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The sloping terrain of our latest garden installation was no challenge for our design or installation teams. Our new Hillside unit was the obvious choice! But what to build to complement it? The design team incorporated the slope by installing an angle balance beam and monkey bars on the high side of the main tower and a cargo net on the lower side. A toddler swing, tyre swing and a slide completed the design. Pieter, who wanted an exciting play area to encourage his two boys to spend time outside and get the associated physical and metal benefits, says, “We knew what we wanted to achieve but relied on Toni and her team to design a custom solution to help us achieve it. ‘The children love it! We look forward to them enjoying the playground for years to come!" "I would recommend Rustics Jungle Gyms; they listen to what you want and make it happen. Their service is efficient and professional."

Everyone understands that children need to be physically active to build fit and strong bodies. And in previous newsletters , we have highlighted the facts that active play also leads to academic success and the development of essential life skills such as decision-making and self-confidence. BUT the fact is that children's daily activities are becoming more sedentary and less physical, and as a result, more of them are suffering from obesity and a variety of illnesses associated with poor overall health. According to the World Health Organisation guidelines , one key to solving these health issues is for children to participate in at least one hour of moderate-to-vigorous physical activity each day. But how do we get our children interested in physical activity? Not everyone has an interest or aptitude for organised sport and many children just don’t like being told what to do. Could Free Play be the answer? The right kind of free play can entice children to choose to participate in activities that are inherently filled with beneficial physical activity. If a child feels like they are just having fun, and not following directions, they are more likely to be active for longer durations and for repeated periods. Bring out the FUN! The answer is to offer a non-prescriptive jungle gym which gives children a variety of sensations and a space to exercise their imaginations and their bodies, while having FUN. A well-designed jungle gym will incorporate elements that contribute to the development of coordination, flexibility, dexterity, balance, upper & lower body strength, core body strength, and cardiovascular health. In addition, it will offer children a plethora of play paths and sensory experiences to ensure they never get tired of playing – every trip to the jungle gym should provide a new adventure. A well-designed jungle gym will have children making their own decision to leave ‘screens’ behind to go outside to play. Not only will children’s bodies benefit from free play – their minds benefit too – see our previous articles on how a well-designed jungle gym can develop risk-management, decision-making and leadership skills Contact us if you want a jungle gym to get your children away from their screens and outside!

Financially, everyone seems to be feeling the squeeze. If you are wanting to purchase playground equipment but are finding it hard to get your hands on the budget, we have put together a few fund-raising ideas for you to consider. ONE Ask your local golf course if you can host a golf day. This will require you to find prizes, but local businesses are usually keen to sponsor prizes for golfers. The golf course will promote your event to their members – especially if you offer awesome prizes, and you can encourage your prize sponsors to sign up for a 4-ball to fill up the field. TWO Find a friendly restaurant owner who buys into your cause and ask them to donate all profits from an evening, or from the first 200 meals sold. You could even offer to do the waiting on tables to collect extra in tips. Maybe you can find a local company who will match what you raise. THREE Another creative idea is to make a customised Monopoly game and sell the property spaces, and even the play money, to sponsors to fund the production of the game. All proceeds from the sale of the game would go to the Jungle Gym fund. FOUR Ask the local garden club to host a tour of their gardens and sell tour tickets. You could even set up a stall selling seedlings and tea/cakes at each garden. FIVE Ask the community benefitting from the jungle gym installation, for their ideas – you may be surprised by their creativity!

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