What Are You Looking For In Playground Surface Material?

Whether you own a daycare center with a playground or you have a playground area you use in a child's education center, the playground material you choose should be soft, safe, and environmentally sound. Older materials included gravel, such as pea gravel, but modern playground materials are softer to the touch and easier to work with. From playground mulch to ground tires, here are things to look for when choosing a playground surface material.

Make sure what you choose is recycled or recyclable

Having playground mulch on your property that has been recycled or is made from materials that can be reused ensures you're doing your part to keep the environment free of waste. Playground mulch is often made of old tree materials, often labeled as virgin to indicate the wood has not been used for anything else. This is the best choice for your playground space if you are worried about children being around wood chips that have been painted or have oils or chemicals in them.

Other recycled or recyclable playground mulch options include rubber or rubber tire mulch or cork mulch. Choosing products that are free of chemicals and additives is best for your playground.

Make sure what you choose is soft and in large pieces

Playground mulch should be soft to land on and have lots of give in its construction. This makes it much easier for children to use if they happen to fall or have an accident in the park. Furthermore, the materials should be large in pieces so if a child were to put the pieces in their mouth they would be unable to choke on them. Always supervise children while they are playing in your playground areas, even if they are playing on soft playground mulch, to ensure they remain safe while they are playing.

Make sure what you choose is cost-effective and lasting

Cost-effective playground mulch should be long-lasting to be most effective in your playground area. You want to make sure the mulch you choose will not crumble or wear out with the weather over time and will also be cheaply replaced as you need to refill playground areas. Playground mulch in the form of wood chips can be your most inexpensive option, but other choices might last longer. A playground mulch specialist can help you determine what options are best for your playground area so children can easily play in a safe and engaging area.  

For more information, reach out to a company such as Watson's Tree Services-Soil & Mulch.


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