Modern Play in a Victorian Setting

St. Michael’s School is situated in Otford, near Sevenoaks in a beautiful Listed building which has a large cobblestoned courtyard as a playground.

The Headmistress, Mary Stephens, contacted Tact and informed them of her requirements for a re-vamped play area.  Over time the cobblestones had become uneven and particularly hazardous when wet.  The school were keen to level the surface without removing the cobblestones whilst still allowing access to drains.  It was imperative to get the new surface in place quickly to cope with the winter conditions which would have left the area slimy and dirty.

Substrate preparation involved laying 15 tonnes of sharp sand wrapped in a fabric matting to level the playground.  The Tact team then installedTactTiles Play interlocking play area system over the area (350 square metres).  Drain areas were marked out with blue TactTiles; major drains were fitted with stainless steel covers for permanent access.

The entire playground incorporated many stimulating bespoke design elements:

• Hopscotch Grids x 4
• Road Circuit
• Pedestrian Crossing
• Traffic Lights
• Alphabet Grids – Upper & Lower case
• Black & White Number Grid – one to one hundred
• Football Pitch Markings

Installation was completed within five days over the Christmas period, creating a vibrant safe environment for the children to use on their return.  A Happy New Year for all those involved!

All a Flutter at Butterflies

Butterflies Play & Learn Group is a nursery situated in the grounds of West Ewell Infant School in Surrey.  Their Manager, Tracy Ince contacted Tact with a view to revitalise their outdoor play area.

The challenge for this project was to unify an area which included tarmac, grass and kerbed walkways to create a level and safe play surface.

After re-positioning the toy storage sheds, the Tact team set to installing their bespoke system using TactTiles Play tiles. 

Design elements included:

• Hopscotch Grid
• StaySafe Road System; Pedestrian Crossing, Traffic Lights & Roadway
• ABC Learning Path
• Tile Stepping Stones
• Snail Trail Maze
• Butterflies Logo – Bespoke Design

Due to the undulation of the substrate, FlexiEdging was fitted where appropriate to prevent trip hazards.

After a long wait to obtain grant funding, the nursery was eventually rewarded with a unique outdoor space for their pre-schoolers to enjoy.

A very pleased manager commented: ‘Thank you for your perseverance with us and the weather.  The area is looking fab and just as we wanted and you promised.  We are all over the moon with the result and getting lots of comments!’

Practical, safe and fun - just what we wanted!

A small independent school for children aged 2 – 11, Essendene Lodge in Caterham, Surrey, has a playground that needs to suit a range of ages.  A part of the play area next to the school’s reception classes is reserved for the use of the youngest pupils.   The school wanted this area to work harder as a play and learning area, while being extra safe for tiny tumbles.

The play area’s proximity to the school buildings means it’s the last part to be crossed by all the other children when they come in from the playground, and muddy or sandy feet were leaving tracks across it.  “The area was looking rather tired and uninspiring,” says Mr Haydock, Head Teacher at Essendene Lodge.  “We really wanted to brighten things up without compromising absolute safety for the little ones.  Ideally we also wanted to see if we could reduce footprints indoors, but most parents will understand our uncertainty as to whether this would be possible!”

The school asked specialist flooring provider Tact to advise on the best solution.  As well as providing safe play and fun learning, the new surface needed to be

•    bright, vibrant and available in the school colours
•    anti-slip and anti-trip, even when wet

John Highnam is Tact’s Sales Director.  “Several layers of asphalt had been used to patch the area over the years, with an uneven and rather unattractive result,” he says.  Our solution replaced this with a level surface that answered all the school’s requirements.  We even laid the letters of the School Badge into the surface – about as bespoke as a floor gets!”

The Tact team installed the new surface over a July weekend, during which time it was unexpectedly put to the test when a rainstorm hit on the Sunday.  The need for the floor to be free-draining is due to the fact that it is sited in a slight declivity, so the rest of the playground drains through the area.

“We knew the floor would be able to cope, but nobody else did,” says John.  “I couldn’t describe it as a dry run, but as a demonstration we couldn’t have asked for better, as it showed how suited the flooring is for this kind of use.”

“We’re just thrilled with the result,” says Mr Haydock.  “It’s practical, safe, fun and maintenance-free;  just what we wanted in every way.”

Razzle dazzle 'em!

Four years after Phase 1, Essenedene asked Tact back again to extend the area.  This time the blue background was inlaid with vibrant blocks of colour - to stunning effect!

If You’re Happy And You Know It……….

Happy Faces Montessori School is a small, independently run nursery which operates from the ground floor of a family home in Mottingham, London.

When Ann Guindi bought the premises two years ago, the back garden had a large pond which was full to the brim with rubbish.  Various unsuccessful attempts had been made to fill and level the area.  However, the pond area kept sinking due to the rubbish beneath.  Ann asked Tact to resolve the problem and then install a new play area. 

Aside from ground maintenance work, Tact sought to complete the project with the installation of a colourful free-draining non-toxic play surface using TactTiles Play tiles.

The project team set about removing 25 cubic metres of earth and other materials from the pond and refilled it with graduated gravels and sand, tamped down hard with a vibrating plate.  Finally paving slabs were re-laid on the top ensuring a stable surface on which to lay a bespoke designed play area covering approximately 120 square metres.

Incorporating stimulating play elements including a hop-scotch grid, a zebra crossing with traffic lights and alphabet stepping stones, all designed to encourage fun learning and road safety awareness from a young age.

With the project completed in just over 4 days and the area branded with the ‘Happy Faces’ logo, proprietor Ann was suitably impressed – “a professional job, from a professional company – at last, just what I was looking for!”

……………………………….Clap Your Hands!!

Croydon Seize the Opportunity

The Croydon Opportunity Pre-School Group caters and provides education and care for children with a variety of special needs, and their families.  When they decided to resurface their existing paving slabs, they contacted Tact with specific criteria for the project. 

The new play area needed to optimise the space available and provide a safe, colourful and exciting environment to stimulate the children during outdoor playtimes.  In addition, the project needed to be completed quickly and prove to be the most cost effective option available.

Tact’s Sales Director, John Highnam set about creating a design that would incorporate two themes; a hopscotch grid to increase physical games and black and white chequered tiles for additional learning activities.  In the second part of the play area, Tact’s contract team created a parking bay area for use with cars and bikes and ‘roads’ for their frequent toddler shopping trips!

Tact installed TactTiles Play tiles in a variety of vibrant colours and the project was successfully completed in an impressive two days.

Group Co-ordinator, Chris Watts, was most enthused by the completed project’s success.  ‘Our new play area has continued to be much admired and has made a significant difference to our play area’.

Foundations for Physical Play

When Carol Camping, Head Teacher of Queen’s Dyke Primary School at Witney saw the vibrant TactTiles play area at nearby Finstock Primary School, she decided this modular flooring system would be the perfect solution for improving the play area at her own school.

The mature trees in this area created an interesting challenge for the design team. The remit was to unify the whole area by creating a seamless and safe play surface; providing a stimulating environment to encourage creative play and learning.

A bespoke design was agreed with the Foundation Class teacher and Tact’s contract team was able to complete the installation during the summer holidays.  The play area covered approximately 200 square metres and only took six days to install.  Tact’s environmentally friendly sub- surface preparation was used to level the ground before installing TactTiles Play. 

Bespoke design elements included:

• Hopscotch Grid
• Black & White Number Grids
• Alphabet Stepping Stones
• Pedestrian Crossing
• Traffic Lights
• Horseshoe Pathway

Another fun, colourful and rejuvenated playground successfully created; ensuring the best active start to the new term ahead.

From Concrete to Creativity

Sinclair House is a Montessori School in Fulham, London, with an enclosed playground.  The school caters for youngsters aged from two to eight years, so the play area has to work hard to provide a space for everyone.

The school is located in a former terraced London townhouse, with the playground in what used to be the rear garden.  Long since concreted over, the area has seen considerable wear and the concrete had become fractured and bumpy.  A worn overlay was also causing a slip hazard.

Carlotta O’Sullivan, Headteacher at Sinclair House, asked flooring specialist Tact to see what they could do within a strictly limited budget.  “We needed a surface that answered all the usual practical considerations,” she says, “but we also wanted it to contribute to the children’s learning experience.  Tact provided a remarkably inexpensive solution that does the lot – and which makes the play area much more attractive and interesting as well as safer.”

No 'own goals' at Tiger's Eye

Tiger’s Eye is a children’s adventure play centre based in Wimbledon, South West London.  Alastair Wilson, Proprietor, decided to rejuvenate an area within the centre with a five-a-side football pitch, to coincide with the World Cup 2006, and the nation’s everlasting love of the beautiful game.

He contacted flooring specialists, Tact Enviro Ltd to discuss his plans.  His main objectives were to install a safe, hardwearing floor covering and which would allow the development of a physically stimulating play/sports area.  With the fast approach of summer holidays, it was also extremely important to have a quick installation, to minimise impact on his business, and indeed, an opportunity to increase revenue.

Tact’s contract team began installation, using TactTiles Play in green in an area measuring twenty metres by fourteen metres, with yellow tiles to create a border for the pitch.  In addition, they incorporated a chequered black and white running circuit for children to use for other games and activities.

Not only was installation time impressive - just one day; but the overall cost effectiveness and durability of this application ensures it will be a first class winner every time!

Mr Wilson was delighted with the project, which has opened up the floor area for use for 5 –a- side tournaments, a ‘Diddi’ car track, dance, music and games  –  something the whole community can enjoy.

NO MORE MUDDY FOOTPRINTS

As with a lot of our play area projects, Holy Trinity Playgroup based in Ashby-de-la-Zouch was looking for a safe, bright and stimulating outdoor play environment, which would fall within their budget restraints.  Another problem to resolve was the influx of dirt, mud and leaves that made its way into the church hall, after every playtime.

Tact’s contract team had a challenging job ahead of them.  This was due to limited site access and the removal of a number of trees; leaving roots, together with a fair amount of rough ground to prepare.

Once the team had made good in the rough soil areas, they set about laying TactTiles Play tiles in a variety of colours.  The bespoke design incorporated a hopscotch grid and a zebra crossing.  This now provides the playgroup an innovative way of teaching road safety awareness at an early age.

Due to the simple interlocking system, TactTiles outshone the competition, as other contractors needed to use heavy machinery, and would have had great logistical difficulty in gaining access.

In addition, the cost effectiveness, speed of installation and the anti-slip factor has given their playtimes a new lease of life.  Mrs Rikki Womersley (Group Design) is very pleased with the results; “the children are able to run around to their heart’s content, like never before!”

Toddlers’ Tiles Triumph              Return to Garden Play

Mr and Mrs Lacey wanted a safe and practical play area for their two small children. The uneven back yard of their Victorian terraced house in Liverpool meant the little Laceys were unable to let their hair down quite as much as they’d like.

The family wanted a solution that was creative and fun for the children as well as safe and practical.  Tact helped to create a colourful design using TactTiles Play tiles and then Mr Lacey laid the tiles himself. 

The tiles were an immediate success.  The children love their new play area and use the different colours to make up new games, while the Lacey parents are enjoying one or two unexpected benefits of their own.

“I was amazed at how simple it was to fit,” said Mr Lacey.  “All I did was follow the design and the tiles clipped together really easily.  The children are chuffed to bits to have their very own designer space that they can run around in so safely.  Even the wife’s got a bonus – the new floor means the kids don’t walk dirt into the house!”

Ben’s slide                                Return to Garden Play

Jackie Eskdale contacted Tact for advice on creating a practical and economical play area for her small son Ben. 

After some discussion she decided to remove the grass from an area of her garden and level the surface.  She then applied a layer of sand and fine aggregate which she stamped down hard, using a machine from a local hire centre.  A layer of geotextile purchased from the local garden centre was then laid on top and pegged down.  Finally Piazza TactTiles were laid on the top. 

‘Laying the tiles was so easy and good fun’ Jackie told Tact, and she was so delighted with the result that she sent over some pictures of Ben in his new play area.  ‘The surface is fine to play on for me and my son,’ said Jackie, ‘we were rolling around on the tiles – I couldn’t do that on a hard patio or on damp grass.’