How To Engage Children In Designing Your School’s Playground Space

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recycled plastic play equipment

Play area with wet pour

Many of our customers are individuals who have been delegated the task of creating or updating a play space but do not know where to begin. So we would advise you to design the space yourself by involving your students. Head teachers, councils and funding groups across the UK have expressed a need to find a way to get their students/pupils involved in planning and choosing equipment for their new playgrounds. The Hideout House Company has therefore taken these requests and created a programme that not only allows the children to easily get involved but also to incorporate it into the curriculum of maths, ICT and design.

Step One
Have the students head outside with tape measures and grid line paper to measure and draw the space available for the new playground. Ideal locations are flat and have few barriers such as trees or buildings

Step Two
Have the students sit down in a group and brainstorm items such as what ages will be using the playground? How many children on average are using the play space at any given time? Are there needs on the playground such as shelter from the sun and rain, a place to exercise, a place for creative role play or even just a space to sit and socialise? And is the playground in a location where it is accessible when the school is closed to the local community or is it secured and locked up?

Step Three
Reveal and discuss the budget with the students allowing them to understand the costs of this new playground. This will in turn give them a sense of pride and responsibility to take care of the new play equipment.

Step Four
In your ICT room allow the students to enter in all the information they have gathered starting with the dimensions of the space and the budget

Step Five
Scroll through the products available and this includes everything from climbing towers, fitness trails, outdoor classrooms and shelters etc

Step Six
As they price the items on the playground they will see their budget and remaining budget totals so they will know if they have gone over the budget allowance.

Step Seven
Once they are happy with their space and they have remained within their budget, they can now send this document to us and we will in turn convert it into a playground plan and visual showing the products the children have chosen

Step Eight
Find a spot in your school to post the designs once they have been sent to you and let the students vote on their favourites!

We will come out free of charge and do an official site visit to survey the area, the space and the equipment to verify that the design is accurate and to give you a confirmed quote.

For further information on our range of playground equipment, please contact the Hideout House Company on 01832 275902 or email: info@hideouthouse.com

How To Teach Children About Renewable Energy

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eco outdoor classrooms

eco outdoor classroom in cedar wood

Worries and concerns about global warming and the damage we are causing to the stability of the environment are probably now at their highest level with children and youth being the most vocal in raising their concerns. And for good reason.
The eco schools programme is doing a marvellous job in promoting the environmental issue within educational establishments worldwide and as a result children are actively getting involved in programmes which promote healthy living, renewable energy, bio-diversity, recycling and global citizenship.
Over the years, we have developed quite a few products which promote this whole eco schools issue. The most popular of which has always been the eco hub or eco classroom which features our unique renewable energy kit. This system is intended to be an educational learning tool as opposed to being an “off grid” power or electricity supply. The equipment features a mini wind turbine and solar panel which are typically either mounted on a pole or onto the roof of an existing outdoor classroom building or shelter.
The power created by the sun and wind is then fed down into a panel which is wall mounted inside the outdoor classroom. This features a battery (encased) which stores the energy created by the renewables. By way of an inverter, this energy is then translated into low power usable electricity via two double power sockets which the children can plug their laptops, visualisers, tablets etc into. Green energy in its purest form at their finger tips!
The board also features two isolators and a data logger. So for example the children can shut down the wind turbine if it is a hot sunny day and there is no wind. By way of the datalogger facility, they can see how much energy is being provided by the solar panel alone. Ditto if it was a very windy today, they could isolate the wind turbine and close down the solar panel.
The system can be featured on any outdoor classroom or shelter or play ground building as long as the roof is strong enough and there are sufficient internal fixing points for the board.
It certainly promotes environmental awareness and an appreciation of how renewable energy is created. And it may be used too for certain eco school accreditations.
To see the system in action please visit the website link below:

Video

For further information, please contact the Hideout House Company on 01832 275902 or email: info@hideouthouse.com

display and monitoring board

Schools, Climate Change & Greta Thunberg

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eco outdoor classrooms

eco outdoor classroom in cedar wood

It has been so heartening to witness the recent events of young people – aka school children – demonstrating so vociferously against the devastations of climate change and global warming. From the inspiring speeches of the Swedish teenager Greta Thunberg to the recent student marches in and around all major cities of the world, the world has finally found a unified voice and that voice is youth. I do believe that in the years to come, history will judge the day when a teenage girl in Scandinavia decided to bunk off school and protest about the environment as one of the major turning points in finally getting the leaders of the world to sit up, listen and act.

And young people have every right to be angry or feel frustrated at world leaders and politicians as they are the ones who are going to inherit and deal with the major problems that climate change will bring. And whatever you believe, it surely has to be obvious to everyone that something is quite not right with the planet and that is what is happening right now today is just the start.

There are no quick fixes that is for sure but I have always believed that if the younger generation of today are aware of the major issues facing the planet (and they obviously are in light of the recent worldwide protests) and can act in a more respectful way that is almost second nature to them, then we are perhaps in with a fighting chance. And that all starts with education.

There is already a very good international programme that runs within educational establishments called Eco Schools (it currently engages 19.5 million children across 67 countries) which essentially promotes and informs on issues such as recycling, bio-diversity, energy, healthy living, transport and waste.

So what have we done as the Hideout House Company to promote the environmental cause? Well, quite a lot actually. We have now fully developed our range of playground products which are manufactured out of recycled plastic as opposed to the more traditional timber. This material is 100% recycled from plastic cartons so has very good eco credentials. This range now takes in trim trails, playboats, planters, tables, mud kitchens and play towers.

And our very own eco hub is proving to be very popular too. This includes a shelter (available in different shapes and sizes) with a grass living roof, a water butt and roof guttering system (for rainwater harvesting) and our educational renewable energy equipment. This particular feature was designed and developed in house and includes a solar panel and mini wind turbine which is mounted on the roof; this in turn feeds down into a monitoring control panel which is secured on a wall within the shelter where a battery stores the energy created by the turbine and solar panel. This is then turned into usable electricity by way of an inverter so that the children can plug in their mobiles, laptops, tablets etc into the two outdoor sockets on the board. We feel that there is no better way to teach children about the creation of renewable energy – “green power” at their fingertips!

We have also created outdoor classrooms which are pedal powered i.e. children pedalling on specially adapted dynamo bikes to create enough electricity to charge sound systems, lights and portable cinemas. And it has another plus side too in that it burns off the calories as the children know that if they stop pedalling, so does the power.

For more information on our range of eco friendly products for schools, please given us a call on 01832 275902 or visit wwww.hideouthouse.com

play towers

Play Tower Duo Low Level in recycled plastic

Outdoor Classrooms On A Budget

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square outdoor classroom with decked floor and benching

We do get asked every now and again for “what is the cheapest thing you can supply?”. We do appreciate that budgets are tight in schools and that you need to prove value for money in your overall buying criteria and selection processes.

The word “cheap” sometimes causes me a bit of concern however because in my book, cheap is usually associated with poor quality and short working life spans of the particular product in question. As a company, we don’t really do “cheap” if it means low quality because the economics simply don’t work. A low price might lure you in initially but you will spend a lot of money over the years on snagging and maintenance and it will not last as long as one product will do if manufactured to a higher quality and standard. If you add in these factors, the product which is “reassuringly expensive” would be the better option for value for money.

But if you are after a product which is of good quality but is lower down the pricing matrix, you might want to consider our outdoor classrooms with a canvas roof. Usually our roofs used on our outdoor classrooms have a felt shingle tile, then a waterproof membrane and then a log ceiling underdraw. But this can easily be replaced with a canvas roof instead to drive down the cost a bit.

The canvas we use is a PU coated, marine grade canvas which is available in a range of colours – blue, green, yellow, red, vanilla and maroon. Usually the darker the colour, the greater the UV resistance. We already use these canvas roofs on our outdoor shelters but we simply adapt these shelters to include for a timber decked floor, sub-frame base, lower level panels to three sides and internal benching.

These type of outdoor classrooms are available in a range of sizes – namely 3m x 3m, 4m x 4m, 5m x 5m and 5m x 3m.

We can also supply roll-down canvas panels as well to the windows and door which afford you extra protection against the elements by allowing the outdoor classroom to be “fully enclosed”. And if needs be, we can use a special grade of canvas which has fire retardant properties built into it.

Prices start at £4,350 + VAT

For further information, please contact the Hideout House Company on 01832 275902 or email: info@hideouthouse.com

Completion of play area at Fishponds Playing Fields, London

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Playground scheme with surfacing

We have recently completed the installation of a new play provision facility at Fishponds Playing fields in South West London. Fishponds playing fields is a 2.5ha gated site predominantly hosting grass sports pitches rented out to local schools and sports teams.

The original brief we received from Wandsworth Borough Council was as follows: “The priority age range for the play provision is 2-11 year olds with a bias towards the younger children in this age range. Install a natural themed children’s trim trail that encourages a range of play experiences including climbing, balancing, strength building, hanging and imagination using recycled plastic imitation equipment that conforms to (no earlier than 2017) safety standards BS EN 1176 and BS EN 1177 as recommended by the Association of Playground Industries (API) code of practice. Give careful consideration to location and spacing of trim trail units and landscaping to ensure optimal flow between units and maximisation of playable space. ”

In our original tender, we designed a play area which not only maximised the space and thereby play value available to us but we also met the above brief of providing play equipment which suited the appropriate age range.

But most importantly, all of the play equipment was manufactured out of recycled plastic as opposed to timber or even metal. This was because as it is a publicly accessible play park, the customer wanted to ensure that the equipment lasted, was relatively maintenance free, was resistant as is possible to potential vandalism, does not rot or decay and benefits the environment. All of these boxes are ticked therefore by utilising recycled plastic materials.

The play equipment is comprised of the following: a play tower with slide and a rockwall; a trim trail including stepping stones, balance beam, wobbly log bridge and step up ladder; parallel bars and an activity “cube” including Traverse Rope, Hanging Log Crossing, Hanging Rope Crossing, Pull-Up bar and Tumble Bar. The safety surface used is an artificial grass carpet with a shock pad underlay with kerb edging. To the side of this area is a play boat (again manufactured out of recycled plastic) which is surrounded by a blue coloured bonded rubber mulch surface to emulate the sea for the younger age children and two benches.

The whole job – including the safety surfacing – was completed in ten days and is now up and running and ready for use.

For more information on our play equipment range, please visit trim trails

or call us on 01832 275902 or email: info@hideouthouse.com

Value For Money Is Quality

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We know that schools have to get at least three competitive quotes for any project they are considering over a certain amount of money and that this subsequently has to be signed off by the board of Governors. And we also totally appreciate that when considering the quotes and options in front of them, value for money..or proving value for money…has to be taken into account.

Sometimes we may not always be the cheapest quote on the table – but then again, there will always be someone else cheaper than the cheapest one. But in our book, we stand by the expression “buy cheap, buy twice” because you will always get what you pay for and the savings you think you are making will soon be lost. Or could even cost you a lot more money.

And that is why we beat the drum of the quality of the product which should be one of the most important deciding factors. Using high quality materials means that they will stand up to the rigorous demands of a school playground and they will last. And will typically require less maintenance over the given life period of the product.

For our outdoor classrooms for instance, we never use plywood or single boarding for the roof as they will eventually rot and leak over time. We use a felt shingle tile, then a waterproof membrane and with a log ceiling underdraw so it will not leak, rot or decay. The timbers we use for the main classroom building are grade 4 tanalised to give greater protection against timber rot, infestation and decay and to give longevity.

Our adventure trim trail products are manufactured out of recycled plastic as opposed to traditional timber because recycled plastic will outlast timber five times..and will never rot or decay even for the section which is dug into the ground.

Guarantees, customer service and previous work/testimonials should also be taken into consideration.

Plastic Pollution and Recycled Plastic

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Thankfully this very big and important issue of worldwide plastic pollution – and the damage it is doing to our planet – is now very much at the forefront of the news and social media platforms – very much helped along by David Attenborough’s Blue Planet TV series which broadcast alarming images of how the oceans are increasingly being choked with litter. And every day another news story appears which helps to ignite our outrage at what is happening.

So here are some facts:
* Every minute one million plastic bottles are sold worldwide
* 12 million tonnes of plastic is dumped into our oceans and rivers every single year
* Europe recycled only 30% of the plastic made and you have got to be believe that we are at the better end of the recycling loop
* It is not just plastic bottles, straws and packaging – tiny micro plastics are also dangerous and can harm marine life

Positive action is being taken however and there are now many lobby groups around the world trying to influence and change Government policy on plastic production and recycling. The plastic companies also need to take a very active part in phasing out all non-essential plastic and to move away from single-use and throwaway plastics. If Government laws do force these companies to take the right action, it can work – look at the recent example of the 5p plastic bag levy which has resulted in a plastic bag usage drop of an amazing 80%! And a lot of supermarkets – notably Tesco and their Bags of Help community fund – have taken this initiative further by setting up local community funding programmes.

Schools are undoubtedly very much at the forefront of environmentally friendly practices through the help of programmes such as Eco Schools. This is also helping to alter or influence the mindset of today’s younger generation in questioning whether what we take for granted now is acceptable for the well-being of the planet in the future. This is going to be far more their problem than previous generations.

All of the above is one of the leading drivers why we, as the Hideout House Company, decided to change from using rounded timber for our trim trail adventure play equipment to using recycled plastic instead. Not only does it have many other numerous benefits – such as rot free, 5 x longevity, minimal maintenance etc – it has exceptional “green” credentials as it is manufactured from 100% recycled plastic bottles. These products cause hardly any environmental contamination with environmental protection being taken into consideration even during production where emissions are kept low. So instead of these plastic bottles ending up in the oceans choking and killing our precious marine life or polluting our landscapes, it can end up in your school’s playground instead!

For further information on our range of recycled plastic products, please visit www.hideouthouse.com

Fire Pits and Forest Schools

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The forest school programme is now firmly entrenched and practised in many schools in the UK – both in urban and town/city settings and allows participating children to benefit from real-life outdoor experiences in a woodland or natural environment.

And we have found from our merry travels visiting schools up and down the country that there is a set pattern to the kind of products they are looking for to help with this initiative.

So this blog serves as a guide to what we can offer in this respect as the Hideout House Company.

Open Air Fire Pits

Preparing and lighting camp fires is an essential part of the overall forest schools programme. Some schools – especially those in urban settings – unfortunately do not have the benefit of a wooded or forest environment actually on their school grounds so they usually opt for hiving off a part of their playing fields for this purpose.

In this respect, we are able to build a fire pit seating area which consists of woodland type rustic style benching, a fire pit and a stone gravel floor encased in a solid timber edging surround. Or if the area is bigger, we can use bark instead of gravel.

The fire pit areas can be built according to the amount of children using them, space and of course budget.

With edging and gravel

Fire Pit Shelters

Schools  – as well as wanting a fire pit – are also wanting to provide for some kind of shelter from the elements when the weather is not so nice. So we have combined the two with our fire pit shelter.

This comes in two variants. The first is an open sided octagonal gazebo whereby we have a ventilation hole in the roof to allow for the fire smoke to easily exhaust out of. These fire pit gazebos also come with internal benching (we have two sizes – 4m which caters for a class of 22 children or a bigger version at 5m which is designed for a class of 30) and half panel walls. These half panel walls allow for extra protection but they are also structural and bind the building together to stop it from racking.

We also can apply two coats of a fire retardant varnish to the underside of the roof.

Another option in this range is our 4m x 4m cooking shelter which has internal benching to three sides, the option of roll-down canvas panels to the sides and a special fire pit cum cooking facility in the middle which has a central flue going through the roof.

Or if you didn’t want to have an actual fire pit in the middle, we can always just supply one of our outdoor shelters with a marine grade PU coated canvas roof. These are available in three sizes and a choice of colours for the canvas roof – plus an additional optional extra is to have full length roll-down canvas panels to the sides.

Fire pit shelter with felt shingle tile roof

With roll down canvas panels

 

Fire Pit Cabins

These are proving to be extremely popular as they also have quite a distinct and Hobbit like style to them. Perfect therefore for a wooded setting. Like the afore-mentioned cooking shelter, these cabins have a central fire pit and cooking facility with exhaust flue.

They are available in four different sizes and as they are fully enclosed, they allow for all year round use. And of course in the winter, you simply have to light the fire to keep cosy and warm inside. Optional extras allow for insulation, internal benching and tables, sun pipe, timber sub-frame base and roof windows to allow in more natural light.

They are built using premium materials including Arctic pine and a felt shingle tile roof with a pine ceiling under draw (the felt shingles are available in three different colours).

And they are usually installed on site within a couple of days so minimal inconvenience to the school.

And what’s more, the children absolutely love them and I have heard them being described over the years as many things – the Hansel and Gretel House, Hobbit House, Hideout Den etc

 

fire pit cooking cabins

fire pit and cooking cabin

 

 

Callow Top Playground Using Recycled Plastic Play Equipment

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recycled plastic play equipment

Play area with wet pour

We have just completed a brand new children’s playground which features playground play equipment manufactured entirely out of recycled plastic as opposed to the traditionally used timber. The customer wanted to use this material because they totally understood and appreciated its benefits  – in that recycled plastic lasts a lot longer than traditional timber, doesn’t rot or corrode, is hard to vandalise and requires very minimal on-going maintenance.

The playground consists of low level adventure trim trail items including a balance beam, wobbly log bridge, stepping stones, traverse wall, log weave and all encompassing activity cube with nets and bars. The playground has to cater for a diverse age range of child from 3-11 so the playground had to be designed in a way that was all-inclusive.

There are also some play towers – one is low level (set at a metre off the ground) for the younger children which has an adjoining bridge between the two towers and the other is set higher at 1.5m for the older children to enjoy. This tower features a slide, some steps and a net ladder.

The whole area has then received a rubber wet pour safety surface in a green fleck colour.

For more information on our range of recycled plastic play equipment, please visit

Adventure Trim Trails

Trim trail in straight line

More school playground products in recycled plastic

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recycled plastic playground productsSuch has been the success of our playground trim trail equipment manufactured out of recycled plastic, we have now extended out the range to make other products out of this special material. We have especially focused on those products which are most likely to be exposed to damaging elements or materials daily through the sheer application of the product – so for example mud kitchens where they are going to have a lot of mud and water poured over them; sandboxes with wet sand; planters with damp soil etc

Recycled plastic lasts a lot longer than the traditionally used timber equivalent so it is definitely worth considering for these type of products as you will get such a longer life span and more importantly, it will never rot.

The range now includes sandboxes, mud kitchens, playboats, planters, mud tables and benches.

These products can be seen on the link given below:

https://www.hideouthouse.com/recycled-plastic-playground-products/

recycled plastic playground products