the same orientation
The game isn't meant to be challenging. It aims to engage children's hand-eye coordination, prompting them to scan the carvings quickly, identify the right orientation, and place their hands on the carvings accurately.
8. Gravity Panel
No, the gravity panel isn't a game that lifts children off the ground and up the sky. It's actually not that much different from the maze panel. Gravity panels are similar to maze panels - they involve the movement of a ball from one side of the panel to the other side.
The paths that they move the balls through come in wavy and zigzag patterns. That means if they want to slide the ball to the other end, they'll have to push it up these paths, defying gravity in the process.
While the game isn't as cognitively challenging as the maze panel, it definitely helps improve their hand-eye coordination.
9. Bell Panel
The Bell Panel comes with four rings, and each createing a different sound, allowing children to make different types of music.
It's not as complex as the music panel, but it offers the same value.
The best part? That panel encourages them to communicate and cooperate. Yes, one kid can hit all the rings to make random sounds, but if they want to create actual music, they'll want to work together.
Benefits of Playground Activity Panel
Encourages the Senses
Play panels engage different senses. Interacting with the different panels stimulates the sense of touch and teaches children to differentiate between various textures.
Playing the instruments of the music panel engages their sense of hearing and develops the brain's ability to process sounds. Of course, looking at all these panels with their bright colors and unique designs improves their visual perception and ability to recognize different objects.
How does all this help? Sensory engagement fosters curiosity and learning through exploring. It refines motor skills and helps develop the brain at a healthy pace.
Encourages Social Interactions
Some of the playground panels are played individually, but many of them encourage collective playing. Not only does that give room for kids to interact with each other, but it also allows them to use their different skills to overcome the challenges the panels present.
Overall, a playground is meant to be a space where kids get to know each other and socialize, and that's what outdoor play panels do.
Promotes Healthy Self-Expression
Incorporating fun and educational games, they allow children to let their imagination loose and be as playful, goofy, and loud as they want. In other words, playground panels offer a healthy space for children to unapologetically express themselves.
Prompts Inclusivity
All children aren't born equal. Some enjoy physical activities, while others prefer mental challenges.
You'll see children using their keen sense of music to create appealing sounds with the music panels and others going up the playground climbing wall panels.
By installing different sensory panels for playgrounds, you're ensuring that every kid has an activity that appeals to their hobbies, creating an inclusive space that welcomes everyone.
Boosts Confidence
The games and challenges involved in play panels can greatly improve a child's confidence levels. Whether it's from the satisfaction of completing a task, of winning a friendly game of tic tac toe against peers, playgrounds are important spaces to let children develop and grow, and boosting confidence level are a crucial part of this development.
Enhances Creativity and Problem-Solving Skills
With music, maze, and tic tac toe panels, a playground becomes a place that challenges children to think outside the box and consider different scenarios. It stimulates their creativity and critical thinking abilities.
EcoPlay Structures - Your Sustainable Playground Equipment Supplier
Now, you know why you should install activity panels in your playground and what panels you should choose. So why choose EcoPlay Structures?
With 18 years experience, we have a dedicated and communicative team who are happy to answer any questions you have about the installation process and which panels will work best for your playground.
So, give us a call, tell us your vision, and let us do the rest!