Creative ideas for play areas in primary schools
- Simple and cost-effective: laminate your IKEA children’s furniture and classics easily with our custom-fit design decal.
- Child-friendly and hygienic: All our adhesive films are CE-certified and free from solvents and hazardous plasticisers. The films can be wiped with a damp cloth, making them quick and easy to clean.
5 reasons to have a play area in primary schools
- Learning through play – Children learn through play and develop cognitive skills whilst playing.
- Developing social skills – Playing together strengthens camaraderie, team spirit and fairness.
- More exercise & creativity – A play corner encourages exploration and discovery.
- Promotes concentration & stamina – Learning is easier after short breaks for play.
- Fun without pressure – Not every game needs to have a measurable learning objective – playing should simply be enjoyable!
5 ideas for the perfect play corner in primary school
A well-equipped play corner brings variety to lessons. Here are some creative ways to design an inspiring play corner:
- Play tables : Whether it’s street scenes or classic board games – play tables are versatile and encourage logical thinking and strategy.
- Role-play corner : Children take on different roles and practise social interactions.
- Maths play corner : Practise maths in a playful way with Montessori materials or number puzzles.
- Puzzle & logic games corner : Promotes patience, concentration and problem-solving skills.
- Creative craft corner : Painting, crafting and designing – perfect for relaxation and imagination.
The play table - flexible and creative
In a well-equipped play corner, a good play table is a must. Our customised adhesive foils transform IKEA classics such as the LACK table or the TROFAST shelf into fascinating play worlds. From small streets and imaginative landscapes to colourful board games, everything is included. The robust and scratch-resistant surfaces are ideal for intensive use in classrooms. They are easy to clean so that everything is clean again in no time at all, even after a long day of crafting or colouring. With this hack, you can also add variety to the play corner!
The children's stool – a versatile everyday helper
Small stools are incredibly versatile in everyday school life. Whether for circle time, as a craft station or to provide support during play. With our creative stickers, you can transform plain IKEA stools into real eye-catchers. You can also use our customisable films to design a unique stool for each child, which they can then use anywhere. The robust film is also resistant to the little ones’ daily adventures.
Wall design - Colourful accents for a big impact
It's often the small details, that bring a room to life. With wall tattoos in a child-friendly design, you can achieve this easily, inexpensively and without much manual effort. The wall design is a clever way to beautify a room, define areas and create your own play worlds. The easy-care and hard-wearing films are quick to apply and just as easy to remove without leaving any residue - perfect for everyday school life!
TROFAST - storage and organisation
A smooth everyday life in the classroom needs good storage and organisation solutions. The TROFAST shelf with its large, removable drawer is the perfect solution. Our adhesive films help to transform shelves into practical and attractive organisational aids. With themed stickers or self-writable foils, toys, craft materials and books can be organised in no time at all. The shelf can be wonderfully transformed into an eye-catcher in the room with our patterned adhesive foils or customised to match the rest of the decor. The robust and durable films with a great design make tidying up a real pleasure.
Play corner in primary school: Playing is part of the lesson too
Lena is a teacher by passion. She shows us how she incorporates games into the children’s daily learning routine. She shows us her play corner in the primary school and explains why playing shouldn’t be neglected at school.
Play is not mere frivolity; it is a serious matter of great significance. (Friedrich Fröbel)
Play Sets the Standard
We learn through play in the classroom – but not vocabulary or arithmetic! We learn without even realising it, because the focus is on the game. And what we learn is no small thing. Play promotes personal and social skills. Children learn to follow existing rules or invent new ones together. All of this happens quite naturally in the play corner at primary school.
Those who play, learn! Those who learn, live! Those who live, play! (Jörg Roggensack)
Losing is a skill to be learnt too: children at primary school often find it hard to lose. But they must learn to cope with that as well. Children need to be able to recognise and accept defeat. And the winners? Children often celebrate their victory exuberantly, thereby hurting the feelings of their fellow players. Who hasn’t said ‘Ha ha!’ at some point? To ensure that both losers and winners want to play together again, it is important to play in a socially acceptable and fair manner. After all, fairness is a top priority in the play corner at primary school. Of course, this is where the teacher comes in: we must support and empower the pupils. The loser is shaped somewhat more than the winner. Teachers should act as role models and make pupils aware that even a fun game in the classroom can be a win.
Play areas in primary schools foster a sense of togetherness
Christmas
magic in primary schools: The Secret
Santa
The festive magic of the Secret Santa isn’t just for your home – it can also delight children in primary schools. The elf brings joy and a festive atmosphere, but can also convey educational content in a playful way and strengthen team spirit. He lives behind a little door and plays pranks at night, writes letters or gives the little ones tasks or Christmas carols. We’ll show you the best Secret Santa games ( elf pranks) for groups and tell you how to best prepare Secret Santa activities ( elf season) for primary schools.
