Creative Outdoor Seating Ideas at Blackpool Primary – April 2026

Rhino Play was invited back again by the kind people of Blackpool Primary, home to the First Federation, after they told us how happy they were with what we had previously supplied a few years ago. This time the school asked us to design a creative, fun and adventurous seating area that could sit right in the school playground – with no need for safety surfacing, easy supervision, and a real focal piece for the site.

The Brief from Blackpool Primary

The team at Blackpool Primary wanted something well beyond a standard bench or picnic set. They wanted a feature that could stimulate the imagination, offer a comfortable place to gather, and also double up as a flexible outdoor classroom.

The school’s requirements

• A creative, fun and adventurous seating area
• Installation in the main playground, with no safety surfacing required
• A layout that allowed easy supervision by staff
• A stimulating and interesting space for play, stories, seating, shade and lessons
• A strong focal piece that would suit a busy primary school

Our Solution – The Castle Keep Play Castle

Our design team responded with our very impressive Castle Keep Play Castle. It is a beautifully detailed piece of equipment that doubles up brilliantly as a social, story telling and learning space, and it has become an immediate favourite in the Blackpool Primary playground.

Castle Keep Play Castle key features

• Overall footprint of 3.6m x 3.3m
• Floor at 600mm high
• Access ramp with slats (replacing the fireman’s pole for easier access)
• Internal seating on 3 sides
• 4x access doors for clear supervision from any angle
• Decked floor
• Arrow slits for role play and sightlines
• Traversing walls on 5 sides
• Fixed directly to the tarmac using 4x galvanised ‘L’ brackets
• No excavation required, meaning minimal disruption on installation day

You can see the full range of similar play houses, cabins and shelters we offer, and explore our wider seats range on the Rhino Play website.

Why This Design Works So Well

A traditional bench does one job. The Castle Keep Play Castle does several at once, and that is what makes it so valuable for a busy primary school with limited outdoor space.

What the new installation delivers

• A creative focal point for the whole playground
• A comfortable seating area that is genuinely fun to use
• A versatile space for play, stories, quieter moments, shade and outdoor lessons
• Traversing walls on every side add a physical challenge without needing a bigger footprint
• Excellent supervision from the 4 access door layout
• No safety surfacing or excavation, keeping costs and disruption low

Great Value In A Small Footprint

You can see that this provides so much play value within a relatively small area, and has so many different uses throughout the school day. For a school trying to get the most out of every square metre of playground, that kind of flexibility is hard to beat. The tarmac fix also means the installation was quick, clean and tidy, with no groundworks needed.

Considering A Similar Creative Seating Project?

If your school is looking for an outdoor feature that does far more than just a bench, please get in touch with the Rhino Play team. We can visit, measure, advise and quote at no obligation.