Introduction
Encouraging children to engage in regular physical activity is now a public health issue. Faced with the rise in sedentary lifestyles, linked in particular to the growing use of screens, local authorities, schools and childcare facilities are looking for fun, accessible solutions to encourage the youngest children to get moving. The creation of active play areas and outdoor fitness areas for children is one of the most effective responses to this need.
Contrary to what you might think, you don’t need to multiply the equipment to offer a stimulating and complete space. With just a few well-chosen pieces of equipment, it’s possible to offer children a real motor skills course, enabling them to develop their balance, coordination, mobility and endurance, all while having fun.
At Herkules Fitness, we’ve designed a specific range of fitness equipment for children, designed to meet the physiological needs of the very young while complying with the strictest safety standards. The range includes four simple, sturdy and attractive pieces of equipment that can be used to create a complete physical activity area, whether in a school playground, community park or multi-sports area.
In this article, we’ll explore the many benefits of children’s fitness equipment, detail each of the four pieces of equipment we offer, and explain how they can be intelligently integrated into an outdoor design project. Whether you’re a community, a school or a company looking to develop intergenerational spaces, this guide will show you that physical activity for children can be fun, safe and effective – even with minimalist equipment.
Why offer fitness equipment for children?
A public health issue: combating sedentary lifestyles and childhood obesity
Obesity among children and adolescents is on the rise in France, as in many other countries. According to the latest data from the World Health Organization, around one child in five is overweight, and almost one in ten is obese. There are many causes for this: unbalanced diets, increased screen time, reduced daily physical activity, urbanization and more.
Against this backdrop, encouraging young people to get moving on a regular basis is becoming a priority for families, educators and communities alike. This is where children’s fitness equipment comes into its own: it offers a practical, fun alternative to the sedentary lifestyle and its consequences, without stigmatizing or imposing a rigid sporting practice.
Active play: the best way to get kids moving
Unlike adults, children are not physically active for health or performance reasons. They move to play, to explore, to expend themselves freely. Children’s fitness equipment is designed with this in mind: it blends into the environment like outdoor play equipment, while challenging various muscle groups and stimulating coordination, balance and endurance.
Equipment such as walkers, surfers and bicycles enable children to move at their own pace, without constraint, by reproducing simple, accessible movements. Through these movements, they naturally strengthen their bodies, burn energy, improve their cardio-respiratory capacity, and help prevent metabolic disorders linked to overweight.
An accessible, inclusive and sustainable response
Installing children’s fitness equipment in public spaces gives everyone the opportunity to take part in a free, open-air physical activity, without having to register in advance. It’s a particularly effective solution in neighborhoods where access to conventional sports facilities is limited. It’s also an educational tool for schools and leisure centers, which can integrate these facilities into supervised or independent activities.
These facilities represent a long-term investment: designed to withstand the elements, they can be integrated durably into the urban or school environment, without complex maintenance costs. They create an environment conducive to movement, health prevention and physical awareness from an early age.
Detailed presentation of the 4 children’s apparatus from Herkules Fitness
At Herkules Fitness, we’ve designed a range of fitness equipment for children specially adapted to their morphology, safety and need for playful movement. These four simple yet complementary pieces of equipment enable children to develop different types of motor skills and introduce physical activity into their daily lives in an intuitive and attractive way.
The child walker
The walker is one of the simplest and most effective apparatus to use. The child stands with his hands on the handles, swinging his legs as if he were walking on air.
This movement gently stimulates the legs, hips and abdominals. It helps strengthen pelvic stability, improves right-left coordination, and works on joint mobility without shock or excessive pressure on the joints.
The child walker is particularly suitable for children aged 4 and over. It allows them to explore the notion of dynamic balance and focus on regular, fluid movement. In addition to being fun, it promotes endurance and posture, while expending energy in a controlled way.
The child surfer
Inspired by gliding movements, the surfer is a piece of equipment that allows children to pivot their pelvis from left to right while keeping their feet on a mobile platform.
This movement, much appreciated for its playfulness, mainly involves the obliques, waist and core muscles. It helps improve coordination between the upper and lower body, while strengthening the abdominal belt.
The surfer is ideal for children in the motor development phase. It allows them to play with their balance while refining their lateral movements. This type of movement is particularly useful in preventing postural stiffness, which is common in sedentary children.
Children’s tai chi
This apparatus, more rare in conventional playgrounds, invites circular movements with the arms, similar to those used in gentle practices such as tai chi.
It is used by placing the hands on two rotating discs, which are gently rotated in one direction and then in the other. This gesture improves bilateral coordination, stimulates shoulder flexibility and introduces children to the notion of concentration and rhythm.
Children’s tai chi is a soothing apparatus that promotes proprioception and can even have a beneficial effect on agitated or stressed children. It is particularly relevant to a global educational approach that includes both movement and body awareness.
Children’s bikes
Static cycling is a classic form of physical activity, and children are no exception. Easy to handle, children’s bikes let them pedal in complete safety, even if they haven’t yet learned to ride outdoors.
This cardio-respiratory movement is excellent for endurance, toning the legs and learning rhythm. It also channels energy constructively and repeatedly, encouraging the habit of prolonged effort.
The children’s bike fits in perfectly with a course logic. It can be used on its own or in conjunction with other equipment, as a cardio stage between two motor skills exercises.
How can these 4 pieces of equipment create a complete course?
Complementarity designed for overall motor development
Although deliberately limited in number, the four children’s fitness machines offered by Herkules Fitness have been designed to cover all the major families of movements required for good motor development in the youngest children.
- The walker stimulates the legs and right/left coordination.
- The surfer develops balance and lateral movements.
- Tai chi promotes upper-body mobility and concentration.
- Cycling improves endurance and introduces the rhythm of regular effort.
Together, these apparatus form a coherent, well-balanced circuit, enabling both physical abilities and neuromuscular coordination to be worked on. This holistic approach is essential for children, whose motor skills are still developing.
A fun circuit in a small area
One of the major advantages of these four pieces of equipment is that they can be installed in a small area, making them ideal for school playgrounds, small playgrounds or high-density urban areas.
Despite their small footprint, these apparatus can be used to create a real mini fitness circuit for children:
- The child starts with a few minutes on the bike to “warm up”.
- He follows with the walker to work on hip mobility.
- Then comes the surfer, which requires a more dynamic engagement of the bust.
- Finally, tai chi ends the loop on a calmer note, conducive to refocusing.
This type of structured, easy-to-implement course can be used independently or integrated into supervised workshops, for example in a school or extracurricular setting.
A practical solution for local authorities and educational establishments
With just four pieces of equipment, local authorities can offer a simple, visible and accessible public health solution. Investment is controlled, maintenance is limited, and the impact is real, both motorically and socially.
Schools, for their part, can integrate these apparatus into the physical education program or recess time, thus encouraging spontaneous activity and reducing sitting time.
This type of installation is equally suited to small rural communities and large cities. Thanks to their compactness and simplicity, they can be installed wherever you want to create a sustainable, inclusive and motivating physical activity zone for children.
Tips for installing children’s fitness equipment?
Comply with safety standards specific to the early childhood sector
The installation of fitness equipment for children cannot be improvised. It is essential to comply with current standards, particularly those concerning safety, equipment stability and floor coverings. European standards EN 1176 and EN 16630 define precise requirements for playgrounds and outdoor equipment.
This includes :
- A safety zone around each piece of equipment.
- Non-toxic, hard-wearing materials with no sharp edges.
- Heights adapted to children’s ages to limit the risk of falls.
At Herkules Fitness, all our children’s equipment is designed to these standards, to guarantee safe use, even when you’re on your own.
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Choosing the right location
The choice of location is crucial to ensure safety, accessibility and attractiveness. Here are a few essential criteria:
- Visibility: the space must be easily visible to supervising adults.
- Accessibility: the area must be open to all, including children with reduced mobility.
- Environment: prefer quiet areas, close to other children’s areas (playgrounds, schools), but away from traffic.
A good location increases the number of visitors to the area and encourages its integration into everyday life.
Choose durable, maintenance-free materials
Children’s fitness equipment is often installed outdoors for many years. So it’s crucial to choose durable, weather-resistant materials. At Herkules Fitness, we use corrosion-resistant steel and UV-resistant high-density plastics.
These materials require minimal maintenance, which is a major advantage for local authorities and schools that need to optimize their resources.
Informing and guiding users
Even if the equipment is intuitive, good signage helps to reassure children and support them in their practice. Explanatory signs with simple, clear illustrations are recommended, indicating :
- Recommended age for each apparatus.
- How to use it.
- Safety rules to be observed.
Playful, colorful pictograms can empower children, even those who can’t yet read.
Integrating children’s equipment into a multi-generational space
Encouraging family physical activity
More and more local authorities are looking to create public spaces where all generations can meet up, get moving and share moments together. Integrating children’s fitness equipment into multi-generational spaces is an ideal solution. It offers a complete range of sporting activities where young and old can exercise side by side, each at their own pace.
While adults use the classic street workout or outdoor fitness equipment, children can play nearby on age-appropriate apparatus. This configuration encourages intergenerational exchanges, stimulates mutual motivation and strengthens family ties through physical activity.
Designing legible, well-segmented spaces
To ensure that every age group feels comfortable and safe, it’s essential to organize the space properly:
- Clearly demarcate the children’s area with low, colorful and attractive equipment.
- Set aside an area for teenagers and adults, with more technical equipment.
- Provide rest areas (benches, shade) to enable families to stay longer.
This segmentation creates continuity in sporting activities, while respecting the specific needs of each generation.
An inclusive and sustainable approach
Integrating children’s equipment into a more global project promotes an inclusive approach to health and well-being. It also optimizes community investment, by creating versatile, scalable facilities capable of meeting the needs of a varied population.
These multi-generational spaces become dynamic living spaces, encouraging preventive health care, social diversity and the regular practice of sport from an early age.
Conclusion: physical activity from childhood, a simple challenge to meet
Offer fitness equipment for children in the public space is much more than adding a few pieces of equipment to a park or schoolyard. It’s about offering the younger generation a concrete opportunity to get moving, to develop their physical and motor skills – and to combat the deleterious effects of a sedentary lifestyle and obesity from an early age.
With just four complementary apparatusit’s possible to create a complete, fun, progressive and accessible course. This equipment is more than just a game: it’s designed to be a genuine educational and health prevention tool. Integrated into a global approach, they can transform an empty space into a dynamic, inclusive and multi-generational living space.
At Herkules Fitness, we believe that movement should be a matter of course from an early age. That’s why we design equipment that’s robust, intuitive and compliant with standards, enabling local authorities, schools and educational establishments to make a lasting investment in children’s well-being.
