Team building activities on the playground are crucial to the healthy social development of your students. However, many schools lack the equipment and provisions important for self-directed social playground games.
Self-directed play is any form of activity that students engage in without prompting from supervising adults. This is especially beneficial to the development of independence, social capacity, and friendships in EYFS students.
Follow our guide to incorporate team building exercises into your students’ playtime with playground equipment.
Team building through Sports and Active Play
Studies show that exercise and movement release endorphins that can help ease nervousness, making socialisation easier. Additionally, playing team sports gets everybody involved, fostering healthy competition and forming team bonds.
MUGAs (Multi-Use Games Areas) are a popular choice to encourage sports in schools. Games markings and goalposts for a variety of sports provide students with a range choices in activity. Therefore, children can easily select their preferred team sports from 5-a-side football to doubles tennis. With this sports space, children are free to play as a team during breaks or to continue games from teacher-directed PE lessons.
Parallel Play and SEN areas
Team skills can also develop through non-typical social play, for example, parallel play. Creating a space for parallel play in your SEN play area requires a range of equipment in one space. A sensory play wall in a quiet play corner lets kids choose from a range of sensory games to play with one another or explore independently alongside friends.
Parallel play is a unique form of socialisation where children undertake individual activities near one another. This may not seem like typical socialisation, but parallel play can form effective bonds between children.
Sensory circuit play
We recommend that schools should set up sensory equipment for students to explore and develop their fine motor skills. Adapt sensory play to encourage social interaction by creating a dedicated sensory space for children to collaborate within. These spaces can include, water walls, gardens, music panels, and more to engage all senses.
The School Playground Company can install our range of sensory, creative, and imaginative play panels in bespoke combinations to provide a variety of unique experiences that all kids will love. Discover your options with our new play panel brochure.
Teambuilding Summer Activities for Outdoor Play
The warm summer provides a wider range of opportunities for unique forms of team building activities. Outdoor play in the sun can be a great way to encourage healthy socialisation.
We recommend embracing a range of non-traditional play styles and activities with your choices in playground equipment. This includes:
- Den Building
- Messy Play
- Role Play
Den building
Den building is a favourite activity among children looking for an adventure! Our den building kits can bring the great outdoors to any play area, even schools in urban areas. Components include camouflage netting, wooden struts, and other items for kids to customise their dens as a team.
Each den building kit is sized to accommodate 4-5 children. This allows small groups to set up their dens with their own designs. A great activity for the Summer is a friendly den building competition, where teams race to build the most structurally sound construction.
Messy Play
Designated messy play corners are a great solution for a manageable messy fun experience. A mud kitchen with easy clean laminated wood surfaces provides kids with a space to get stuck in! From slime play to messy art and more, children have endless opportunities to unleash their creativity together or independently.
Making messy creations together in a safe space can help children develop strong bonds. This is because the creativity and imagination involved in messy play and constructive play allow children to fully express themselves in a unique way, without judgement from peers.
Role Play Panels
An often ignored type of group activity is role play. This is often a component in children’s pretend play games, but is much more than just imaginative fun. Role play, especially with the help from a range of role play panels, helps kids to develop their understanding of the outside world.
Our role play panel change helps to facilitate typical interactions, making up part of a role play town. Options include shops, cafes, houses, and more. This encourages children to work together, building on each other’s social skills and experiences, preparing them for later life.
Complete your Playground to Promote the Best Team Building Activities.
Are you looking for new ways to promote team building in your school playgrounds?
Contact us today with the handy contact form at the top of the page. You can also give us a call at 01455 412134. Our team is happy to give you advice and tips on what your school play area needs to thrive.
