Guide to Choosing the Best Site Furnishings for Your School

Outdoor site furnishings are essential in schools as they provide space for children, parents, visitors, teachers and faculty to sit, eat, connect and learn in the great outdoors. Investing in high-quality furniture and site amenities also improves the visual appeal of your school’s exterior.

Furnishing a school’s outdoor area involves more than simply picking the amenities you like. You must consider numerous factors to determine the best amenities to create a safe and effective outdoor environment. This guide explores the factors to consider when picking the right outdoor furniture for school settings.

Understanding Your School’s Needs

As you browse site furnishings, consider your school’s layout and design, as well as the purpose the furnishings should serve. The furnishings should ideally fit in with the property to provide visual appeal. You also want to use the furnishings effectively to provide ample seating, allow for easy waste disposal or fulfill another goal.

For example, if students, teachers and faculty often ride their bikes to school, installing school bike racks and corresponding storage solutions will benefit them. Think of how your choices will impact the community and aim to provide solutions that solve their problems and make it easier to enjoy the outdoor space.

Types of School Site Furnishings

A wide range of site furnishings can boost your school’s functionality and aesthetics. Some top options include:

Benches and seating options: These can be placed at entrances and exits for use by parents, visitors, students, teachers, and faculty. You can choose from various materials and styles to offer durable, comfortable seating. The best bench and seating options come with backs or armrests for extra comfort.
Tables and picnic areas: Outdoor table sets serve as interactive seating that can be used for outdoor classrooms or cafeteria extensions. Rectangular, square and circular tables with attached benches are common options that help maximize limited outdoor space.
Trash receptacles and recycling bins: To reduce littering around the school, you can strategically place trash and recycling receptacles throughout the area. Aim to place recycling bins for schools in high-traffic areas like entrances, exits, eating areas and playgrounds to make your initiative effective. Proper signage and litter receptacle maintenance also enhance your waste management efforts.
Bike racks and storage solutions: Installing bike racks encourages physical activity for students, staff and visitors by providing them with a safe and convenient parking spot. Bike racks are available in various colors and modern designs that complement your school’s design.

Considerations for Selecting Your School’s Site Furnishings

You want your school’s site furnishings to last long while encouraging students, teachers and other individuals to spend more time outside. As a result, it’s important to consider a few key variables to ensure you choose the best possible options.

Durability

Outdoor furniture for schools must be made using high-quality materials that can withstand the elements, including the sun, snow and strong winds. Durable furnishings can also increase user safety and minimize maintenance needs and costs. For added protection, there should be ways to incorporate shade structures to protect users against harmful sun rays and rain.

It’s also best to work with a manufacturer that offers a warranty against structural failure caused by defects in materials and workmanship. This way, you can be confident in your investment and provide your school with the highest quality furnishings.

Aesthetics and Design

Outdoor school furniture should align with your school’s design. Choose furnishing colors that complement existing school amenities to create an inviting and welcoming environment. Having all your furniture made by the same manufacturer allows consistency in the color and design throughout the school campus.

Aesthetically pleasing site furnishings typically encourage students, parents, teachers, staff and visitors to spend more time outside. Students can enjoy unstructured learning on well-made and comfortable furniture while experiencing improved engagement and increased creativity. A clean, well-designed environment also allows teachers and staff to have a nice place to relax as they supervise their students outdoors.

Budget Considerations

Your budget will determine the type and quality of site furnishings you can install. Other than the cost of purchasing and installing site furniture, you should consider several other costs, such as:

Preparing the installation site
Transporting the site furnishings
Storing any materials, surfacing and tools off-site
Ancillary equipment, such as new lighting and site structures
Surfacing equipment

Working with a reputable site furnishings vendor can help you select high-quality pieces that align with your budget. You can gain access to extensive funding resources to help you bring your dream outdoor space to life, even if you have limited finances.

Vendor Selection

Your vendor choice determines the quality, durability and aesthetics of your site furnishings. Therefore, you want to work with an experienced vendor to build innovative outdoor furnishings and amenities that stand the test of time. Miracle® Recreation manufactures playground equipment and site amenities with over a century of experience.

We manufacture high-quality, durable structures in our state-of-the-art facility. Our structures and equipment can withstand hours of use and extreme weather, allowing your school to enjoy using them all day long. We’re confident in our processes and expert staff of designers, engineers and fabricators, so we back up our products with a limited warranty.

Installation and Maintenance

Outdoor furniture installation should be left to professionals with the necessary skills to ensure safety and effectiveness. Site furnishing companies often offer installation services or connect you to experienced contractors. Professional installation ensures compliance with all compliance standards, minimizing the risk of injury and maximizing the user’s comfort.

Because outdoor furniture is often exposed to dust, dirt and other contaminants, you want options that are easy to maintain. The benches, tables and other features you choose should be easy to clean and maintain their appearance and functionality despite exposure to the elements. After installation, be sure to keep up with continual maintenance needs to keep your school’s outdoor areas in great condition.

Contact Miracle Recreation for Premium Outdoor School Furnishings

Miracle Recreation is a reliable provider of high-quality site amenities and playground equipment. Our inventory includes school picnic tables, benches, bike racks, trash receptacles, recycle bins and more to improve your school’s aesthetics and functionality. When you invest in well-made furnishings for your students and staff, you give them more ways to enjoy the outdoors.

Would you like to learn more about our furnishing options? Contact us today to receive information about our products or request a free quote for our site amenities if you’re ready to get started. Our team is here to help you throughout the process, ensuring you select the best furnishings for your unique needs.