How to Make a School Playground Inclusive

There are children with disabilities in almost every school across the UK and many find themselves isolated during break times because they are unable to access the facilities and equipment that their friends like to play on. While this doesn’t necessarily mean schools aren’t complying with the Equalities Act, there are measures schools can take to make their playgrounds more inclusive for these children. In this post, we look at what those measures are.

Why make a school playground inclusive?

Outdoor play is important for all children. It is fundamental for developing friendships and social skills while helping with both physical and mental health. When a child with disabilities is unable to join in with activities that their peer group are doing, it can have negative consequences on their friendships, self-esteem and wellbeing.

While children with disabilities might not be able to access all the facilities available in a playground, they have more opportunities to participate when a playground is designed and equipped with their needs in mind. Here are some of the ways that schools can make things better.

Improving accessibility

Regardless of whether a child’s disability prevents them from using a piece of playground equipment or not, they should at least be able to access all areas of the playground so that they can accompany their friends. For example, a child in a wheelchair might not be able to traverse a climbing wall, but that should not prevent them from being with their friends who might use it. They may be unable to carry out the physical activity, but they are still able to participate in any social activity that takes place.

For this reason, the design of any playground should enable pupils of all abilities to access all areas easily. Clear pathways need to connect the different zones in the playground and these need to be wheelchair-friendly and suitable for those who find it difficult to walk or who are blind or partially sighted. This includes providing access to raised areas, such as mounds, climbing equipment or stages.

Playground surfacing is another aspect that schools need to consider. Children with a disability might be more inclined to participate in more physical activities if they feel better protected from hurting themselves. Replacing hard surfaces like tarmac and asphalt with softer ones like rubber mulch or wetpour might give them more confidence to join in.

Install sensory play equipment   

Installing sensory play equipment is another way to make a school playground inclusive. All children get absorbed by investigating their senses and providing an area where they can experience touch, sound, smell and visual stimulation is a great way to provide these experiences. These are also areas where children with either a physical disability or a mental disorder can easily get involved in activities and do so with their friends.

There is also a lot of equipment available to create these important spaces. These include mirror boards that make funny reflections, splashy water walls, planters full of colourful, fragrant flowers, outdoor percussion instruments and messy play equipment, like mud kitchens and sand pits.

Make a school playground inclusive with imaginative play

Imaginative play is a social activity and by developing an area where this is facilitated, you will be creating somewhere where children with disabilities can easily join in activities with their friends – something they would find much more difficult to do if they only has sports and climbing equipment on offer. Role play, in particular, has many benefits, helping to develop a child’s understanding of the wider world while improving communication and social skills.

Quiet spaces

Some children, like those with autism or anxiety, often find noisy and busy playgrounds unsettling. A way to make a school playground inclusive for these children is to create a quieter and more calming space for them to feel at ease. This can be done by creating a nature area which is away from the main plain playground. If your school doesn’t have a natural quiet area, you can separate an area of your playground off using planters and trellises to create a green walled space which can be surfaced with artificial grass and furnished with natural timber seating or shelters.

Active play area

Providing facilities for physical play encourages social inclusion in the playground, making it easier for those that find it hard to interact to join in. This can be achieved by installing equipment that facilitates group games and sports. When doing so, make sure that any equipment can be used by every child, even those with physical disabilities. For example, you could install two sets of basketball or netball nets at different heights so that anyone in a wheelchair can take part.

Conclusion

School playgrounds should be for the benefit of all pupils, so it’s important to make them as inclusive and accessible as possible. Hopefully, the ideas discussed here will help you consider any changes you might want to make to improve inclusivity at your school. If you need more help with this, our sales team will be more than happy to discuss your needs and explain what more you can do.

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