Playground - What is the Safest Surface for My Children to Play On?
There are different types of playground surfaces on sale, all offering different benefits and safety options. The safest types of playground surfaces for kids are those that are shock absorbent, clean, and environmentally friendly. Playground surfaces may be made from shredded rubber or recycled tires, sand, gravel, wood fiber, concrete, asphalt, grass and soil. You will want your child playing on the safest surface possible in playgrounds, and knowing what dangers that all the types present can empower you to find the best playground regarding safety in your area for your children to play at.
Rubber is a relatively new type of playground surface available on sale. This includes rubber mats, rubber tiles or other type of recycled rubber-like material that is poured in playgrounds for kids. Once the rubber is installed as a playground surface the rubber requires hardly any maintenance, and does not attract bugs, animals, mold, or fungus. The rubber is sturdy, does not come loose and stays absorbent over time. Rubber can be quite expensive to place in a playground, but since the surface is resistant to weather, fungus, and animals while remaining safe for children, it is quite a popular option for playgrounds.
Grass, soil and wood chips are the hardest type of playgrounds for kids to maintain, as they are loose and hard to keep up on. Grass and soil tend to become firmly packed, meaning that it has to re-sodded or redone on a regular basis. This can be costly and hard to do, as the playground must be closed every time the grass is redone or soil needs replacement. Maintaining grass can be difficult, because it will require mowing, fertilizing and watering. Soil may require raking and can turn into mud during rainy periods, making it unsuitable for safe playgrounds. Wood chips are an economical option, but require frequent replacing as they can get very dirty, break into shards and cause scratches and slivers in children. Another danger to all three loose type surfaces is that things like nails, rocks, and other hard items can be contained in the wood chips.
Sand is a relatively easy type of surface to put on a kids' playground, and it does not mildew or require a lot of maintenance. While sand is an affordable option for playground surfaces, it is messy and can become quite messy in the rain. Larger sand, such as pea gravel, is great for keeping animals and insects away, but it is hard to walk on and can cause injury if a child falls on it. In addition, younger children may be likely to eat sand or the pea gravel, making this an unsafe surface for younger children. Sand can also be bad in windy climates, as it can blow and get in eyes of playground visitors.