Bright, hard-wearing thermoplastic designs, designed and installed across the UK and Ireland. We turn a plain playground into a place to play, move and learn, and price every job with an honest guide.
Heat-bonded thermoplastic
Heated on site until it fuses into tarmac or concrete.
Up to 4-year warranty
Subject to ground condition, and we have seen them last for over 10 years.
Anti-slip and non-toxic
Skid-resistant grip; lead, chromate and solvent free.
Thermoplastic playground markings are pre-cut or hot-applied thermoplastic designs heated on site until they fuse into tarmac or concrete, giving schools anti-slip, lead-free games and court lines that last up to 10 times longer than ordinary paint.
Thermoplastic is the same family of material used for UK road markings. Preformed thermoplastic arrives cut to shape for detailed designs such as characters and number grids. Hot-applied thermoplastic is melted and laid by hand for larger colour fills and court lines.
Because it is heat-bonded to the surface, it lasts up to 10 times longer than ordinary playground paint, and it is ready to use within 30 minutes. One scheme can bring together traditional games, a sports court, a number grid and a calm sensory zone, so a single playground works hard from the moment the children come out.
Uniplay supplies and installs six families of playground markings: hopscotch and playground games, sports courts and MUGAs, number and literacy markings, trails and Daily Mile tracks, roadway layouts, and early years and sensory designs.
Hopscotch & gamesHopscotch · snakes and ladders · targets · mazes
Sports courts & MUGANetball · basketball · tennis · MUGA
Number & literacy1 to 100 grid · times tables · alphabet snake
Trails & Daily MileDaily Mile · fitness trail · solar system
Roadways & road safetyRoadways · zebra crossings · wayfinding
Early years & sensoryCharacters · sensory trail · calm zoneNot sure where to start? We will suggest a mix on your free design.
See all 430 designs with guide pricesPlayground markings support the EYFS framework and the National Curriculum at Key Stages 1 and 2: number grids back up maths, alphabet and phonics designs support early reading, and courts, trails and Daily Mile tracks count towards PE and daily activity.
A well-planned school playground combines several zones in one install visit: an active zone with a court or Daily Mile track, a games zone, a learning zone with number grids, and a quieter zone for younger pupils. Real projects we have delivered:
Roadway and crossing markings
A full playground scheme from aboveFrom our initial visit right through to the installation, I found the service, staff and communication smooth and efficient. The children are delighted with the new markings.
Hawkesbury CE VC Primary School
We are all extremely pleased with them and how quickly and efficiently they were completed.
Sue Burgess, Clarendon Primary School
The installation team were totally professional and did an amazing job. They worked around our day … A great job was done! Would recommend Uniplay to other schools.
North Kidlington Primary School
More detail in our Rivers Primary Academy and Active Oxfordshire case studies, or browse the case studies and gallery.
Playground markings cost from around £50 for a single design, and a full multi-sport Multi Court is about £1,695. Individual games, targets and mazes run to about £700, a number grid to about £1,275 and a large world map to about £1,425. Design packages start from £2,500, and our largest fitness trail, the Trail Large With Warm Up & Games, is about £5,800. Prices exclude VAT. These are indicative per-design guide prices; after a free survey you get a free design and a detailed quote, with no hidden costs and our price match promise. Site-dependent charges, for example an aborted visit or extra cleaning, are set out in our terms. Bundling several designs into one visit lowers the cost per marking.
A single design, such as a hopscotch, target or maze
Good for: a nursery or one new game
A number grid, board game or world map
Good for: an outdoor maths or literacy zone
A sports court, up to a full multi-sport Multi Court
Good for: PE lessons, clubs and a MUGA
Most of our 430 designs carry a guide price, so you can plan a budget before you enquire; site-specific items such as EV bays and bespoke roadways are priced after a free survey.
Prices exclude VAT
Browse all 430 designs with guide pricesMarking out a whole playground? Our design bundles and packages group popular markings at a set price.
Thermoplastic playground markings last up to 10 times longer than ordinary paint. Our thermoplastic markings carry a manufacturer’s warranty of up to 4 years, subject to ground condition, and we have seen them last for over 10 years, while painted lines wear faster and need redoing far sooner.
| Thermoplastic | Playground paint | |
|---|---|---|
| Lifespan | Lasts up to 10 times longer than ordinary paint | Needs repainting far more often |
| Grip | Anti-slip, skid-resistant texture | Smooths as it wears |
| Ready to use | Within 30 minutes | Hours to dry |
| Cost over time | Fewer reinstalls, the odd refresh | Regular repainting |
These are indicative comparisons to confirm at a free survey. Real figures depend on the surface, the footfall and the weather.
Uniplay installs thermoplastic playground markings in four steps: a free site survey, a scaled design for sign-off, heat-bonding on site by our own team, and a playground that is ready to use within 30 minutes.
We check the tarmac or concrete is sound, clean and dry enough to bond to.
You sign off the layout, colours and designs on a scaled drawing.
Our own team masks out and lays the hot thermoplastic, working around your day.
Anti-slip and ready to use within 30 minutes.
Our thermoplastic markings carry a manufacturer’s warranty of up to 4 years, subject to ground condition, and we have seen them last for over 10 years. They last up to 10 times longer than ordinary paint, and real life depends on the surface, the footfall and the weather.
There is no ongoing maintenance beyond keeping them clear of grit and moss. When a design finally wears or a school wants a refresh, it can be removed and replaced, and we remove markings with care to minimise any marking of the surface.
When you want to clear or refresh a scheme, we also offer playground marking removal. The full warranty terms are set out in our terms and conditions.
Playground markings are safe underfoot because the thermoplastic we lay is non-toxic and free of lead, chromates and solvents, and is finished with an anti-slip, skid-resistant texture. All of our work complies with BS EN 1176 and BS EN 1177.
Non-toxic material
No solvents or lead, safe around young children.
Anti-slip finish
A skid-resistant texture that can be used in wet conditions.
No wet cure time
Ready to use within 30 minutes of laying.
Where a design needs fine detail we use preformed thermoplastic, cut to shape before it reaches your site; larger colour fills are hot-applied by hand. Our in-house installation team is DBS checked as standard, so you always know who is working on your site.
We work with schools, nurseries, colleges and councils across the UK and Ireland, from Scotland down through the North West and the Midlands to Bristol and Cardiff. Our own in-house installation team travels from our Lancashire base to schools across the UK and Ireland, and every job is designed to the site and its users, from a single hopscotch for a nursery to a full multi-court and trail scheme for a large primary.
SchoolsNurseriesCouncils
CommercialUsually not for new markings. Schools must not use the PE and Sport Premium for capital expenditure, and the DfE’s own examples of capital spend include “multi-use games areas and active mile tracks”. New playground markings are therefore usually funded from capital or premises budgets, PTA fundraising or grants. Routine maintenance of existing assets can be funded: the DfE’s example is “you can repaint lines on a playground”.
For 2026 to 2027, schools with 17 or more eligible pupils receive £6,240 plus £10 per pupil, and schools with 16 or fewer receive £390 per pupil. The funding must be spent by 31 July 2027 and cannot be carried over. Check your own accounting policy, as the DfE cannot give individual advice. We can itemise a quote so maintenance and new work are shown separately.
Read the Sport Premium guide
Longer reads on choosing, funding and planning playground markings for your school.
1Thermoplastic vs painted playground markingsHow the two compare on life, grip and cost over ten years.Read the guide 2PE and Sport Premium funding for playground markingsWhat the premium can and cannot fund, and other ways schools pay for markings.Read the guide 3Creative playground marking ideas for primary schoolsWays to use markings across play, PE and lessons.Read the guide 4Playground design guide for schoolsPlanning a layout that zones the space well.Read the guide Yes. Thermoplastic bonds to both tarmac (asphalt) and concrete, as long as the surface is sound, clean and dry when we lay it. We check the surface during the survey and, if an area is failing or very smooth, we advise on preparation or an alternative before quoting.
Yes. Alongside our standard range, our in-house design team makes bespoke markings, including school logos, custom colours and one-off designs. Tell us what you have in mind and we will draw it up as part of the free design.
Often, yes. Where the existing thermoplastic or paint is sound and well bonded, we can usually lay new markings over or alongside it. Where the old markings are lifting, flaking or heavily worn, we recommend removing them first so the new markings bond properly and last. We check the existing surface at survey and advise which approach suits your playground.
We quote for anything from a single design to a whole-playground scheme. Very small jobs cost more per design, because the site visit, setup and travel are much the same whether we lay one marking or several, so many schools add a few designs to make the most of a visit. Tell us what you have in mind and we will give you a free design and a detailed quote, with no hidden costs and our price match promise.
Both. We plan installs around your calendar, whether that is during term time by cordoning off a section, at a weekend, or over the holidays. The markings are ready to use within 30 minutes, so most primary playgrounds reopen the same day with no long closure.
Surface markings on an existing playground do not normally need planning permission, as they do not change the structure or use of the space. If your site is listed or in a conservation area, check with your local authority first, and we are happy to help with any questions.
Our thermoplastic markings carry a manufacturer’s warranty of up to 4 years, subject to ground condition, and we have seen them last for over 10 years. The full warranty terms are set out in our terms and conditions.
The people who design, price and stand behind every Uniplay installation.
Operations Director · Director and Co-owner
One of our Directors and Co-owners, with over 16 years' experience in the playground markings industry and masses of industry knowledge. There is very rarely a thermoplastic query he cannot resolve.
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Sales and Marketing Director · Director and Co-owner
One of our Directors and Co-owners, with a wealth of experience across all things thermoplastic, leading sales and marketing at Uniplay.
Connect on LinkedInTell us about your space. We will send a free scaled design and a detailed quote, with no hidden costs and our price match promise.
