Should Sensory Equipment be in Every School Playground

Do you feel like schools don't have things kids need to get their energy out and stimulate their senses? Maybe you're a concerned parent whose child is even getting depressed at school because they don't have the means to stimulate their minds and curiosity outside of boring homework. You understand equipment is expensive, but keep reading to learn why they're essential.

What Qualifies as Sensory Equipment?

Sensory equipment or toys require the child to use any of their five senses to interact. They should be appropriate for the age range of the children. For example, a toddler will benefit more from crinkling paper than trying a faux fossil dig.

Interacting with nature is an easy and cheap example of sensory stimulation, but sensory structures on the playground keep things interesting. Gametime and Landscape Structures have many structures, such as the sensory carwash, outdoor musical instruments, and the Kaleidospin panel.

Why is Sensory Equipment Important?

Children need physical and sensual stimulation to begin making neural connections in their brains. They start recognizing objects by their feel, sight, smell, sound(s), and sometimes taste. 

As they interact with new things, that information is sent through neural pathways and processed and stored in separate lobes of the brain. Through repetition, the recognition of these objects becomes cemented in well-developed neural pathways.  

Sensory playground toys and games also invite kids to be curious and problem solvers. A study in 2007 showed that, along with other forms of play, sensory equipment develops the orbitofrontal cortex, where decision-making takes place.

Another study in 2000 showed that sensory play enhances learning and memory. The hippocampus is part of the brain connected to learning and memory, and in the experiment, there was an increase of 50,000 brain cells in the hippocampus of mice when they were given things like tunnels and wheels to interact with.  

Why Schools Should Have More Sensory Equipment

At the age of 5, most kids spend their time in preschool and school environments. Children the ages of 5 - 7 start losing focus after 15 minutes, and those at ten years old aren't going to be able to focus past 40 minutes without intermittent times for play. So it's critical schools have sensory playground equipment for good brain development and to "reset" their brains to get back to studying.

Schools also have kids with ADHD, ADD, autism, and other mental and physical disabilities. Schools are the optimal places for everyone to have fun and develop because they are more likely to afford sensory equipment.

They should also have quiet rooms with sensory toys suited for kids who may get overwhelmed in loud playground environments.

Play Therapy Supply is an excellent place to find affordable toy ideas, especially for sand tray therapy.

Conclusion

In conclusion, exploration of the senses through nature and specially designed equipment should be a priority for preschool playground equipment for the successful development of our kids. All the math and science in the world can't help them if they aren't allowed to be kids and be adventurous.