4 Must-Have Accessories For Playgrounds

Educators of the world, we salute you! And, come to think of it, anyone who provides kids with a mix of outdoor fun and learning. Playgrounds are a staple of our childhoods: the rush of a swing, and the giddiness of a merry-go-round, follow us well into old age when we look back on the heavenly moments of our lives.

It’s therefore a big deal when you have awesome playground accessories. Whether you’re in charge of a school, or setting up a child-friendly area by a restaurant to give mum and dad some peace, here are four features you’d do well to employ:

1. A zip line

 Kids love to zoom from one end of the playground to the other, with the wind nipping at their backs. A zip line will launch boys and girls on a bold step to one helter-skelter, and breathlessly exciting, experience.

Most designs have a circular seating base, letting children grasp the middle wire safely as they shoot across the play area. It’s best to make the ground underneath soft with wood chippings, yielding tarmac or an outdoor mat, in case they spring off mid-fly.

2. Bean bags

It’s rare to find a chill-out zone that never gets boring. But that’s exactly what all-season bean bags bring to the table: quirky, cushioned seats to sink into with a buddy in tow, perhaps in a remote corner of your schoolyard.

Get some outdoor rugs, too, for a novelty slice of comfort, somewhere that children can read and think and talk about what was going on with that special canteen menu…

3. A storage box

Not all outdoor accessories are weatherproof, but lugging them to and from the shed can be cumbersome. For a convenient place to store toys, games and ride-ons, consider investing in a storage box.

This can complement your shed or replace it outright, depending on your requirements. So as soon as the sun comes out to play, the kids can reach right in and pull out their go-to accessories.

4. All-year parasols

When the sun is beating down on your asphalt, kids are at much greater risk of dehydration, burning and heatstroke than we are. Conversely, if rain and wind is particularly fierce, you don’t want to march everyone inside and spoil the fun…

That’s why we suggest a stylish group of parasols for the games to continue. With a handful of canvases over eating spaces, hopscotches and the side of your astro turf (if you have one), there’s no excuse to call ‘time’ on those smiling faces. Instashade’s business parasol collection has plenty of inspiration for the look and shape of your protective attributes throughout the year.

Think that playgrounds are child’s play? Think again – they take some real care and attention to be at the peak of their awesomeness. Don’t fall short on the accessories you’ll furnish it with; who knows, they might just spark a bright glow in a boy or girl’s recollections of their youth, when they’re all grown up…