Playground paint and paint for sports surfaces is often on the mind of caretakers and maintenance teams during half term and out-of-term holidays – be it Spring, Summer or Winter breaks. They’re the ideal time to hit the reset button and restore the beauty of the exterior wood, metal and stone paintwork, be it reviving vibrant colours on playground play equipment, to providing a new durable coat on rusty railings. Whatever the playground maintenance project, we have it covered here with tips and product recommendations!

If you’re a bit short on time, why not skip to the relevant topics:

• Introduction: The Importance of Playground Play
• Safe Wow-Factor Playgrounds & Sports Surfaces
• Playground Surface Artwork
• Playground & Sports Surface Line Marking
• Repaint Playground Equipment
• Railings, Gates & Metalwork
• Extra Special Touch
• Doorways and Windows
• Protecting Paths, Car Parks and Kerbs
• More Paint for Thought
• Exterior Storage Box
• Bike Sheds
• Mural Wall
• Technical Help

Introduction: The Importance of Playground Play

It’s a well-known fact that children learn better when they enjoy themselves, and let’s face it, for many of today’s youth, school is often but a chore. It’s their daily grind. Think back to a time when you were happy at school; it might be those memorable moments playing hopscotch with your besties or having a game of picked-it-dropped-it on a playground roundabout. Whatever memories you have during your childhood play, it always brings us to our happy place.

Benjamin Whichcote (1609-1683) is quoted as saying, “It is impossible for a man to be made happy by putting him in a happy place, unless he be first in a happy state.” These wise words by the famed Cambridge Platonist provides a sound bed-rock (or tarmac if you like) for the happiness of children in today’s education.

Happiness and communication go hand-in-hand; take a moment to think about your own adult life, how many times has miscommunication resulted in confrontation? Communicating well is a life-long learning curve and as responsible adults, it is our duty, and certainly a privilege, to inspire exemplarily communication behaviours that will build strong and happy adults. It is therefore no surprise the National Literacy Trust believes that play is crucial for developing children’s communication.

Part of National Literacy Trust’s slogan is changing life stories, and sometimes to change a life story, we need to hit the reset button. Half-term in schools are like mini holidays for pupils but it also gives schools a chance to reset the environment. One such reset which many schools will appreciate, is general maintenance work; schools are high footfall environments and take a bit of punishment over the course of a term, let alone a whole year.

We will delve deeper into rejuvenating playground surfaces and equipment, addressing outdoor court and sport surface repairs, line-marking and recolouring, car park tarmac/asphalt repair, step and curb repair, as well as guiding you through a few pertinent aesthetic maintenance work, such as painting entrance doors. So let’s get started!

Safe Wow-Factor Playgrounds & Sports Surfaces

Taking a daily battering, playground surfaces can lose their brilliant colouring, and leave the overall look rather tired and not particularly inviting to the young mind. Rawlins Paints offers an extensive and effective range of paints that are perfect for the whole playground experience. We will break these down into surface artwork, line marking, and equipment re-colouring.

Application

All playground paint and line marking paint systems require different methods of application, and you will find the relevant datasheets within each product page. This will give you the preparation and application details required for that particular coating. However, feel free to call our dedicated technical team on 0113 2455450 should you have any questions or queries.

Playground Paint Surface Artwork

Painting stunning layouts such as this can be achieved by applying Britannia Playground Paint – a stunningly-beautiful array of colours for hard playground surfaces. This is the paint to crank it all the way to 11 in terms of the fun factor.

Britannia Playground Paint Shop Now

Why | features & benefits

• 10 stunning colours available
• Black and white options also available
• Water-based eco-friendly coating
• Matt finish
• Slip-resistant

Where | usage

• Tarmac and concrete playground surfaces
• Other hard and non-absorbent playground surfaces
• Interior and exterior use

Extraordinary | big selling points

As we’re sure you’ll agree, there are 2 massive selling points to the Britannia Playground Paint, the first is that it is an eco-friendly solution. This is ultra-important for the modern school demonstrating a proactive approach to helping the environment. The second major selling point is the colour palette available; along with standard black and white shades, check out these stunning shades below:

Ideas | creativity + imagination = amazing

• Host a competition during term time to design a playground surface. The winner has their creation made into reality.
• Some schools may have the budget to hire an artist to design a surface, or perhaps there’s some hidden local talent?
• Incorporate educational elements into the design; using shapes and geometry.
• Host a design-a-playground-game competition. Pupils come up with a game design and the winner has their game painted. Might be a good team-based adventure; a great one to bring out the best in people through teamworking.

Playground & Sports Surface Line Marking

The Britannia Line Marking Paint will give your half-term maintenance work a lot of substance when recreating lines on playgrounds and sports surfaces, such as tennis courts. Not merely restricted to white lines, there is also 4 other bold colours to choose from, giving you complete flexibility in its application. Create boundary markings, play surfaces or any other line-based pattern.

Britannia Line Marking Paint Shop Now

Why | features & benefits

• 4 Bold colours available + white
• Eco-friendly solution
• Penetrates deep for long life
• Slip resistant

Where | usage

• Use on tarmac, concrete and macadam
• Interior and exterior use

Extraordinary | big selling point

The perfect playground paint solution needs the perfect colour palette, the colour palette is a big selling point with this line marking paint. Although not as plentiful, it offers the right brilliant shades needed for sports and playground surfaces. In addition to white, check out the colour range available below:

Ideas | creativity + imagination = amazing

• Got a spare area concrete surface area? Why not turn this into a tennis court to enhance the profile and activities within the school grounds.
• Create amazing educational fact timelines on school pathways within the grounds.
• Design games using line markings on playground surfaces.
• Make or refurbish sports courts such as tennis, basketball and netball.

We’ve compiled three awesome designs you can create on your playground this half-term. Feast your eyes over these delights:

First up we have Hopscotch. A classic playground game that involves a few numbers and boxes on the floor! It’s one of the easiest things you can do to add a point of interest to a boring playground. Use Coo-Var Acrylic W/B Road Line Paint to create strong, defined lines that can last through many playtimes!

In the middle image, we are creating geometric shapes and circles that be used for playing playground games; this is an easy way for a playful update to your playground. Using Coo-Var Acrylic Floor Paint, you can mark pathways, circles and playground games onto the surface using a paint that’s perfect for foot traffic. If you want to make it interesting, add a few extra bends and winds!

Or as a third option, you can create playful pathways and direct traffic through the right path with painted arrows. An interesting way to guide visitors through the playground!

Coo-Var Acrylic Floor Paint Shop Now

Coo-Var Acrylic W/B Road Line Paint Shop Now

Repaint Playground Equipment

Many school playgrounds contain equipment like monkey bars, climbing frames or slides. Not restricted to metal structures however, many schools, such as Pocklington Community Junior School in East Riding of Yorkshire, have a wooden mini assault course.

We’ve compiled two brilliant solutions for you; one with metal structures in mind, the other wooden. Check out the table below:

	Metal Structure	Wooden Structure
Recommended Solution	Rust-Oleum CombiColor	Rust-Oleum Universal All-Surface
Features & Benefits	· Long-lasting protection in all weathers. · Primer and top coat in one. · Heat resistant up to 90°C. · Apply between 5-35°C. · A plethora of excellent RAL colours available.	· Durable finish. · Available in 27 stunning colours. · Fade and chip resistant. · Satin and gloss finishes available. · Can be used on suitable-primed metal. Contains anti-rust properties.
Additional Uses	Railings, bike storage.	Fences, wooden wastebins.

Look at those bright and playful colours in the collage above. Aren’t they wonderful? With our recommendations combined with your creativity, the children at your school will have all the fun they can possibly imagine.

Rust-Oleum CombiColor Original Shop Now

Rust-Oleum Universal All Surface Paint – Brush Grade Shop Now

Railings, Gates & Metalwork

Schools need to be safe, and as such, safeguarding policies take a top priority in schools. Not limited only to the well-being of children, it is imperative schools provide a safe environment for play and within the grounds in general. From the moment they step through the gates, safety is paramount. Rusty gates and railings not only look ugly but they present very real hazards, and try as they might, midday supervisors can’t stop pupils climbing onto railings. If the railings are rusty, well… you know the score.

For the sake of tidiness, we’ll use the terminology “railings” but read this as a placeholder term for exterior metalwork, such as gates, metal boundaries, including metal surfaces which are rusty.

So, what options do you have? If you have a particularly colourful setup within the school grounds, or there is a lot of play structures, it might be better to consider a more conservative colour coating for the boundary railings. Typically, school railings are a shade of green, such as can be applied using Rust-Oleum CombiColor Original.

This coating is ideal for creating safe and pragmatic boundary railings. There’s no need to use a primer first as the coating is a primer and top coat all in one. Perfect for less hassle, less cost and more productivity. Railings rusty? No problem; Rust-Oleum CombiColor can be applied directly on to rust!

All the boxes are ticked with this one: a durable coating that can be applied to bare metal – primer and top coat in one. But… now you get the additional benefit of choosing any of the many colour options available, all in RAL colour codes.

Extra Special Touch

Up to now, we’ve provided two railing coating solutions for you – one conservative in appeal, the other, more youthful. But there is a third option. We’ll call this next-level railings, and this is how it works:

Creativity is the driving force of education

Education sets the standards of the future

The future is made from dreaming big

Dreaming big is the driving force of creativity

Creativity and education play a vital part at all stages of life and it is vital that this creativity-education partnership be fundamental in school environments. The beauty about creativity is it’s free of financial cost. The only cost required is brain power, so where one might see railings, another will see an opportunity to cultivate more creativity.

Doorways and Windows

For many buildings, uPVC is the material of choice for windows and doors. To brush new life into these parts of the school, we’d like to draw your attention to our blog post on uPVC paints; this will give you all the info and product recommendations you need to spruce-up your windows and doors.

Protecting Paths, Car Parks and Kerbs

Although tarmac and concrete are tough materials, they are not indestructible. Without proper on-going maintenance, even tough structures can present both aesthetic and safety problems. Check out the table below to find the best solution for your needs:

Goal	Recommendation	End Result
Reduce oil stains and pollutants on paved car park.	Hydron Mona-Guard Block Paving Sealer	A clear coating that resists against oil, weathering, UV and chemicals whilst increasing the life of the car park paving.
Reduce damage to kerbs.	Hydron Nu-Guard Clear AC	Protection against carbonation, acid rain and weathering for concrete kerbs.
Revive tarmac paths.	Hydron Mona-Guard Revive	Rejuvenates colour degradation caused by weathering, spillages and pollutants. Also resists staining from dirt and oil.

 

Hydron Mona-Guard Block Paving Sealer Shop Now

Hydron Nu-Guard Clear AC Shop Now

Hydron Mona-Guard Revive Shop Now

More Paint for Thought

If you’ve made it this far, we know you are as passionate about paint as us. But we, like you, know that the right tools for the job is only part of the solution. Every school is different, and every school’s priorities are different. Some schools have bike sheds made of metal, some of wood. Some have small wooden storage for scooters (Not the motorised kind of course!), some schools don’t. We’ve dedicated this section to concisely providing solutions to other potential needs you may have.

Exterior Storage Box

Plastic isn’t always everyone’s first thing to consider coating. That’s fair enough; when we think paint and coatings, we think wood, metals and stone. But… plastics make great surfaces for creating graffiti, such as with permanent marker pen. Whether you have a storage bin for play equipment or even a salt bin, applying Hydron Nu-Guard AG gives you peace of mind when protecting plastic surfaces from graffiti. We haven’t come on to the biggest selling point yet; the thing you will love is it doesn’t leave behind ghosting! That’s right, just wash the graffiti off with water, and there will be zero ghosting.

Hydron Nu-Guard AG Shop Now

Bike Sheds

Structures such as these can sometimes be a breeding ground for graffiti. This is a sad reality that schools would just rather not waste time dealing with. After all, who wants to scrub for hours to constantly rub graffiti like “Adam was here” from the bike shed. And that’s just the start of it! Being able to prevent graffiti or minimise the risks of surface damage, we can recommend a fantastic ‘invisible’ defense system – an anti-graffiti coating which makes light work of cleaning-up graffiti. We recommend using Hydron Nu-Cryl WRS, an exceptional and highly durable anti-graffiti coating that is perfect for use on brick, stone and timber bike sheds. But don’t stop there. The coating isn’t developed for bike sheds specifically, but any brick or wooden structure you need to protect from graffiti. Its clear application means it doesn’t change the colour of your structure and the anti-graffiti barrier is transparent to the eye. We are so proud of this product and believe it will be the ideal solution for you, that we’d like to highlight a few deal-clinchers:

• Conforms to bsi industry-standard EN 1504-2.
• Water-repellent for peace of mind during damp and drizzly seasons.
• Outstanding resistance to weathering and UV.
• Unaffected by freeze and thaw cycles, for great durability.
• Resistant to oil and staining.

All this adds up to an anti-graffiti coating you can trust.

Hydron Nu-Cryl WRS Shop Now

Mural Wall

Exterior murals are big news right now in education. It is a brilliant way to liven-up a concrete or brick wall. If budget allows, you can hire a professional or local artist, or it can form part of a school project; however you choose to paint a mural, you can achieve stunning results with Hydron Nu-Guard Mural Paint. Don’t forget to use the tack primer and basecoat beforehand to ensure you get the best possible results!

Hydron Nu-Guard Mural Paint Shop Now

Hydron Nu-Guard SP Tack Primer Shop Now

Hydron Nu-Guard Mural Basecoat Shop Now

We’re Here to Help

If you have any questions at all for our technical team, please do not hesitate to contact them on 0113 245 5450. Alternatively, you can send an email to [email protected], leave a message on this blog below or drop us a message on social media! We have a presence on Facebook, LinkedIn and Twitter.