Play that stretches the imagination, allowing younger children to create, pretend, learn and explore their world.

Play is vital for children of all ages. Through play young kids learn about risk taking, decision making and social interaction. With our Early Years range we set out to give younger children a place to stretch their emerging skills and not stifle them with narrow choices.
 

Pre-School Children (under fives) – are at a stage in their lives when abilities advance very quickly. From independent walking to riding a bike for example.

• Physical Play – the development of abilities e.g. jumping, swinging and balancing.
   
• Role Play – as language skills develop so does the need for role play, controlling the world they create.
   
• Social Play – this is where children deal with the situations around them e.g. conflict with others.
   
• Observation – children of this age start to see what is happening around them.
   

School Age Children (6 to 10) – from the age of six kids become more physically in proportion. They start to mature in many ways.

• Physical Play – they are increasingly agile and like to demonstrate abilities especially to adults.
   
• Role Play – they move on to more “rules play”. They can understand situations more easily and re-enact them.
   
• Social Play – rules, in activities such as sport, can be understood. They crave more grown-up activities. They enjoy being with friends.
   
• Play Ownership – today’s children have a strong sense of style. Providing attractions that connect with this will ensure they feel a sense of pride and ownership in the play facility.
   

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These children demand challenge, excitement and stimulation. They are moving from simple play to social play.

This is a wide grouping and covers developing children to early teens. One of the core elements for this age group is to differentiate their play from that of the smaller children. Our Young People’s range blends form and function, using organic shapes to create a “cool” place to “hang out”.

The futuristic look of our equipment appeals to young peoples’ sense of adventure. The curves, elipses and angles combine to create limitless opportunities for use and exploration. For example every part of our Nexus range is climbable, even the support posts, allowing children to use the structure however they want. SMP deliver the exciting play experience these young people are looking for.

• Physical – phenomenal growth is a feature of these years. This transformation can affect things like balance. From a play perspective it is important to keep challenging these young people.
   
• Social Play – this group want to be with their peers to discuss issues in their lives and explore the social processes. For this reason play equipment need to offer the chance to meet, talk and do physical exercise.
   
• Play Styles – whilst climbing, swinging, spinning and balancing are still attractive to this group they tend to have a more inactive lifestyle, preferring “indoor” pursuits. It is important for this group’s future health to offer them attractive “outdoor” play options.
   

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In all playschemes there is favourite equipment, big and small, that is a “must”. The Essential Range brings all these items together.

Play spaces need to have a combination of the traditional favourites and the new. Just because a piece of equipment has been around for years doesn’t make it redundant. What is needed is a re-think on its role, design and appearance. In fact, by investing money in new product development at SMP, we’ve brought our Essentials range bang up-to-date.

With Essentials we offer all those items that young people expect and many adults and decision makers want to see in a play space. Items such as slides, swings, roundabouts, climbers and associated items like benches, tables and signage. Many of these are traditional playground items. They have become established over the years and this is because they have as much appeal to children today as they did all those years ago. And many bridge the gap between the ages, appealing to youngsters and teenagers alike.
 

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Creating a play space close to nature, designed to enhance its setting.

A great amount of research has acknowledged the benefits of interaction and exposure to the natural environment during play and leisure time. At SMP we recognise that good play space design will make use of natural features, enhancing the setting and experience.

The SMP range of products offers unrivalled opportunities for free play, providing an excellent mix of fun and challenge. We offer items especially designed to be incorporated into a playful landscape. By using colour and texture the appearance of our fixed equipment can be designed to blend seamlessly with nature while remaining attractive to intended users.
 

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Children across a wide age range, including teenagers, love to play sports. Arena gives them the environment where they can take part, practice or watch a number of sports.

Arena has been developed in close collaboration with teenage sports players as well as sport and recreation facility experts. It is seen as the finest multi-use games equipment that money can buy. Its striking stadium-like appearance gives instant appeal and makes it very popular, especially with teenagers.

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We all recognise that fitness and maintaining an active lifestyle are essential to improved health, well-being and longevity. Yet, people become increasingly sedentary as they grow older, and the UK faces a health crisis due to declining fitness levels and growing rates of obesity. The biggest obstacles in overcoming these problems are personal motivation, opportunity and education.

This is where SMP’s ‘Action Stations’ Outdoor Fitness equipment has a role to play, providing highly-accessible and cost-effective ways for adults (and young people) to train and work-out in parks and public spaces.

Whether the goal is to achieve weight loss, tone-up muscles or generally improve flexibility and suppleness – Action Stations Outdoor Fitness equipment is the perfect solution.

• Action Stations consists of a range of 10 different fitness stations – each designed to build upper body, arm, leg and back strength, enhancing an individual’s agility, flexibility, posture and stamina.
   
• The equipment can be installed as a cluster of outdoor exercise stations or as stand-alone items.
   
• All SMP’s Action Stations Outdoor Fitness equipment is endorsed and recommended by Roger Waters (Mr Natural Universe 2008) as being a useful way for adults to achieve improved health and fitness levels – quickly and safely.

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