A stage of any kind encourages one of the key play and learning activities on a playground: Dramatic Play!

“Dramatic play, also called pretend play, involves acting out real-world situations and taking on the roles of different characters.” (Lily Jones)

Dramatic play teaches self-regulation, gives children an emotional outlet, teaches conflict resolution, supports literacy, and allows you to support your kids and encourage their ideas

By its mere presence, a stage encourages and enhances dramatic play opportunities, and supports spontaneous play activities!

These stages create great “spaces” for outdoor classrooms. They can be ringed with safely spaced sitting stumps or slab benches, and then provide a large place where kids can make presentations, or perform music, or do a reading, or etc.

Also, stages offer a flat surface on which to rest, but they also create a sense of place, and can be a center point in an otherwise uninteresting playground. They provide wonderful places for story reading, resting, relaxing, block play, napping, and so many other active and passive activities.

Stages are often used in amphitheater-type settings, because their floors/decks can be used as a stage, and if you add posts on the backside, they can be used to hang backdrops, or gauze that moves with the slightest breeze. (see photo)

Stages can be placed at the base of small hills so you can create amphitheater-type seating on the hill, or they can be surrounded by logs, slab benches, or rock seats. Fantasy play abounds!

Classes, guest speakers, or music groups can use the gazebo for numerous activities: concerts, readings, performances, meetings, spontaneous acts of fun.....

The flat surface is great for loose part play with blocks, tree cookies.

Everything is pre-marked for easy assembly.

Sizes of Stages are measured from flat face to the opposite flat face. The image below is of an 8’ stage. The stage profile is typically 10-1/4” high.

If you want one or more steps surrounding the stage, the height of the stage will be raised from its normal height of 10-1/4” to 12-1/4”. Each step would then be ~6” high and ~11” deep.