The Importance of Sustainable Classrooms

Just as a positive working environment is important for an adult’s mental health, an ecologically sound and productive classroom is just as essential for a child.  In addition to vital needs such as ample sunlight, air flow, temperature and access to water – there are other architectural decisions which can provide huge benefits for a child’s academic development. Bridge Timber understands that as classes in Britain continue to grow, many schools will be faced with the decision to expand their facilities – this is where we come in.

Rather than extend a school’s current brick and mortar structure, many now opt for an affordable, healthy and attractive outdoor classroom with easy access to the main building. According to research carried out by Salford University, the quality of a classroom’s sustainable design can benefit a students learning progress ‘up to 16% in a single year’. As such, a classroom that is easily sustained by staff to offer inspiring aesthetics and ecological excellence should be the goal of any self respecting school looking to expand.

To accommodate such needs, the team at Bridge Timber have adapted our garden buildings for academic use with a simple and clean approach built on traditional brick and stone structures. Build time is minimal, costs are fair and the final design will always result from cooperative bespoke discussion.

Excellent levels of insulation and high quality PVC windows with Bi-Folding Doors (should you wish it) all help lend your outdoor garden classroom a sustainable modern design that teachers and kids will love alike.

To read more about our outdoor classrooms and how they can benefit your school please visit the Bridge Timber Garden Rooms website.

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The Childhood Benefits of Physical Play

Maintaining a positive spirit and healthy lifestyle for our children is harder than people think. Sure, kids love to run about causing havoc but time doesn't always permit such behaviour, especially when you factor in parents working obligations and a child’s education. Whether you are a parent or a teacher, Bridge Timber Play believe it is of the utmost importance that the children in your care have proper access to quality playground equipment.

So, what the key benefits of installing playground equipment for regular use?

• Social Growth

Those early years are paramount to a child’s social development. Shielding a child away from others their age can have adverse effects on their speech development and the way they deal with normal social interaction. A playground is the perfect environment for a child to learn the importance of sharing, team play, taking turns, self control and mutual care. A playground is, in theory, a leisurely workplace where children must all co-operate to ensure everyone has fun!

• Physical Wellbeing

It’s no big secret that the western world has a growing issue with obesity. The least we can do is ensure that our children do not carry on this trend into the next generation and are given a healthy and physical active childhood. A well designed and imaginative playground is a dreamland for a child and it’s likely the thought of it being exercise won’t even enter their minds. With consistent access to challenging yet fun playground equipment, a child will have no trouble strengthening their arms, legs and shoulders as well as getting that all important cardio.

• Mental Wellbeing

Exercise is one of life’s natural remedies for mental lows. Consistent physical movement causes the brain to release serotonin which helps maintain mental wellbeing and combats anxiety and depression. A playground also encourages independence as the child makes their way into a social situation without parental guidance. The brain will develop sensory and motor skills while helping important neural connections form. Conquering the challenges presented by playground equipment will also teach children about the rewards of beating a personal obstacle and accomplishing something that may seem initially fearsome.

We have some fantastic discounts on our best selling Playground Equipment and shelters for installation during the Summer Break... Call us quick on 01422 832863 for more details!

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Upgrade Your Playground This Summer

With the summer holidays finally upon us, teachers and students alike finally get the time to enjoy the sunshine and plan for the future term. Bridge Timber recognises this as the ideal period for schools to upgrade and refine their playground facilities for a new year of children to enjoy. So you can get your playground looking its best, we are currently running a very special summer sale with extensive discounts on our best selling playground equipment and shelters. Installation will take place over the summer break, not only saving you money but the hassle of term time interference!

All our equipment is built to be hard wearing and durable with ruthless health and safety regulations adhered to every step of the way. Bridge Timber is also proud to bare numerous accreditations from respected affiliates such as Action for Children, Criminal Records Bureau, ROSPA and the Forest Stewardship Council. You can explore our full accreditations list here.

For examples of our previous work, check out our successful projects below...

• Compact Hexagonal Shelter

Our hexagonal shelters are ideal for communal lessons, sheltered play or as a waiting area for early parents looking to pick their kids up from school.

• Elmhurst Primary Playground Makeover

Back in December 2013 Bridge Timber were commissioned to design and install a completely new playground for Elmhurst Primary. The resulting effort turned out to be one of our most colourful and diverse playgrounds yet.

• London Climbing Frame

Bridge Timber also works directly with clients to create bespoke climbing frames. The below example was designed and fitted to fit the specific requirements of a London based school. Both a Sherwood and Deleware frame were installed including slides, scramble nets, monkey bars, trapeze swings, tunnels, stairs and a fireman’s pole. 

To get in touch about our services please don’t hesitate to call our West Yorkshire office on 01422 832863.

Funding Options for School Playgrounds

We all want the best for our children and everyone knows play is an essential part of a child’s development.  It has been proven that physical activity improves learning and brain development so active children are happy children! It should naturally follow that all schools are able to provide spacious and high quality play areas for their pupils, but we know that in the current financial climate finding the money for a project like this may seem like a daunting task.

Therefore, we at Bridge Timber have done the research for you. The information below outlines some of the different types of financial help that is available. This list is not exhaustive and we often find that schools fund their playground project using a combination of PTA fundraising, pupil/ sports premium and grants.

We hope the below information will help you towards making your dream playground a reality.

• Awards For All

Awards for All provides Lottery grants of between £300 and £10,000. They fund projects which address the needs of local communities. Applications need to be submitted 4 months in advance of anticipated project start date.

• The Asda Foundation

Schools can apply for funding for local projects. Potential applicants should contact their local Store or Depot in the first instance.

• Woodenspoon

Woodenspoon fund life-changing projects across the UK and Ireland to support disadvantaged and disabled children.

• Grants4Schools

The Grants4Schools website is aimed at providing information on grant funding and sponsorship sources relevant to primary, secondary and special schools within both the state and independent sectors.

Many schools that we have worked with subsidise their grant with fundraising. Your PTA will be a great source of ideas and help with this. Some schools have appointed a Fundraising Group to drive the project and keep it on track. These groups are often a mixture of parents, teachers and school governors who are keen to get involved in bid writing and event organising. We also find that it is really good to keep parents informed at each step of the way through a school newsletter or via the school website.

Here are some fundraising ideas that have worked well for our clients in the past: 

• School Discos
• Sponsored run/ cycle ride
• School world cup
• Teacher and pupil challenges
• Cake Sale
• School fair
• Fancy dress/ wear own clothes/pyjama day

And for further inspiration have a look at this amazing Pinterest board to see what other schools are doing to raise funds for things like Playground Equipment.  


If you’d like to speak to our friendly team at Bridge Timber for a free estimate please call us on 01422 832863 and we will be happy to help. 

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Syrian Playground Fundraiser

It’s not often that you see playground culture covered in the mainstream press, if it does appear there tends to be a focus on unfortunate accidents or a misplaced development. Bridge Timber was delighted when we saw how quickly a story about a playground built for Syrian refugee children had spread online. While we continue to delight and inspire the children of Halifax, it’s easy to forget that many children the world over are unable to enjoy the same privilege.

It no big secret that playing outside is an imperative part of child development, in fact – to neglect such freedom will only stifle a child’s early opportunity to learn vital social and physical skills. In Syria, many children have been relocated to refugee camps in order to save them from the ensuing chaos and danger. These camps offer a safe haven from conflict and in the case of Syria, over 1.1 million refugees have ended up in Lebanese camps unrecognised by the government. It doesn't paint a pretty picture.

With 80% of the Syrian children outside of education and without a proper place to play and develop, an outstanding Indiegogo campaign has emerged in aid of a new playground for these kids. This follows a successful campaign to develop ‘portable’ school grounds by Catalytic Action across 17 settlements of which three have been built successfully. “Swings, slides, see-saws, jump-ropes and elastic chords” are all set to make an appearance.

You can check out the Indiegogo campaign here, if you feel like contributing to the cause then there’s plenty of time to do so.

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History of the Child's Playground

An example of Victorian playground activities.

When children reflect on the past before their time (‘the olden days’), it’s often done so with either rose tinted fake nostalgia (often informed by television) or in monochrome grey - all work and no play. Cast your mind back to your childhood, did you really care what the kids a hundred years past were doing in the playground? Probably not and if you did you likely imagined it to be pretty rubbish.

The truth is the playground as we know it is still a fairly new part of worldwide education, with the original blueprints laid down in Germany sometime in the early 19^th century. People were becoming increasingly concerned with the dangerous nature of street play and felt that children were not learning the correct way to co-operate and play with one another. In 1859, the first proper “purpose built” kid’s playground appeared in Manchester, England sparking inspiration for the rest of the country and beyond. It quickly became evident how well they aided child development and offered a safe, contained area for parents to let their kids loose.

Roosevelt - 1907

America followed a little later, with an official introduction by President Roosevelt in 1907 who recognised the importance of play and safety:- “Older children who would play vigorous games must have places especially set aside for them; and, since play is a fundamental need, playgrounds should be provided for every child as much as schools. This means that they must be distributed over the cities in such a way as to be within walking distance of every boy and girl, as most children cannot afford to pay carfare.”

Up until the 1980s, playgrounds both communally and in schools had not been regulated for safety (at least, not in any serious way that would inhibit dangerous builds). Thankfully, the following rules for construction were put forth: ‘No sharp points or edges, gaps must measure less than 3.5 inches or more than 9 inches and equipment more than 30 inches high must have at least a 9 foot separation’.

To explore Bridge Timber’s current catalogue of safe for play equipment and playground designs please click here or give us a ring on 01422 832863.

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New Site, New Products!

Plenty of excitement at Bridge Timber this month as we anticipate the launch of our new website redesign in the coming weeks. Aside from a digital rejuvenation, it’s been business as usual at our Halifax office with plenty of orders coming in from far and wide. We really appreciate your custom and would like to thank you all for taking the time to use our services!

As usual we’ve also made plenty of additions to our already extensive online catalogue which you can explore in detail here. Our latest wave of products includes these marvellous climbing nets which come in a diverse range of styles and sizes dependent on the nature of your playing area. For younger children we recommend keeping climbing nets simple and stationary like the Yew Pyramid Net which is best suited to those between the ages of 3 and 10. It’s a clean, simple design which allows you to keep a clear eye on activity and also limits the risk of any serious accidents thanks to its 3 metre height, soft frame and padded foundation.

For a more exciting ‘spin’ on the traditional cone net, we've got these fantastic JuniperRotating Cone Nets which also reach 3 metres in height but remain suitable for children between 3 and 16. They offer a great challenge and allow children to enjoy the thrill of a roundabout with elevation and safe, stable netting to hold on to.

One of our favourite new additions is the Lime Net Frame which spreads four ways into a rather cool webbed climbing challenge. At 1.6 metres in height and suitable for children from 3 to 16 you can guarantee safe fun for all.

To receive a quote on any of our products, simple click the ‘add to quote’ button on any of our products and then visit the ‘quote list’ tab to keep track of your orders.

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