What are the benefits of trail play?

1. Promotes vigorous physical activity in a fun way

One of the great benefits of trail play is that they promote vigorous physical education in a fun and playful way – perfect for primary and secondary school playgrounds, but also great for public outdoor spaces.

Each obstacle within a trail play has their own challenges and the child will need to use different parts of their body and abilities to tackle them. Weather it’s using their arms to go from rope-to-rope or using their balance to carefully walk across a beam, children will be able to develop their physical and mental strength while having fun.

Did you know…. according to the World Health Organisation, children should accumulate at least 60 minutes of moderate- to vigorous-intensity physical activity daily.

2. Encourages imaginative play

Due to its layout and different types of obstacles, children’s trim trails are great at encouraging children to use their imaginations, such as for pretend play and creating their own games.

Perhaps they’re pretending the floor is lava as they move across the obstacles without touching the ground, or they imagine themselves being in the jungle as they traverse bridges and avoid falling into rapid rivers by swinging from a rope!

3. Develops children’s life skills and improves mental wellbeing

Outdoor trim trails help promote social interaction and skill building. Many of the obstacles requires the child to test their gross motor skills, coordination and upper body strength. They also encourage children to talk to each other, collaborate and figure out the best way to tackle each obstacle successfully, teaching children to persevere and improve problem solving skills either by themselves or with others.

The element of challenge and the sense of achievement is also a great way to build confidence, while exposure to the outdoors, natural surroundings and interaction with others helps to improve mental wellbeing.

Furthermore, the physical activity gained from this type of activity can be beneficial for children’s mental health, helping to improve self-esteem, and reduce stress and anxiety.

4. Multigenerational

Trail play is a great multigenerational type of playground equipment as it can be used by children and adults of all ages, and because of the various obstacles on offer with different levels of difficulty, they’re great for people of all skill levels.

Trail systems are wonderful for adults and children to play together, the selection of obstacles offers something for everyone.

Furthermore, they’re excellent at inviting older children to use them, who would otherwise may not be interested in a playground. Providing them with a safe and fun space to socialise, play and exercise.

5. Motor planning

Motor planning is the ability of figuring out what you want to do, plan how you are going to do it and then physically do the activity. This is developed by trial and error, learning how their body moves, what to do differently next time and continuously repeating the task until they can manipulate their movements and successfully complete the activity.

With an obstacle course, children have to complete one part of the course before moving on to the other. There is a beginning, middle and end, an important feature for children to learn how to sequence, and it’s particularly important for children with autism.

Click here to read more about motor planning.

4. It’s all about going on an adventure!

The inspiration for NRG came from the natural wonders of the world, with the aim of taking children on a journey.

This is not only a trail system that promotes exercise, it also encourages children to use their imaginations and enter a world of adventure.

Whether they’re avoiding an imaginary swamp full of alligators or climbing to the top of a mountain, children are sure to have a day full of quests and risk taking.

More about the NRG range