THE NEW GENERATION OF TRIM TRAIL PLAY EQUIPMENT

For the past twenty years or so, trim trail play equipment has been incredibly popular within school playgrounds and for good reasons – it caters for a wide range of children aged 4-11; it can easily be added to as funds allow; it is easy to install; some items do not require safety surfacing which can be quite expensive and it promotes physical and mental awareness.

Up until now, the standard material used for this type of play equipment has been timber and usually rounded log as this avoids any sharp edges for children. Whilst this is a pleasant material to work with, it also has its disadvantages too in that rounded posts suffer quite badly from radial cracking where the wood dries out from the pith (centre), causing shakes and splits which can open up quite considerably in the summer months. And more importantly, posts which are dug into the ground without the proper protection will eventually rot over a period of time and render the playground unsafe to use…or even condemned in worst case scenarios.

But there is now a new alternative and that is adventure trim trails made out of recycled plastic instead of timber. Recycled plastic has quite a lot of advantages for a school to consider when considering value for money – firstly, it is incredibly eco-friendly as it is manufactured out of recycled plastic milk cartons which very much complements the whole eco schools programme and teaches children about sustainability. It does not rot even when dug into the ground whatever the conditions; it is hard to vandalise; it lasts about five times longer than other materials; it is UV resistant and does not suffer from the afore-mentioned shakes & splits; it is splinter free and it is virtually maintenance free (so some big savings to be made for a school’s annual maintenance budget).

The trim trail range includes products such as stepping stones; traverse crossings; balance beams; play towers; multi-faceted activity cubes; spring boards; net climbers; log weavers; clatter/net bridges and fitness trails.

We have therefore put together some recommended trim trail packages but a school is also able to have their own “pick n mix” trail comprised of a selection of our individual products within the range.

And we can also provide for any attendant safety surfacing if so required.

The Hideout House Company  also offer other products in the recycled plastic range including planters, mud kitchens and tables, sandboxes, dipping pond platforms and tables.

If you would like to know how we can help your school develop its playground, then please contact the Hideout House Company on 01832 275902 or email: info@hideouthouse.com.