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The right equipment for active play

A lack of equipment is often reported as a barrier to encouraging active play. If this is an issue for you, try creating active play equipment from every day/recyclable products such as those listed below:

Object Alternative item
Rolling wedge prop one side of a couch cushion up on pillows
Beanbags scrap material sewn in a square or rectangle and stuffed with dried beans, dried corn or sand inside
Buckets ice-cream containers, boxes or a washing basket
Skittles empty plastic bottles and cartons
Markers empty ice-cream containers
Parachute an old bed sheet or blanket
Potato sacks old pillow cases or they can easily be made out of Hessian material
Building blocks empty food or milk cartons
Soccer goals simply laying out markers to kick between or cutting the front out of a large box laid on its side
Goal rings hula hoops can be secured with tape between the backs of two chairs or simply use an upright box with a hole cut out at the bottom of one side
Horse sticks pool noodles, cling-wrap cylinders or any long objects
Totem tennis pole suspending a tennis ball in an old stocking from a tree branch or veranda cross beam (away from any windows)
Balls balloons or beach ball
Balance beam masking tape; a line drawn with chalk; a skipping rope
Tunnel cardboard boxes
Target old sheet with a target drawn on it, target drawn on a wall with chalk
Throwing items bath sponge, scrunched up scarf or paper bound with masking tape
Bats rolled up newspaper bound with masking tape; inside tubes of cling wrap or cut up pool noodles

Stagnitti, van Herwerden, Sanigorski, Wolfe and Kenna (2007). Romp and Chomp Structured Active Play Program: A program for early childhood settings in the City of Greater Geelong.

For a printable list, which also includes ideas for equipment you may wish to purchase, download this equipment list.

Page last updated on: 17 Sep 2019