Hinchley Wood School EYFS Playground Development

Overview

With a budget of £20,000, the challenge was to design the new play area around an existing road track marking, making use of what was effectively dead space without the need for a complete playground redevelopment.

The Brief

The school wanted to introduce more opportunities for physical activity and challenge within its existing EYFS provision.

The design needed to fit within the existing road track while providing children with activities that would help develop upper-body strength, balance, coordination, confidence and gross motor skills.

We also wanted to make more of the existing road track itself, incorporating additional features to create a more engaging and sensory experience.

Our Solution

Physical Challenge

To maximise the available space, we designed a compact but varied physical play zone incorporating a range of different challenges.

A set of monkey bars provides an excellent upper-body challenge, helping children develop grip strength, coordination and confidence.

A Tree Trail Spinney introduces further opportunities for climbing, balancing and navigating obstacles, while a challenge net adds another level of physical difficulty and encourages children to develop strength, coordination and problem-solving skills.

A tunnel was also incorporated into the scheme, encouraging children to crawl, explore and move through the environment in different ways.

Together, these elements transformed what had previously been unused space into an area packed with physical play opportunities.

Creating a Sensory Road Track

Rather than simply designing around the existing road track, we upgraded it to become an integral part of the new play experience.

The existing track was transformed into a sensory road track, incorporating a bridge and sensory strips along the route.

As children travel around the track on bikes and scooters, they experience different textures, levels and sensations, adding another dimension to physical and imaginative play.

New Artificial Grass Surfacing

To bring the entire development together, the full area was finished with artificial grass installed over a shock pad.

The artificial grass provides a clean, natural-looking and low-maintenance finish that complements the new equipment, while the shock pad provides the required impact attenuation around the play equipment.

The result is a consistent and attractive surface that helps the new development feel like a complete extension of the existing EYFS environment.

Installation

The entire project was completed in just three days, minimising disruption to the school and allowing the children to quickly benefit from their new outdoor space.

Careful planning before installation ensured the new equipment, sensory track and surfacing worked successfully within the constraints of the existing playground layout.

The Result

The completed development has transformed what was previously dead space into an engaging physical and sensory play environment.

By working creatively with the school’s existing road track rather than starting again, we were able to maximise the available space and the school’s £20,000 budget, adding significantly more play value to the EYFS playground.

Children now have opportunities to climb, balance, crawl, hang, travel and explore, supporting a wide range of physical and sensory development within one compact area.

The project is a great example of how thoughtful playground design can identify the potential in an underused space and turn it into a valuable part of a school’s outdoor provision.

Customer Quote

“It looks great, and the children have really enjoyed using it. They’ve been using it for independent play, while also developing their climbing skills and building their core strength.”

Project Summary

• Client: Hinchley Wood School
• Location: Esher
• Budget: £20,000
• Installation: 3 days
• Brief: Extend the existing EYFS provision by transforming dead space within an existing road track
• Key Features: Monkey bars, Tree Trail Spinney, challenge net, tunnel, sensory road track, bridge and sensory strips
• Surfacing: Artificial grass with shock pad
• Main Focus: Physical development, strength, balance, coordination and sensory play
• Outcome: An underused area transformed into a challenging and engaging EYFS play environment