TouchWood engaged with Hannah More Primary School in central Bristol to redevelop their play area. The inner-city school has a large outdoor space, which is hugely beneficial to the many children from disadvantaged backgrounds. Often these …
We create exciting playgrounds that help schools deliver their learning priorities across all ages.
Imagine a playground that helps you create those memorable learning experiences you want for your children. At TouchWood we are passionate about building environments that provide maximum opportunities for play and learning and understand that these go hand in hand.
Our playground features encourage children to use their imaginations to have their own adventures in a safe, stimulating, natural setting. Using the act of play to stimulate learning is something that we’re all passionate about.
Play is the earliest form of storytelling. And, it is how children learn how to negotiate with peers, problem-solve, and improvise. It is in play that basic social skills — like sharing and taking turns — are learned and practiced. Children also bring their own language, customs, and culture into play.
From climbing frames to themed structures to mud kitchens and multi-use activity areas, we’ll have a natural play solution to meet your needs.
Our guide to school playground design gives you all the information you need to plan, design and organise a playground installation for your school. It’s absolutely free, and shares lots of examples about playgrounds for different age groups.
Brief: To create a playground for Stanley Green Primary School that engaged the entire school with an emphasis on Key Stage 1.
The school tasked us with bringing learning and playtime back to life as the focal point of their space. So, how did we achieve this?
We provided a handcrafted magnifying glass amongst sleeper planters to allow the children to investigate nature via an ant farm through perspex windows.
We installed an interactive pea gravel pit with chutes, pulleys, scales, and platforms for children to take their imagination to the next level. There’s also a performance space taking centre stage alongside a giant story-telling throne for show and tell.
To keep the children strong and physically fit, they now have access to a fallen forest where they can balance, scramble, and play until their heart’s content.
Brief: To create a playground that worked across the whole school age range with particular emphasis on KS2 children.
Through talking to the staff we discovered that the existing ‘mud kitchen’ was a focal point for play. So we gave it an upgrade, adding a creative playroom, hand crafted log seats and table and a bespoke tree trunk ordering station!
Water is the ultimate loose part, and water play encourages problem solving, exploration and investigation at all stages of development. We built in hand pumps, channels, troughs, chutes and pulleys to make this a truly motivating area.
Thoughtful use of natural materials throughout the space makes for a calm and nurturing environment. Whilst the addition of a bug hotel and planters helps foster an enquiring mind and stewardship of the natural world.
Brief: To create a playground that re-energised the outdoor spaces for Penn Field school engaging children aged 5-19.
This playground design took an existing nature garden that wasn’t being used and gave it purpose.
The school were looking for a space that had multiple focuses for all key stage groups.
We focused on performance, physical challenge, creating social spaces for reflection and creating a space with better access to an overgrown pond.
Every project is unique, but in general we stick to our four step process when creating playgrounds. There are some additional stages if we support you through the funding process, but in general our design process is outlined below.
Creative development – site survey, collaborative concept design and pricing assurance.
Technical design – we send technical drawings for you to sign off.
We build your playground features at our woodyard.
Once installed, an independent play safety inspector signs off the play area. You'll then receive a detailed operation and maintenance manual and details of our maintenance service.
If you need a playground these are the people you need to speak to.
Our team help our educational clients by guiding them through the playground design and build process.
They help you understand what is achievable within your budget. They also help you visualise your project with 3D renders of your playground.
You want a playground that will help you to achieve your school priorities at break and curriculum time.
That will become a classroom without walls with the sky as it’s ceiling. That will work for you whatever the weather. That will constantly inspire, challenge and nurture your children. That will be open to new developments as your priorities change. That you can afford.
We know what you want, and so do you. Talk to us, we’re very good listeners.
Whether you need to get your funding and want an idea of cost, or you have funding and need to get as much play value into a space as possible for that budget, we know how to help you.
From early years to secondary schools, we understand your school’s play needs will vary widely. Our primary focus is to provide playscapes that encourage outdoor learning alongside play and exercise.
We work with budgets of all sizes, but typically we work on school projects that cost £30,000+.
“Since Touchwood Play installed our new play equipment, we’ve noticed a huge difference at playtime. Children are much happier and really enjoy playing together more.” 
“Working closely with the team at Touchwood Play has brought our vision and ideas into reality... children and families are thrilled with the wonderful equipment we now have.” 
“We were very satisfied with the whole process from design through to completion and beyond. Touchwood engaged parents, staff and children. We cannot reccomend them highly enough” 
“Our experience of working with Touchwood has been nothing but positive. The play ground that we now have is unique to us and the space that we asked you to fill. We feel that it almost perfectly reflects this nursery's aspirations for a stimulating, challenging high quality outside learning environment.” Our guide to school playground design gives you all the information you need to plan, design and organise a playground installation for your school. It’s absolutely free, and shares lots of examples about playgrounds for different age groups.
