Supporting Sensory Play by Adding Texture

Child atop a Euroflex Ball | Image via Goric

One of the best ways for playground and playscape designers to improve the quality of any surface space or area is by including a variety of tactile elements. Whether cut in half, or presented in full, Euroflex Balls invite exploration and encourage curiosity. Made from recycled rubber and polyurethane, with an optional layer of EPDM (virgin rubber) the surface area of these colorful fun-inducing spheres is flexible, surprisingly soft, and exceptionally resilient to repeated usage and a variety of outdoor elements.

Clustered together to form an interesting shape or structure of their own, or spread about an area as stepping pods, the desire to explore through touch helps spark the imagination. The harmonic shape of Euroflex Balls comes in a variety of sizes, and their usage can extend beyond play to include sitting, partitioning, and the creation of a colorful border. With such wonderful flexibility, it is important for playground designers to consult with Goric to ensure their layout agrees with ASTM standards.

Euroflex Ball Layout | Image via Goric

It can be surprisingly easy to overlook just how important the sense of touch can be as we learn and develop. We must touch the world in order to know how we feel about it. It is this emotional connection where the developmental benefits of play are most powerful. As we grasp the world and physically interact, we begin to comprehend just how things work. The greater the variety of tactile elements within a playscape, the greater the ability for children to begin to understand the bigger world.

Every aspect of a playground can be oriented towards activating the imagination through sensory play elements. Incorporating natural elements such as wood, grass, sand, and water are only just the beginning. Our world holds a variety of shapes and textures. Encouraging interaction with this variety increases spatial thinking skills and strengthens our ability to explore that which is new. Supporting playscape design that encourages hands-on activities and multiple types of sensory experience is crucial.

Young girl clearly avoiding hot lava | Image via Goric

The Euroflex Ball and Half Ball can be mounted on either a steel anchor or a base slab and come in three different sizes and a variety of fun colors. They make a wonderful addition to the design of any playscape or playground project, and can also offer a cost-effective way to add variety and increase sensory play interaction in legacy playgrounds as well. The inherent design flexibility and material resilience offered by Euroflex Balls makes them the near perfect addition to any play area.

Goric is proud to have incorporated the Euroflex Ball and Half Ball into a number of our designs and installations, such as the Rotary Playgarden in San Jose. Both children and adults love the tactile and fun challenge they pose to everyone’s imagination. Whether moving around, bounding over, or crawling atop the colorful spheres, a creatively spaced layout encourages repeated use. They represent a wonderful reminder that any given area can contain much more than it may initially seem, igniting the imagination and encouraging exploration.