New
New
Lesson 1 of 8
  • Year 2

Shapes and materials used in playground structures

I can investigate the shapes and materials used in playground structures.

Lesson 1 of 8
New
New
  • Year 2

Shapes and materials used in playground structures

I can investigate the shapes and materials used in playground structures.

These resources will be removed by end of Summer Term 2025.

Switch to our new teaching resources now - designed by teachers and leading subject experts, and tested in classrooms.

These resources were created for remote use during the pandemic and are not designed for classroom teaching.

Lesson details

Key learning points

  1. Shapes in playground designs are chosen purposefully.
  2. Materials used in playground designs are chosen purposefully.
  3. Sketching helps us to spot details and features.

Keywords

  • Materials - what an object is made from

  • Features - a special part which makes something special or noticeable, such as eyes and nose on a face.

  • User - the person who uses the object

  • Playground equipment - structure that you can play on within a playground, such as swings or slides

Common misconception

All play areas follow a similar design.

There are a wide variety of play area designs for different users that use different materials and shapes.


To help you plan your year 2 design and technology lesson on: Shapes and materials used in playground structures, download all teaching resources for free and adapt to suit your pupils' needs...

If possible, plan a visit to a local playground. Whilst at the playground, the pupils could sketch, explore and dicsuss the different equipment. Pupils could help to take photographs too. Otherwise, the pupils could take photos and complete sketches as part of a mini homework task.
Teacher tip

Equipment

Photographs of a range of local playgrounds, pencils, paper/worksheet, rubber and coloured pencils if required.

Content guidance

  • Risk assessment required - equipment

Supervision

Adult supervision required

Licence

This content is © Oak National Academy Limited (2025), licensed on Open Government Licence version 3.0 except where otherwise stated. See Oak's terms & conditions (Collection 2).

Lesson video

Loading...

Prior knowledge starter quiz

Download quiz pdf

4 Questions

Q1.
Wood, plastic, metal and glass are all ...

foods.
Correct answer: materials.
sounds.

Q2.
Match the object to the material is is made from.

Correct Answer:glass,window pane

window pane

Correct Answer:wood,garden fence or gate

garden fence or gate

Correct Answer:plastic,wheels of a toy car

wheels of a toy car

Correct Answer:metal,knife, fork and spoon

knife, fork and spoon

Q3.
Match the playground equipment to the description.

Correct Answer:slide,It has steps that you climb up and a sloped surface.

It has steps that you climb up and a sloped surface.

Correct Answer:swing,It moves forwards and backwards in the air.

It moves forwards and backwards in the air.

Correct Answer:seesaw,It moves up and down.

It moves up and down.

Correct Answer:roundabout,It turns round and round.

It turns round and round.

Correct Answer:zipline,You can zoom along above the ground.

You can zoom along above the ground.

Q4.
What is this?

An image in a quiz
Correct answer: a playground
Correct answer: a play area
a park
a field

Assessment exit quiz

Download quiz pdf

4 Questions

Q1.
Match the keywords to their meaning.

Correct Answer:materials,what an object is made from

what an object is made from

Correct Answer:user,the person who uses the object

the person who uses the object

Correct Answer:playground equipment,structures that you can play on within a playground (swings or slides)

structures that you can play on within a playground (swings or slides)

Q2.
What are some of the features of playground equipment?

Correct answer: size and shape
smell
Correct answer: colour
Correct answer: special equipment to use

Q3.
To sketch a picture of a playground, we use ...

Correct answer: pencil and paper.
pencil and pen.
pen and rubber.

Q4.
A sketch is ...

a quick collage.
a quick painting.
Correct answer: a quick drawing.

Additional material

Download additional material