The UK school holidays are shortly coming to an end, which means headteachers only have a couple of weeks left to get the building in top condition before the new term begins.
One of their maintenance jobs they will need to sort out prior to the second week in September when most schools go back is removing any old markings in their playground.
As Creative Play recognises, playground equipment in schools provide a lot of benefits for youngsters.
These include improving their spatial awareness, increasing their self-confidence, encouraging problem-solving abilities, promoting physical activity, enhancing multiple senses, and boosting social skills.
It has also been known to increase academic performance, improve cognitive development, reduce childhood obesity risk, develop gross motor skills, and help kids better understand their physical freedom.
Even though schools might have good intentions about putting new playground markings down, these will simply be confusing to students if the old marks are not removed first.
Therefore, it is essential those in charge arrange for line marking removal as soon as possible, so there is still enough time to put down the new signage.
It is not just essential for school playtimes, but also for PE lessons, as markings can be used for team sports like football, netball, basketball and tennis.
Without these lines, students might struggle to fully understand the rules of the games, which could set them back in their PE lessons and, ultimately, in their long-term enjoyment of physical activities.
This could result in children being at greater risk of obesity problems, and it may impact their mental health too.
As physical activity releases endorphins and promotes a sense of achievement, it is known to reduce symptoms of depression, stress, anxiety and low self-esteem.