Search Results

Following on from the successful installation of a Tarantula and a custom-designed double tower wooden unit in their Foundation Phase playground, St Joseph's Preparatory has added a Rustics Fairy Tower, an obstacle course, and another custom designed unit - The Hillside! Our initial goal was to create something unique and impressive that would provide our learners with more places to play. Toni and the team at Rustics Jungle Gyms were amazing. Whenever I had questions or needed guidance, Toni was there to help. The learners and staff are thrilled with the new additions, and we can't wait to expand our playground further. I highly recommend using Rustics. Natascha Tessendorf Foundation Phase Head

Winter fresh air is good for everyone! Myth - being in the outdoor cold will give you flu! Outdoor winter play has long been blamed for colds and the flu. Our parents told us to “bundle up or you’ll catch a cold,” and their parents probably told them the same thing. But winter play gets a bad rap. Viruses that are spread by other human beings and cause colds and the flu are usually worse indoors. The indoor circulation of germs and bacteria is much more harmful to children than playing outside. In fresh, outdoor air, children do not have to rebreathe the germs of the group, and the chance for spreading infection is reduced. We still need exercise in winter! Just because its cold outside, doesn’t mean that children need less exercise. Children still grow during the winter months, and prolonged sessions of inactivity are not good for their muscular development. Physical activity gives your immune system a power surge for a full 24 hours. A stronger immune system leads to less illness and less use of antibiotics. A win for everybody!

Does your club have a vibrant family membership or want to attract new members? A Rustics Jungle gym could be just what you are looking for. Give the parents and grandparents a break while the children play in a safe and exciting environment. Rustics Jungle Gyms has been successfully installing steel and wooden playground equipment country-wide since 2005! Rustics Jungle Gyms has just the right play equipment for your Club! Here are some ideas but visit our website for many more options We look forward to being of service

Children LOVE swinging, but why? With each rhythmic swoop and sway, children feel the wind in their hair, a sense of freedom, and the sheer thrill of defying gravity. But swinging is not only GREAT FUN it also stimulates different parts of a child’s brain simultaneously, bringing huge developmental benefits. Benefits of swinging Swinging strengthens your child’s core and helps with the development of the sense of balance. The rocking motion of swinging stimulates the cerebral cortex, the part of the brain that helps you focus. Swinging offers help with sensory input and integration, which is how your brain organises and interprets information. Sensory Integration provides a foundation for later, more complex learning and behaviour. Swinging is calming! The swinging motion calms a child’s nervous system Swinging encourages social interaction and development of social skills. The movement of swinging helps develop perceptual skills. Swinging increases spatial awareness. Swinging helps develop gross motor skills – pumping legs, running, jumping, etc. Swinging helps develop fine motor skills – grip strength, hand, arm, and finger coordination. Twisting and untwisting on the swing has additional benefits! According to research, the spinning motion stimulates different parts of a child’s brain simultaneously, which promotes the development of interconnected pathways in the brain. These connections are important for the brain’s ability to learn skills such as spatial awareness, rhythm, balance, muscle control, etc. GIVE YOUR CHILD TIME TO SWING Swinging helps the brain develop skills such as spatial awareness, balance, rhythm, and muscle control. Even a quiet moment on a swing can help a child regulate their sensory system and help them develop the ability to adapt to different sensations. Rustics Jungle Gyms has just the right play equipment to get your children swinging into a healthy future!

Check out this video of the Westering Primary School children having an absolute blast on their new playground equipment. "The children love their new playground and don’t want to miss a break - even when it is raining they want to go outside to play." Collette van Rensburg Foundation Phase Deputy Principal

Rustics Jungle Gyms is always on the lookout for the strongest and safest play ground equipment to build into its Jungle Gyms. Here is our latest find - a locally made, fibreglass toddler swing. With its built-in UV resistance this swing will last far longer than a plastic swing! Contact Rustics +27 83 538 5684 to order your toddler swing TODAY!

We are very proud to share with you the latest of our architect-designed playgrounds which we installed at the new feeder school for Selborne Pups and Clarendon Preparatory School in East London. It is a brand new, purpose-built playground for 60 to 80 children, aged 3 and 4 years. The playground was designed to be visible from everywhere within the school and beyond the school gate to entice the children to play.  It combines a multitude of activities to stimulate the mental and physical development of the children. “Rustics staff were a pleasure to work with.  Their knowledge and advice allowed the concept design, equipment specification and layout to be developed with Essential Dimensions Architects to ensure the project was developed to its maximum potential. Regular on-site meetings and project development discussions allowed minor changes to be undertaken to improve the concept design, and ensured that the playground flow was “It is reassuring to work with a company who works within the SANS norms whilst delivering a dynamic facility.  The Rustics Jungle Gyms' track record and longevity in the industry means that they will always be available to assist in the future, should the need arise. Rustics have acquired a massive amount of industry knowledge and have been willing to pass this knowledge on, in the interest of improving every project I have worked on with them. Nothing seem to be too much of a hassle and they are always willing to discuss and implement changes that benefit the project.” Ryan Ewing of Essential Dimensions

Samara Foundation has been investing in the development and support of education in the rural, under-resourced communities of the Eastern Cape since 2017. By providing infrastructure and resource support as well as training, they work to change the quality of early childhood education and the future of young children. "We have been installing the Rustics Jungle Gyms' Basic and Two Swings with a Tyre Climber since 2019 and have installed 16 units throughout the Eastern Cape. "It brings so much joy to the children, it is my favourite investment to make at the centres" Louisa Feiter, Managing Director, Samara Foundation NPC

...and watch them grow Children naturally look for challenges in their play to test themselves and find out their own limits. By engaging in challenging play, they learn how to deal with risk and learn decision-making – all essential skills for later in life. A well-designed and built jungle gym provides a safe, challenging environment in which children can develop risk-management and decision-making skills. When choosing a Jungle Gym, consider how it can be used – if there is a prescribed way to “climb up here, go down there, climb up here, cross over there, go down here,” i.e. the design dictates the child’s passage through the jungle gym, it will soon become boring and your money will be wasted! A good Jungle gym design will cause you to ask “How are the kids supposed to use this?” Choosing a jungle gym with age-appropriate challenges will ensure that the children learn risk assessment and management skills through trial and error and will never get bored! What creates a challenge? A cargo net or climbing wall can add challenge. A good climbing wall will have a configuration of grips or steps offering the climbers a choice of routes. A climbing rope and gymnastic bars add tremendous challenge at very little cost. A deck-less system such as THE TARANTULA can also provide an open-ended play challenge by offering many different routes across the equipment. Rustics Jungle Gyms has just the right challenging play equipment for any age Choose a design and request a quote

We all know that we need to exercise to stay healthy – check out our previous newsletter which describes the amount of exercise each age-level should get on a daily basis. You may know you need to exercise and get your family active, but are you struggling to motivate yourself to get going? There are so many options and there are VERY FEW VALID EXCUSES for not putting your health first and getting out there. Are any of these your excuse? It’s boring or I just don't fancy it Use your imagination and think out of the box – you don’t have to go running or to the gym to be exercising! If it’s not done sitting and it elevates your heart rate, it’s exercise! Here are a few ideas: Brisk walks while listening to music, Cycling Dancing Obstacle racing Gardening Skate-boarding, roller skating Playing catch with the kids Doing agility with your family dog Don’t like to do it alone? Find a local boot camp, yoga class, or dance team to get group dynamics and encouragement. I don't have time Are you being honest with yourself? If you spend 30 minutes watching TV or playing video games at night you have time for exercise. Sitting at a desk all day, whether in school or at work does not need to be followed by sitting in the evening. Find the time to get active; it’s always worth it. I'm too tired Working out actually gives you energy as your body produces endorphins and circulation is increased. Experiment with different times of the day. It might make sense to get up 30 minutes earlier and start your day with exercise to increase productivity throughout the day. Remember, your daily exercise does not need to be all at once to be beneficial. I can't leave the kids alone Take them with you! Go out into the garden and play on the RUSTICS jungle gym, play ball or chasing games. Exercising with your children will reinforce the importance of exercise, create fun memories that they are likely to emulate when they become parents, and instil exercise as a regular behaviour. It just doesn't work for me! The key is to make it FUN so the behaviour is repeated. Don't give up if it doesn’t seem like fun to start with! Give it time. Behaviours aren’t changed overnight, and it may take several weeks before the activity feels enjoyable or part of your routine. No matter what our age, we all benefit from exercise. Without it, we are adversely affecting our health, our long-term ability to move independently, and our children’s ability to balance healthy activity with sedentary behaviour. Call it PLAY, call it EXERCISE, call it FUN, call it whatever you like, but make sure you make time with your family to get active. Your very lives depend on it! Rustics Jungle Gyms has just the right outdoor play equipment to get you and your family exercising and improving your health!

Yes, simply being outdoors in nature can keep those happy-hormones flowing. How does spending time outdoors make us happier, stronger and less stressed? The outdoors is a great source of vitamin D Being out in the sun exposes you to sunlight, which your skin uses to make vitamin D as a nutrient for your body. Vitamin D can help improve your immune system, make your bones stronger and lower your risk of developing diseases and various types of cancer. The Outdoors can be the calm after the storm “Moving your body and being outside in nature can help your body to recover after stressful events in your life,” says psychiatrist, Patrick Kane, M.D. Being in nature can reduce cortisol levels and muscle tension. Maybe we all need a bit of this after the stress of the Rugby World Cup Final! The outdoors will help you sleep like a baby Our circadian rhythm, also known as our internal clock, regulates how our body functions, and research supports that it is directly affected by how much sunlight you are exposed to. Bright light during the day will help you feel more alert and awake and can help you fall asleep easier and feel more tired at night. Can help with feelings of depression Research suggests that exposure to sunlight impacts your body’s serotonin levels – a chemical that plays a vital role in your mood. Getting regular exposure to daylight can help raise your spirits and improve your focus. The Outdoors strengthens family bonds Every family member needs to let loose and have fun, so why not do it together? Parents are the ultimate role models, and you can show your kids the importance of finding joy in the outdoors. Savour the moments together while reaping all the other benefits. “Just a 50-minutes in nature can improve your attention and concentration, [and] your working memory by about 20%.” Marc Berman, associate professor of psychology at the University of Chicago Rustics Jungle Gyms has just the right equipment to get you and your family outdoors check it out here

All budgets are getting stretched further and further in today’s economic climate, and it’s no different for schools, churches, home owner associations and other communities. In a previous newsletter, we suggested some FUN fund raising ideas to help raise funds for a playground upgrade - here are a few more to ease the strain on your budget. Sell something to your stakeholders Buy a shopping bag and print the handprints and names of all the children in the phase or do a calendar of photographs of activities the community has taken part in. Sell something to the public Products - bottled water at a local running/sport event, home-made Christmas biscuits or popcorn at a Christmas market. Offer a service - gift-wrapping or car washing at a local shopping centre Entertain people Theatre performance – arrange your own performance using your own people or invite a local personality to perform at the local theatre and sell the tickets. They might even run an ad for your project on their social media. The key to any successful fundraising initiative is promotion! Promote via school and local business organisation newsletters Ask the local paper or radio station to do an interview or send them a short write up – this should be free Use your Facebook and website pages (or create new ones especially for your activity) and other social media platforms Give yourself enough time to plan and above all promote like there’s no tomorrow! Good luck with your fundraising initiatives and check out our playground systems when you have the funds for your new playground!