Playground
Roundabouts

The history of the playground roundabout is unclear but there’s no denying that they’re a playground classic. In fact, a playground wouldn’t be the same without one!
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Children love the sensation of spinning that roundabouts provide, but there’s much more to them than the thrill, fun and speed they add to a playground. They also have many other benefits:

Roundabouts come in many different forms these days, from the traditional looking ‘merry-go-round’ to more innovative designs such as dishes and inclusive wheelchair roundabouts that allow children of all abilities to play together. Click here to see our full roundabout range.

Understanding Risk - play is where children develop essential life skills such as understanding risk. Children are much braver than adults and like to challenge themselves to take risks; the speed generated by roundabouts can help them to assess and understand an acceptable level of risk. Developing this skill in their formative years can have a positive and long-lasting effect on youngsters.

Sensory benefits – rocking and gentle spinning can also have a calming effect on youngsters. We’ve worked with several schools over the years, including specialist autistic schools which have identified roundabouts as a method to both calm and stimulate children as they develop important coordination, balance and strength skills.

Teamwork – roundabouts encourage teamwork as children work together towards the shared purpose of going faster! By developing this skill, children also learn how to communicate effectively, develop important social skills and build confidence in their decisions and abilities.

Balance – spinning inspires a sensory process called vestibular stimulation which encourages the body to experience and understand gravity and improve balance.

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Inclusivity – we pride ourselves on building inclusive play opportunities into as much of our equipment as possible and this includes our roundabout range, which are designed to meet the requirements of the Disability Discrimination Act of 1995

Every child should have equal access to play and we’re passionate about making this happen. Our deep understanding of inclusive play has been developed over many years through close working relationships and consultation with experts in discrimination, disability, access, inclusion and special needs.

Whilst inclusive features are incorporated into most of Sutcliffe Play’s equipment, there are no compromises on the challenge it presents. Our play equipment is all designed specifically to deliver challenges, stimulation of senses and most of all enjoyment, and to enable children of differing abilities to play together.

Learn more about our full Inclusive Play range here @ www.sutcliffeplay.co.uk

Our playground roundabouts

We’ve developed a wide range of playground roundabouts over the years, in all shapes and sizes, some of which allow groups of children to spin together! Here are a few highlights from our current range:

Inclusive Scooter Roundabout – this roundabout has been designed to be invisibly inclusive without compromising on fun. The unit can accommodate a wheelchair alongside seated and standing users so that children, adults and carers can enjoy spinning whether they have a disability or not.

Functional and durable, the roundabout accommodates a wheelchair, two users in the seated positions and more standing if they wish, so that children, carers and parents can enjoy the sensation of spinning together. See more here

Dish Roundabout – this is one of our most dynamic and inclusive products, creating fast and exhilarating play for all. The dish shape combined with the rotating and rocking motion - which can be enjoyed fast or slow - makes it accessible and fun for all. We’ve designed the angle of the dish base to minimise lifting required to get in and out of the roundabout, and to make side transfer possible. See more here

Whirlybob Roundabout – one of the newest pieces of playground equipment to our range, it is one of our more contemporary looking roundabouts. Centred around a single revolving pole, it’s designed for younger users to sit or stand around the four HPL seats. The Whirlybob encourages social and physical play as children work together to keep it spinning. See more here

The unique looking structure is constructed using radial tubes and multi-steel core ropes to provide support and hand grips for youngsters.

Inclusive Seated Roundabout – a similar design and build to our Inclusive Scooter Roundabout but with seating for four people alongside a wheelchair. For added safety these roundabouts are constructed from 18mm ‘Hexastrong’ plywood with a non-slip top surface and a non-slip pattern is etched onto the HPL outer rim. See more here

Back to Back Roundabout – this sits slightly higher above the ground to make it more accessible for those wheelchair users transferring from their chairs. It was designed to offer the support of a chair with side rests and a back support for those with limited mobility. See more here

Oyster Roundabout – this appeals to older children looking for fast and dynamic play but is also used as a meeting point, helping children to develop social skills. Like the dish roundabout, this is perfect for inclusive playgrounds as it caters to all ages and abilities with the flat platform making access in and out of the roundabout easier. See more here

View our full range of roundabouts here @ www.sutcliffeplay.co.uk

Safety & Quality

Children’s safety is of paramount importance to us. That’s why all of our roundabouts are independently tested to British and European Safety standards – all of our roundabouts are EN1176 certified.

As the UK’s first employee-owned playground equipment company, quality is always at the front of our mind. As owners of the company, we all have a vested interest in its success. That’s why every piece of equipment that leaves our factory in Yorkshire has been built and checked in accordance with all industry standards.

We’re proud that all our operations are independently and regularly audited to meet the ISO9001 Quality Assurance standard. We also have a dedicated Quality Manager and weekly meetings to identify and resolve any potential issues quickly.

As a founder member of the Association of Play Industries (API) you can be sure that we comply with all best practice standards.

Contact us if you would like help with your playspace @ www.sutcliffeplay.co.uk