Maths Investigation: Playground Project

I could not be more proud of my students as they shared and celebrated their hard work this term. Students received a project at the beginning of the term that incorporated a number of mathematical concepts as a way of revision and an opportunity to work in mixed abilities groups.

Students would explore the website of an Australian playground equipment supplier to map out their idea and stick to a specific budget. It was required to be attractive, safe and have sustainable and energy efficient features. It will need to still be operational in 2040.

I created a general maths and financial planning project asking students to:

Create a budget
Feature at least one sustainable element
Make it attractive to children and families
Craft a 3D model of a playground feature

Students were encouraged to document the process in order to show their progress, assess the challenges and appreciate their personal progress and achievements along the whole journey, not just the end result.

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What Did My Students Think?

There were so many students who ‘hate’ or ‘are no good at Maths’ beg for extra time to work on this project and the results really show all of their hard work.
I think it’s safe to say they really enjoyed the maths and creative opportunities this project provided.

How Can I Extend This Task?

I added some fast finisher activities such as:

Design a digital brochure,
Create a maze
Plan an opening party

If you would like to extend students with a budgeting and percentages task, the party planning extension task might be an option. Download your free party planning resource here Download

Thank you so much for reading this post. If you decide to use this in your classroom, please feel free to come back and leave some feedback, share your ideas or other financial planning activities completed by your students.