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.