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Playground shelter ideas for schools
Posted on | Posted in Education
As schools up and down the UK continue to look for creative ways to create safe and engaging learning environments, many are discovering the fantastic benefits of using playground shelter canopies. Today, we’re looking at some of the innovative ways we’ve helped schools create extra usable space with our long-lasting canopies.
The benefits of a canopy are something that we’ve long shouted about here at Canopies UK. A school canopy…
- Provides shelter from a host of weather conditions including rain, snow and harmful UV rays.
- Encourages students to spend more time outside, helping them become more physically active and promoting health and well-being.
- Increases the amount of useable outdoor space for activities like playing, dining and outdoor learning.
- Protects playground equipment from the elements, extending its lifespan and reducing maintenance costs.
- Enhances the overall look of the playground, making it more appealing and inviting.
- Can be customised to fit each school’s specific needs and aesthetic preferences.
Playground shelter ideas
With ever-changing weather conditions, creating usable outdoor space can be a challenge. That’s where our canopies come in. With their ability to provide shelter from the sun, wind and rain, a canopy can transform your school’s outdoor space into a versatile area that can be used for a range of purposes, from sheltered play areas and additional learning space to much-needed room for dining.
Extra dining room
A school outdoor dining canopy is a great solution to the problems many schools are facing when it comes to dining capacity. When we chatted to school leaders at last year’s Schools & Academies Show (SAAS), we identified that an enormous 91% of schools call dining space a ‘major issue’. With class sizes on the rise and dining halls and canteens struggling to accommodate the additional numbers, it’s a problem that’s not going to go away any time soon.
As industry-leading school canopy manufacturers, we’re pleased to be able to offer schools a long-lasting solution to their dining problems. Our canopies are perfect for creating extra dining space, from sheltered picnic bench seating to our fully enclosed Cantabria system. Designed with the hospitality industry in mind, the Cantabria is also perfectly suited to schools looking for long-term dining space, with built-in heaters, LED lighting and a fully retractable roof.
A colour-matched enclosed dining area for Woodcote High School
Woodcote High School was extending its dining space and wanted a new, covered outdoor dining area. Our Cantabria canopy system created additional outdoor space where students can comfortably sit down for lunch. The multi-use aspect of the system also means that if required, the school can use the area as extra teaching or study space.
Covered play areas
In nurseries and primary schools, a canopy is a perfect solution for getting sheltered outdoor play and learning space. The power of outdoor learning and play in young children is something we’re passionate about promoting; there are so many fantastic benefits to encouraging children to spend time in the great outdoors.
Playground shelters create a fun, recreational space where students can play and learn all year round. Our bespoke design, manufacturing and installation service, as well as our industry-leading site-specific calculations, provide you with peace of mind that your play area canopy is high-quality and built to last. We can even match it to your school’s colours or create a bright and eye-catching colourful canopy that’s appealing to children.
A multi-coloured play area canopy for Grand Avenue Primary School
We were approached by Grand Avenue Primary School, who wanted us to create a bright and colourful canopy for the school’s outdoor play area. The completed Connekt cantilevered canopy provides multipurpose shelter in the form of a colourful, inviting outdoor space that appeals to the students.
A sheltered sand pit area for Whipperley Infant Academy
Whipperley Infant Academy wanted to create a sheltered play area over a beach-themed sand pit at the front of the school. To account for the changing weather and rain, the school wanted to ensure that the sand pit was usable all year round. We used an umbrella canopy with a specially designed gutter which was used to disperse any rainwater away into the nearby bushes.
Sheltered socialising spaces
We speak to many secondary schools and colleges who are looking for creative ways to get the additional covered space they need. Our multi-purpose playground shelters aren’t just for primary schools – they can be used for a host of purposes by a wide range of schools. From sheltered space for outdoor socialising to covered areas where students can line up for lunch without worrying about the weather, older students can also enjoy the many benefits of a school playground shelter.
Two playground canopies for Gladesmore Community School
The school reached out to us as they wanted two canopies installed to provide some much-needed outdoor cover for students during break times. One was to provide cover outside of the tuck shop, creating a covered serving and queuing space. The other was a covered outdoor seating area where students could gather at break times.
Additional outdoor cover for Wolfreton School
Wolfreton School were struggling for space during breaks and lunchtimes. Overcrowding was particularly apparent during poor weather due to restricted space in the canteen, so the school was looking for a solution in the form of a covered outdoor area. As the location was away from the main school building, we proposed a freestanding Connekt back-to-back canopy. The resulting canopy matches the school building and offers plenty of sheltered space for pupils to socialise.
We hope you enjoyed learning about the creative ways schools around the UK create more room and make sheltered playground areas with the help of our canopies.
Our playground shelters help schools create recreational and learning space that can be used all year round. If you think we could help your school improve on its usable outdoor space, we’d love to chat. To discuss your requirements or get advice from our friendly team, get in touch today.
