Why do schools choose artificial turf for play and sports areas?

Schools choose artificial turf to provide students with durable, low-maintenance outdoor spaces that can withstand intensive daily use. Synthetic surfaces eliminate the common problems associated with natural grass in educational environments:All-Weather Play: You remove the mud and waterlogging that frequently lead to indoor lunchtimes and cancelled PE lessons. Maximum Durability: The turf handles constant foot traffic without developing the worn, dusty patches found on natural fields.Year-Round Reliability: Students have access to clean, safe play areas regardless of the season or recent rainfall.

Can school logos or games be added to the turf?

Yes, we can incorporate school branding, educational games, and custom graphics directly into the turf layout. This allows schools to create unique, engaging environments that reflect their identity or support specific learning outcomes:nSchool Identity: Permanent logos and house colours can be built into the court design.nEducational Features: Integrated games like hopscotch or custom tracks help encourage active play.nFunctional Zoning: Colour-coded areas can be used to define different play zones or safety boundaries.

How does artificial turf perform in wet weather at schools?

Artificial turf remains stable and slip-resistant during damp conditions, allowing students to return to play almost immediately after rain. Our advanced drainage designs and professional base preparation ensure that water clears the surface rapidly. This all-weather reliability prevents the classroom carpets from being ruined by mud and ensures outdoor play is rarely disrupted by the New Zealand winter.

How do schools start a turf project with GameOn Turf?

Contact our team to discuss your site requirements, design preferences, and performance goals for your school. We provide a comprehensive assessment of your current play areas and recommend the most suitable turf systems for your specific needs. Following this consultation, we provide a tailored quote that covers everything from professional design to full installation and project management.

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Artificial Turf for Schools

GameOn Turf designs and installs synthetic turf for schools across New Zealand, from multi-sports courts and school playground surfaces to full sports field upgrades.

We manage the entire job, from the first site visit to the final line-marking. Get in touch today to discuss your school turf requirements.

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OUR SYNTHETIC TURF FOR SCHOOLS

Schools have different needs from clubs and commercial facilities. Budgets are tighter, surfaces carry more codes, and the margin for downtime is zero. Our school sports turf solutions are designed with all of that in mind.

We don’t offer a one-size-fits-all product. Every installation is tailored to the sport, the space, and the students who use it. Here are the three core school sports turfs we provide New Zealand schools:

School playground area surfaced with artificial turf

Multi-Sports Courts

Our multi-sport turf solutions provide a single surface that’s line-marked for netball, hockey, basketball, tennis, and more. Custom CAD layouts, coloured court zones, and game inlays are available too.

Green artificial turf playground with tan brick climbing structures installed by GameOn Turf at Matamata Intermediate School in New Zealand, for a multi-sport outdoor area.

Playground Surfaces

Our school playground surfaces are safe, soft, and mud-free; installed with impact-absorbing underlays. Our childcare playgrounds are built for the lunchtime rush, every day.

Blue playground surface featuring a bright orange and red hopscotch grid with blue ladders, at Matamata Intermediate School, installed and maintained by GameOn Turf.

Pimp My Turf!

Are your school’s existing turf surfaces looking a bit tired? Our Pimp My Turf programme refreshes worn areas with logos, markings, colour zones, and game inlays, without needing a full rebuild.

HOW A SCHOOL TURF PROJECT WORKS: OUR PROCESS

Installing artificial grass for schools isn’t just about the surface; it’s everything that happens beneath and around it. We manage the entire project lifecycle, so your school has one point of contact and no gaps between trades.

1. Site Visit & CAD Design

The project starts with a site visit and a detailed brief specific to your school’s requirements. From there, we produce CAD drawings tailored to your sports codes, space, and budget. You’ll know what you’re getting and how much it costs before any ground is broken.

2. Earthworks & Base Construction

GameOn Turf owns and operates its own machinery, handling earthworks directly. The base is built to drain correctly, sit level, and support the surface throughout its full lifespan. This step matters more than most people realise; it’s where problems are either created or prevented.

3. Turf Installation & Line Marking

Our team installs artificial turf for schools, applies infill, completes all relevant line marking, and supplies and fits any required sports goals, fencing, or equipment. Most school installations are planned for the term break, so there’s no disruption to classes and PE programmes.

4. Handover & Aftercare

When the job’s done, we walk you through the new surface and provide straightforward maintenance guidance. As a family-owned business, we treat school projects as a priority, and that doesn’t change after the cones are packed away.

WHAT SCHOOLS SAY ABOUT WORKING WITH US

St Kentigern Boys School – Remuera

Hear from St. Kentigern School about their experiences with GameOn Turf

Aberdeen and Waikowhai Schools

Hear from Aberdeen and Waikowhai Schools about their experiences with GameOn Turf

Education Spotlight

Matamata Intermediate School

We love our new turfed areas! The decision to invest this amount of money in our school was not made lightly and now we could not be happier.

GameOn Turf was a fantastic company to work with. Their communication was outstanding and no question was too small for them to respond to.

Onsite, their team was professional and considerate. We have no hesitation in recommending GameOn Turf to anyone.

2x Netball, 1x Basketball, Volleyball, Games area.

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Lynfield College

After dealing with a number of artificial turf companies over the years it was great to have involvement with an organisation who did exactly that which had been agreed. Our multi-sport area had suffered for many years from poor drainage and silt build-up which often made the area unusable.

As it turned out, once the surface was removed, there was very little drainage evident and that which was there was not connected to the main drainage system. We now have a terrific multi-sport area that drains well and is a valuable teaching space. Thank-you Game On Turf for being so easy to deal with and on a job well done.

Hockey, Tennis, Netball.

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LET'S PLAN YOUR SCHOOL'S TURF PROJECT

Whether you're planning to install a new school sports turf, upgrade an existing playground, or replace a tired asphalt surface, we'd like to hear about your project. We work with schools, school boards, and facility managers across New Zealand.

Get in touch with our team to talk through your requirements, and we’ll put together a tailored proposal for your site and sports codes. You can also explore our case studies and project portfolioto see our school projects in detail.

Our customers love what we do!

Absolute gamechanger.... so happy with the result and especially Tim and the team as before I could even push go they had the whole body corporate to deal with to prove how good there product and instalation was.

The key for me initially to go with GameOn was the grass quality being so much better than what any of the other competitors offered as a mate recommended them after I saw the job they did for him as his product sits much better ( I have done two other properties before and after a year or so you really notice the product quality).

So that was cool but how they did the job and how efficient and there attention to detail on top of this is what really impressed me as it was way above what I experienced the two times and so why I wrote this review.

Highly recommend

Andrew Murray

Had the boys install my turf and can’t complain. The lads transformed my sorry state of a grass lawn to an artificial lawn which looks as good as the real stuff. The lads were very professional from start to finish and cleaned up as they went. Would highly recommend these guys to anyone wanting some artificial grass laid. The grass I got was the classic 45. Very happy with everything, A+++

Matthew Fletcher

Amazing service from Lelane and the Team! They helped us transform an animal rescue enclosure and can't recommend them enough!

Terry Chandler

Thank you Game On turf for your delivery and installation of our 6 astroturf tennis courts at Rotorua Tennis Club. It was so great to have such good communication throughout the process and the team worked tirelessly, in challenging weather, to get this job done to a high standard. It is a rare treat to have such good forward planning and to have the team arrive exactly when they say they will despite travelling a fair distance to reach our club. The after sales service has also been wonderful and we have really appreciated the support from Bevan and his team following the install. The crew treated our club with respect and we were totally at ease to leave them with full access during their stay in Rotorua.
I would thoroughly recommend Game On turf as a supplier/installer for any sports club. They have made a big job seamless.

Lara Wild, Secretary - Rotorua Tennis Club

Their response time to any communication was excellent. They were the first to visit the school site and discuss the proposal. Our communication was with Tim McIntosh and this was always prompt and clear. We contacted other organisations that had worked with GameOn Turf to get info on the criteria above. All references were very positive. GameOn Turf were open to any changes in the plan, but were also very clear about deadline dates for the design etc. The workmen who laid the turf were independent and completed the project well. They had to problem solve some issues, which they did and kept me informed. I can recommend GameOn Turf based on the work that Maunu School had done.

Paul Shepherd, Principal - Maunu School

A big thank you to Game On Turf for the installation of our new turf. This has been a great result for the community with our sports teams actively training on the turf each day. Our six Saturday Netball Teams have grown to Ten Teams since the installation. I am sure the turf was a part of the decision to play for the school. Tim and the team were great to work with, plenty of communication and sharing of ideas. The visual result speaks for itself.
Thank you for supporting our dream and enabling us to develop the sporting talent within our school and local community.

Glen Ryan, Principal - St. Anne's School

Big thank you to the Game on Turf team, especially Bevan, Fraser and Karl who travelled all the way to Gisborne to install it. The turf looks incredible, especially with the running track on the outside. And our students find any excuse to play on it at all times. Awesome team to deal with – and would highly recommend to anyone! Ngā mihi

Keita Pepere, Principals PA - Te Karaka School

frequently asked questions

Schools choose artificial turf to provide students with durable, low-maintenance outdoor spaces that can withstand intensive daily use. Synthetic surfaces eliminate the common problems associated with natural grass in educational environments:

All-Weather Play: You remove the mud and waterlogging that frequently lead to indoor lunchtimes and cancelled PE lessons.
Maximum Durability: The turf handles constant foot traffic without developing the worn, dusty patches found on natural fields.
Year-Round Reliability: Students have access to clean, safe play areas regardless of the season or recent rainfall.

Yes, our artificial grass for schools is engineered with safety top of mind, featuring specialised shock-absorbing layers to protect students. We use compliant, high-quality materials specifically suited to school use to ensure a safer landing during play. Every installation is designed to meet strict safety standards, with product selections tailored to the specific activities and age groups at your school.

Yes, we specialise in creating multi-sport courts that help schools to maximise their available outdoor space. We can integrate permanent line markings for a variety of sports directly into a single surface. This flexible approach ensures your facility supports the full physical education curriculum and provides a versatile space for extracurricular activities.

Synthetic turf for schools significantly lowers ongoing groundskeeping demands by eliminating the need for constant mowing and watering. Unlike natural grass, these surfaces do not require expensive chemical fertilisers or seasonal reseeding to remain in top condition. While routine cleaning and periodic professional inspections are still recommended, the overall reduction in labour and resource costs provides excellent long-term value for school budgets.

Yes, we can incorporate school branding, educational games, and custom graphics directly into the turf layout. This allows schools to create unique, engaging environments that reflect their identity or support specific learning outcomes:

School Identity: Permanent logos and house colours can be built into the court design.
Educational Features: Integrated games like hopscotch or custom tracks help encourage active play.
Functional Zoning: Colour-coded areas can be used to define different play zones or safety boundaries.

Artificial turf remains stable and slip-resistant during damp conditions, allowing students to return to play almost immediately after rain. Our advanced drainage designs and professional base preparation ensure that water drains rapidly from the surface. This all-weather reliability prevents the classroom carpets from being ruined by mud and ensures outdoor play is rarely disrupted by the New Zealand winter.

Yes, and that’s standard practice for us. Most school projects are installed during term breaks to avoid any disruption to classes, PE lessons, or other school events. Because we manage earthworks and installation ourselves, we’re not waiting on separate contractors, which makes it easier to hit your dates.

Typically, you’ll get 10–15 years out of your school sports turf, depending on use intensity and how consistently the surface is maintained. We’ll give you a realistic estimate for your specific site during the consultation, along with straightforward guidance on what maintenance looks like day to day.

Contact our team to discuss your site requirements, design preferences, and performance goals for your school. We provide a comprehensive assessment of your current play areas and recommend the most suitable turf systems and school playground surfaces for your specific needs. Following this consultation, we provide a tailored quote that covers everything from professional design to full installation and project management.