The Worst Materials For Playground Surfacing

The Worst Materials For Playground Surfacing

Safe playground surfacing is extremely important. Having safe materials for our kids to play on top of is essential to the effectiveness of any playground. Sometimes, good intentioned city planners are trying to make the dollars and cents line up just so there can be a park because they realize how important exercise is for children

“Don’t ask what these kids will be playing on, ask what they will be falling on instead. It makes you think twice about what material to use.”

Even with the best intentions, our children safety is not something we should cut corners on. Safe playground materials are essential to giving parents and children peace of mind knowing that they can play and still be safe. With that said, here are a few playground materials to avoid when it comes to building a new park. These are just a few of the unsafe materials for playground surfacing. 

There are more than one good option when it comes to playground surfacing. At Sof’Fall we strive to be the best option because we believe when it comes to where our kids play and their safety while playing you can settle for nothing but the best.  

Hard Materials

In the 20th century playground surfacing was made out of whatever you wanted to put there. This lead to a lot of dangerous playground materials being used. Hard materials include things like cement, concrete, and asphalt. Oftentimes (but not always) these tend to be a cheaper option but they are certainly less safe.

“Simply put, hard materials do not meet playground safety standards anymore.”

Hard materials provide the worst fall protection for our kids. Children are going to fall down and when they fall on these hard surfaces their chances for serious injury skyrocket. Minimizing these chances is what Sof’Fall is all about.

Dirt or Grass

We almost want to count dirt as a hard surface because of its total lack of fall protection. On top of this, dirt will eventually wear down and uneven surfacing will present itself. An uneven surface opens the door for twisted ankles, tripping, and all kinds of injuries. It is not an ideal playground surface. 

Loose Gravel

Loose gravel is a bad idea for a number of reasons. While it has a tiny bit better fall protection than other hard materials they are still rocks. They can be scattered and abused by unruly children and can be used to cause harm. Not only this, but loose gravel will not allow you to be an ADA compliant playground.

Safe Playground Surface Materials

Lest you think we are extreme critics and pessimists we want to leave you with a safe playground material. Engineered wood fibers are non-toxic, hydro-friendly, and have the highest fall protection on the market. If you are building a playground, look into getting Sof’Fall engineered wood fibers for the sake of your children.

 

We've been catching children when they fall for over 27 Years

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Falling Is All About What You Land On

Falling Is All About What You Land On

Like it or not your child is going to fall down. Kids run, jump, play, explore, and in the midst of of all of this they fall every now and then. Exercise is important for kids and the answer to them not getting hurt is NOT to take away their valuable playtime outside. The answer also is NOT wrap them up in bubble wrap and be a helicopter parent (although we know some of you really like that idea.) No, the answer isn’t taking away the falling. It lies within fixing what they’re falling on. 

“Children are going to fall down, scape a knee, and get a bruise here or there. We can’t take away their adventure… so let us do everything we can to improve what they are falling on.”

Sof’Fall is committed to helping provide safe playgrounds for our children so that they can still enjoy being outside, with all the falls that come with that.

 

Falling down is part of childhood. Sof’Fall wants to be there to catch our kids when they fall. Not if they fall, but when. Our engineered wood fibers can provide the safest area for you children to play (and fall.)

Safe Playground Surfacing

One our biggest goals can be summed up in three words: safe playground surfacing. Sof’Falls engineered wood fibers are one of the absolute safest options when it comes to playground surfacing. Sof’Fall has a 25 foot fall protection, the gold standard when it comes to playground safety. Having Sof’Fall there to catch your child when they fall is one of the best ways to minimize the damage that can be cause by an accident on the playground.

Landing on a soft surface

We work hard at Sof’Fall to make playgrounds as safe as we can. Their are so many benefits for children when it comes to playing outside that we cannot afford for parents to give up on the idea of taking their kids to a playground. By having the right, soft playground surface you can feel good about your playing on your local park. With Sof’fall, compaction of your playground surface is very important. When these standards are followed the way they should, they offer a great and safe place for children to play. 

When a child lands on Sof’Fall it doesn’t mean that they will stand up giggling and smiling. What it does mean is that when they fall they have a much better chance of getting back up unharmed. On top of this, Sof’Fall is a non-toxic playground surface that is made from recycled materials. It is a win for the enviorment, a win for the parents and most important of all, it is a win for the children. 

 

 

We've been catching children when they fall for over 27 Years

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How Playing Outside Can Help Your Kid Do Better In School

How Playing Outside Can Help Your Kid Do Better In School

“Brain breaks” are the best things that a person can have when they are studying. This is especially true for children. If you coop a child up in a classroom for a whole day without giving them “brain breaks,” they may not process information as well as they should.

“Some people mistakenly think that you “have to” lock yourself in a room for 6 or 8 hours to rigorously study. However, doing so without breaks may result in slowed focus and diminishing returns.”

If we force children to study and be in school without having outside play breaks, they might sustain damage to their psyches that affects their academic performances. Outside play helps to combat issues such as depression and anxiety, while being cooped up in a classroom without any breaks might exacerbate those issues. In fact, playing outside can help increase children’s creativity and ability to learn.

Sof’Fall works hard to make sure that your children have a safe place to play. Playground safety is important because getting outside and playing is so important for our children’s learning. 

Playing Outside can help you learn 

You can also look at things from the angle that the human body is built to be physically active. Generally, not getting enough exercise and fresh air can hurt a person’s mind and body. A child who is not active may show symptoms that are akin to ADD or ADHD.

Outside play is also important because of the fact that it allows a certain level of creativity that cannot completely flourish in the classroom. This is because things are generally less structured when children play outside. They are able to talk and run around as much as they want without someone telling them to be quiet. Creativity is also boosted by the element of the outdoors—something that feels completely different when compared to highly structured, indoor settings.

Finding A Good Place To Play

A safe playground made with soft playground material can further boost the stimulation that children receive from outside play. Playing in a safe playground helps to enhance children’s imaginations. Safe playground equipment includes different variations of swings, monkey bars and slides. Many playgrounds are covered with soft playground material that children can fall on without getting hurt.

When playing outside, children are exposed to nature and the outdoors. The things that they are exposed to in the natural world gives them more knowledge that they can draw from when they are studying.

There are various studies that have shown the benefits of children playing outside and getting physical exercise. One study in 2014 showed that children who are more physically fit have more white matter than children who are not.

“The more stimulation and variation children’s brains get, the better!”

Going between sitting down in a classroom and running around outside is a great way for children to receive the correct amounts of brain stimulation to properly develop. Also, many experts out there say that people are wired to enjoy being outdoors. So, putting this element into children’s lives each and every day is surely beneficial to their overall well-being.

In a child’s spare time away from school, playing outside is also very important. Outside of school, a child has more time to be free and to be with a wider variety of people. Being outside of school has its own dynamic to it that is different from being in school. So, playing in nature outside of school feels different and is stimulating in its own way.

We've been catching children when they fall for over 27 Years

Get in touch with us to learn why our play area surface products are your best option.
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Judging the Safety of Playground Surfacing

Judging the Safety of Playground Surfacing

Whether you’re a parent concerned about where you take your children to play or a business owner looking to build a new playground, the most important thing to consider during children’s playtime is their safety.

“The Federation of America reports that approximately 75% of all playground injuries are caused by falls, making the surface material of a playground the most important factor in making playgrounds safe”

Because the point of children’s playground equipment is to provide a thrilling experience where children can run and play in ways not easy or possible elsewhere, and because children often enjoy this equipment while running around with others, there is an increased risk of injury.

Sof’Fall Engineered wood surface is the safest solution when it comes to to playground surfacing. Playground surfaces are the most responsible area for injury.

There are several different options to consider when picking the surface material for your playground. To help make the decision of picking soft playground surfacing an easy one, read on for information about the different types of playground surfaces.

Playground Surface options

The options available for playground surfaces include everything from cement, dirt and sand to different types of rubber and wood chips. First and foremost, cement is the least safe option among these listed. Not only is cement a hard surface that can cause scrapes, cuts, bruises and broken bones, but it will crack and shift over time, becoming less safe and requiring constant maintenance.

Dirt/Sand

Dirt is a better option from a softness standpoint, as it provides a little bit of bounce upon impact, however it is very prone to wear, tear and the need for maintenance when subjected to heavy use and the different weather conditions typical of any playground. A simple rain storm can cause dirt to shift and harden upon drying, creating an uneven surface and trip hazard. Sand is similar to dirt in that it can shift and harden over time to create tripping hazards, but it can also be especially difficult to navigate for anyone with mobility challenges. 

“Sand can attract unwanted guests to the playground area, such as stray cats looking for a litter box or bugs looking for a new home.”

Rubber

Rubber surfaces come in a variety of options, though they are typically the most costly of the soft playground surfacing. While rubber surfaces can be durable and long-lasting, they may not have enough bounce in them to prevent harsh falls and can cause painful burns and scrapes similar to concrete if a child skids across them. Rubber playground surfaces can also absorb the heat from the sun, making them very hot to the touch.

Wood Chips

Wood chips, however, are among the safest options available for playground surfaces. In particular, specialty products like Sof’Fall wood chips are designed specifically for safety and use in playgrounds. The looseness of these engineered wood fiber chips prevents scrapes and burns and adds an increased level of bounce for falls up to 25’ high. Overall, Sof’Fall playground wood chips are a cost-effective and low-maintenance surface that can help drastically increase the safety of a Salt Lake City play area. When taking your child to a playground or designing one yourself, you can’t go wrong with Sof’Fall wood chips

We've been catching children when they fall for over 27 Years

Get in touch with us to learn why our play area surface products are your best option.
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How Do Different Playground Surfaces Respond To Heat?

How Do Different Playground Surfaces Respond To Heat?

Playground surfacing is a critical item to consider on a playground, especially in the direct summer heat of the sun in Utah. Playground surfaces are typically comprised of sand, cement, asphalt, rubber, and Sof fall engineered wood chips.

Each of these playground surfacing materials react to the sun and heat in different ways. We will take a look at the effect the sun and heat has on each of the typical playground materials, to determine the best playground materials; however, before we do that, lets first look at how different substances react to the heat in general:

Specific Heat

When it comes to the temperature of a particular material in relation to heat and sunlight, specific heat must be understood. Specific heat is the heat required to raise the temperature of a substance by one degree Celsius. It takes into account the mass of the substance and the amount of temperature change in Celsius. It comes out at: X = joule/gram-degree Celsius. This is helpful when planning out your playground’s soft surfacing.

In layman terms, the higher (X) is, the more heat required to change the temperature of the substance. For instance, water has a specific heat of 4.186 joule / gram-degree Celsius, which is higher than any other substance. Sand, on the other hand, only has a specific heat of 0.19 joule / gram-degree Celsius. Therefore, it requires a lot more heat to change the temperature of water than it does to change the temperature of sand.

Accidents and injuries can happen on any playground. Our duty to our children is to take every precaution to minimize the chances of occurrence.

With that understanding, let’s dive into the effect of the heat and sun on the common playground surfaces:

Sand

As stated above, sand has a really low tolerance to heat and the sun. With a specific heat of 0.19, it requires very little heat to begin warming up the sand. If the temperature outside is 75 degrees, sand on playgrounds to reach near 100 degrees Fahrenheit. If the temperature outside reaches 90 degrees, then you are at risk of first and second degree burns on your skin.

Cement

Concrete has a slightly higher specific heat than sand, which is 0.21. Although it may take a bit longer than the sand to heat up in the sun, concrete reaches high temperatures during the summer. When the temperature reaches above 90 degrees, the concrete can reach temperatures over 120 degrees Fahrenheit. Not to mention, a cement flooring would make for a pretty unsafe playground surface no matter what the weather.

Asphalt

It may seem counterintuitive, but asphalt has a slightly higher specific temperature than concrete, at 0.22. However, the color of the asphalt must be considered. The black surface of asphalt will absorb the heat and hold it for longer than the other materials. Thus, the heat remains even when the sun goes down.

Rubber

Rubber has a specific heat of 0.3, giving it a higher resistance to the heat than sand, concrete, and asphalt. However, on hot summer days, even rubber can reach unbearable temperatures. Furthermore, rubber traps the heat into the immediate area, thus creating something of a humid pocket of heat.

Sof’Fall Wood  Chips

Sof Fall Wood Chips are made of wood fiber, giving it the same specific heat as wood products at roughly 0.5. Therefore, Sof’Fall Wood Chips are more resilient to the summer heat than other playground surfaces, making it among the best playground materials

 

We've been catching children when they fall for over 27 Years

Get in touch with us to learn why our play area surface products are your best option.
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Are the Playgrounds At My Kid’s School Safe?

Are the Playgrounds At My Kid’s School Safe?

Are the Playgrounds at Your Child’s School Safe? While you are taking your children to school, you will want them to have a safe environment to play in each day. There are hundreds of playground accidents each year that lead to serious injuries, so playground safety is of paramount importance. 

“An unsafe playground can show up just about anywhere. Don’t assume that a playground is safe just because it is in a nice area, newly built, or even at your child’s school” 

However, you may not know what to look for to ensure that a playground at a school has the proper equipment and soft playground surfacing materials. Many parents never visit their child’s recess area or playground, so they have no idea what the equipment and ground look like. 

Children Use a School’s Playground Frequently

With the lack of resources that are available in many school systems, playground maintenance is on the back burner. Your children likely visit a school’s playground after or before school and during recess to have fun for a few minutes, but during this playtime, a serious injury can occur from a fall on the hard or sharp playground surface. In addition, there are other dangers from playground equipment that can lead to serious injuries. Here are the problems that occur from unsafe playground equipment.

Sof’Fall is trying very hard to get our soft playground surfacing in as many schools as possible. When the playground’s surface is hard or unsafe for children then it makes the whole playground a higher risk for injury. Sof’Fall is the safest option when it comes to playground surfacing.  

Lacerations or Puncture Wounds from Sharp Objects

Parents should examine the playground equipment for sharp edges or loose connectors that can cause lacerations or puncture wounds. Remember that children have smaller bodies, making it easier for them to go down slides or to fit through tubes that adults can’t enter, and this is where there are often problems from sharp plastic or metal pieces. If there are loose screws or broken parts on jungle gyms, swings or teeter-totters, then it is imperative to have the problems repaired.

Choking or Strangulation Dangers from Playground equipment

A child can choke or become strangled in only a few seconds from faulty playground equipment. These playground safety issues occur when there are places on playground equipment where a child’s body or head is trapped. Strangulation deaths can happen when a child’s head is stuck between parts of playground equipment or if an item of clothing wraps around a child’s face or neck. By making sure that the playground equipment is connected correctly along with having essential repairs, it is possible to avoid these injuries.

Falling Injuries onto Hard Playground Surfaces

Falling injuries onto hard surfaces below the playground equipment are the most common problems at schools. Children can fall from a swing while it is in motion, or a child may drop from the monkey bars onto the surface below the jungle gym. This can lead to a sprained ankle, broken wrist or a head concussion that requires a trip to the emergency room at the hospital. Old-fashioned playground surfacing materials may include asphalt, gravel, cement or packed soil that won’t protect a child during a fall.

Call Us for Installation of High-quality Playground Surfacing Materials

However, our company is able to install soft playground surfacing material that helps to prevent injuries during a fall, and the playground surfacing material dries quickly after it rains while remaining in great condition for many years. Materials such as small bark chips or engineered rubber are the perfect soft playground surfacing materials at local public schools that need to protect students of all ages from a variety of falling injuries

 

We've been catching children when they fall for over 27 Years

Get in touch with us to learn why our play area surface products are your best option.
Get your free quote today.

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