Wanted: anything for primary school outdoor area in Birmingham

mrsmasterplan

I am a teacher in a primary school in Birmingham and we are in need of thing to enhance out outdoor area. The only probl is budget - does anyone have ideas/offers of items that would be suitable?

kingfisherblue

You could google to see if there are any grants available for schools. You would need to see if you fulfill their criteria. You could use any grants to pay for things you cannot easily make yourself, such as extra large chimes.

You could ask local garden centres for help in setting up vegetable patches or a flower garden.

Local builders or joiners might help with building a seating area, raised beds, etc.

An appeal in the local paper may bring forth someone willing to help, possibly a local company who will sponsor some work for you.

Parents might have suitable skills.

Pavement chalks are a cheap and easy way to encourage outdoor play.

You could have a games club, teaching the children some traditional playground games.

The British Heart Foundation sometimes provide skipping ropes in excahnge for the children holding a sponsored event.

The school might already have a parachute which could be used outdoors.

A local college with an art department might have students who are willing to paint a graffiti wall, inspirational posters, etc.

Parents and grandparents might be able to offer cuttings from their own gardens, and may be willing to run a gardening or environment club.

The Woodland Trust sometimes offer schools and clubs free trees and shrubs.

You might have local environment groups who can help - in my area, we have the Mersey Forest. We also have a very small local group that is interested in conservation and the environment. Ask at the local library or community centre.

Places like Home Bargains sometimes sell foam hopscotch and foam mats that link together, jigsaw style, to make larger mats. I paid £2.99 last year for a pack of twelve square pieces to link together for my Rainbows - each is 12"x12", they have different textures (great for rubbings), and there is a removable piece shaped like an animal within each piece.

Ask the local authorities if there is any funding available - the Early Years team might be able to help, as the EYFS requires access to the outdoors and outdoor play.

A local workwear company might be able to provide waterproofs, especially if their name is printed on the back.

Balls can often be picked up in pound shops and other discount stores. They work out a lot cheaper than buying from Hope, YPO, etc. parents might be happy to donate.

Beanbags can easily be made from scraps of fabric.

Alphabet snakes, hopscotch, etc can be painted directly onto the outdoor surface - parents or teachers might be able to donate paint.

Pound shops often have cheap garden things such as suncatchers. These can be hung around the playground.

A balance beam could be made from a length of wood or built from some bricks, by someone who is reasonable at DIY. It only needs to be a few inches from the ground (the height of a brick).

Some environmental groups will come into schools to make willow tunnels with the children.

mrsmasterplan

Thanks very much for all these ideas - definitely getting onto some right now!

kingfisherblue

If there is something that I have missed in outdoor play, let me know and I'll see what else I can come up with. I'm sure that I'll have missed something!

DollyDabbler

A Local college that provide qualifications in landscaping/gardening/horticulture - might help in designing and building raised beds.

Your local community payback scheme, may help with labour, also they sometimes (depending on area) have facilities for making wooden resources.

Do you have a local "Open Prison" ours locally make and sell fence panels and bedding plants etc that have been produced on prison grounds

Savvy_Sue

It's a few years ago now, but my boys had their playground 'enhanced' by a group from The Prince's Trust, could be worth contacting them.

Also if you have any 'biggish' employers local to the school, they sometimes want projects for 'teambuilding' days.

owtfornowt_2

I've used gumtree a few times to get a couple of tons worth of free freshly chipped bark for a nursery I worked in - check under the 'for sale' title and then 'freebies'.

The steam coming of the bark having been kept under a tarpaulin created a whole new life lesson!