Children’s Outdoor Gym Equipment for Schools: Encouraging Healthy Habits Through Movement and Fun

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Outdoor gym equipment for schools is emerging as a powerful opportunity to help children stay active, healthy and conﬁdent, especially as their opportunities to move and play are now so often restricted.

Children today roam 97% less than their great-grandparents.

In just a few generations, we’ve gone from independently roaming miles each day to just a few hundred feet. It’s no wonder children need new ways to stay active and independent when they are now mostly conﬁned to the home and school grounds.

As freedom to play, explore, and move continues to shrink, schools are stepping up. Outdoor ﬁtness spaces give children the opportunity to be active, conﬁdent and strong right within their everyday environment.

At Sunshine Gym, we’ve been building these spaces since 2015. Designed for KS1 and KS2 pupils, our gyms help embed movement into the everyday.

There has been uncertainty in the past questioning the validity of gyms for primary school children. We’re here to share what we know: outdoor gyms work and they’re needed now more than ever.

Supporting active lifestyles within school grounds

One of the most powerful reasons for children to use outdoor gym equipment is to combat the decline in their independent movement. At Sunshine Gym, we are keen to ensure that children have all the resources they need to achieve this.

This comparison map and table below highlights how children’s roaming distances have changed over four generations.

Roaming distances for different generations of the same family at 8 years old

Great Grandfather	Allowed to walk six miles to go ﬁshing
Grandfather	Allowed to walk around one mile into the woods
Mother	Allowed to walk to the swimming pool about half a mile away
Son	Allowed to walk on his own to the end of the street (300 yards)

Due to modern restrictions and safety concerns, children today don’t have the same freedom to cycle to the park, join a football game, or run through the woods as they once did. That’s why bringing outdoor gym equipment into school grounds is more vital than ever. It’s not just a convenient addition to outdoor spaces, it’s an important step towards a healthier and more active youth.

Some have questioned whether outdoor gyms are the right ﬁt for children, often referencing the repetitive movements they involve. But in a world where opportunities for independent movement are so limited, this kind of accessible, structured activity is indispensable.

Childhood obesity rates are rising dramatically, undoubtedly attributed to reduced movement caused by limited independence and an increase in technology. As you may be aware, childhood obesity has devastating effects on adult health; we’re keen to showcase natural interventions such as exercise and movement as preventative measures and to help reverse this epidemic. It is our vision to see the installation of Sunshine Gym products providing a direct solution to the limited access children have to movement.

Laying the foundation for lifelong fitness habits

In contrast to this trend in younger children, teen ﬁtness has exploded in popularity. Could this be because they ﬁnally have the freedom to access it?

From CrossFit and Hyrox to weekend Parkruns, more teenagers are embracing ﬁtness as a hobby. The earlier children are introduced to these positive habits, the more likely they are to stick with them. Research shows that early exposure to enjoyable, accessible outdoor gym equipment increases the likelihood of maintaining healthy activity levels into adolescence and adulthood.

By incorporating ﬁtness-style movement into the school day, we make ﬁtness feel familiar and enjoyable rather than something reserved for gym memberships or adult routines.

Meeting school fitness goals with proven outdoor solutions

The UK’s Chief Medical Officers recommend that children and young people take part in at least 60 minutes of moderate to vigorous physical activity every day. Schools play a vital role in helping children reach this target. In fact, research shows that when children have access to well-designed, engaging outdoor gym equipment, they’re far more likely to be active and enjoy moving. The right equipment turns exercise into play, helping pupils build healthy habits without even realising it.

Designed for Key Stage 1 & 2: Outdoor gym equipment for younger pupils

Our school gym equipment range is specially designed for Key Stage 1 and Key Stage 2 pupils. That means it’s age-appropriate, intuitively built, and ideal for supporting the physical development milestones of younger children.

The equipment encourages a wide variety of movement, including:

Upper-body Strength: Climbing, pushing and pulling
Cardiovascular Fitness: Cycling and stepping
Coordination and Core Control: Rotating, balancing, crunching and kicking

These actions help pupils move with conﬁdence, explore their abilities and enjoy staying active in a way that feels fun and rewarding.

Over the last 10 years we’ve worked closely with schools to make sure the equipment ﬁts naturally into the daily routine. Whether it’s used during breaktimes, PE lessons,

after-school clubs or enrichment sessions, it gives children the chance to move, push their boundaries and enjoy ﬁtness on their own terms, without the pressure of formal sport.

Outdoor gym equipment that’s safe for schools

When it comes to children’s ﬁtness at Sunshine Gym, safety is just as important as fun. That’s why our children’s outdoor gym equipment is speciﬁcally designed for users under

1.4 metres tall and follows the principles of the BS EN 16630 standard, which applies to outdoor ﬁtness equipment for taller users.

Although the standard itself is for adults, we’ve adapted its guidelines to suit younger age groups. RPII-certiﬁed inspectors use these same principles during annual safety checks of children’s gym equipment. For reference, 1.4 metres is around 4 feet 7 inches, meaning this safety approach comfortably covers the entire primary age range.

We also work closely with schools to ensure every installation is properly planned, securely ﬁtted and ready for safe, conﬁdent use.

Building conﬁdence through active play and challenge

Children beneﬁt from taking on physical challenges as it helps them learn to make decisions, develop self-awareness, and build conﬁdence. Outdoor exercise equipment for children offers a perfect balance of structure and freedom, where they can test their abilities in a safe environment. Children are often aware of their own limits and, for healthy development, should be exposed to situations where they can train this innate risk assessment. This risk-beneﬁt balance is essential to healthy development and is something schools and playground designers are embracing more and more.

“Children must encounter risks and challenges if they are to learn how to manage them.”

Play Scotland

Encouraging social movement with outdoor exercise equipment

In addition to the positive physical beneﬁts that gym equipment provides, it also creates fantastic opportunities for informal, active socialisation. Children can use the equipment alone, in pairs, or in small groups which encourages communication and teamwork. For children who may not enjoy competitive sport, it’s a brilliant way to stay active without the pressure.

Sport England’s Active Lives Survey shows children are more likely to stay active when they enjoy the activity. They state that outdoor gym equipment for schools helps bridge the gap between “exercise” and “play”.

Integrating outdoor gym equipment into the PE curriculum

Beyond unstructured play, outdoor gym equipment also plays a valuable role in delivering the aims of the school PE curriculum. Children develop fundamental movement skills, resilience, and teamwork while also beneﬁting from cross-curricular learning, such as problem-solving, communication, and leadership. These beneﬁts make Sunshine Gym’s outdoor equipment a valuable asset for the whole school community.

Many schools use the equipment to enhance structured PE lessons, with activities ranging from circuit training and skill stations to warm-ups and cool-downs. It also supports differentiated learning, giving pupils of all abilities, including those with additional needs, the chance to engage at their own pace. Teachers often ﬁnd that the equipment encourages inclusive participation and boosts motivation, particularly among children who might be less conﬁdent in traditional team sports.

Outdoor gyms vs. playgrounds: A balanced school environment

It’s important to recognise that BOTH playgrounds and outdoor gym equipment for children have their place in a well-rounded school environment. While playgrounds are fantastic for imaginative play and social development, outdoor gyms provide unique beneﬁts: they introduce children to ﬁtness routines, support targeted muscle development, and offer a non-competitive, inclusive space for movement. Together, they ensure every child has the chance to be active in a way that suits them.

Why schools choose Sunshine Gym equipment

Over the past 10 years, Sunshine Gym has installed equipment in hundreds of schools across the country – each one using it in a way that suits their setting. Take a look at our case studies showing the difference it can make, from improved behaviour to higher levels of engagement in physical activity.

“I am so delighted to tell you that our children love using them! They go straight out from Breakfast Club and run to their favourite pieces of equipment and socialise while exercising. In my opinion, it has been one of our best ever purchases to date.”

– Principle Teacher, Murrayﬁeld Primary School