On a neighborhood playground, no matter how hard you try to keep kids safe, they will fall. It’s all part of the fun of growing up and playing. Falls are often nothing more than a rite of passage as long as they are controlled.

But what if a child falls and no adult is around to catch them? Are you certain they’ll be safe on your current lawn?

Is Natural Grass Safe Enough for Playgrounds in Homes?

Although natural green grass looks lovely surrounding swings, slides, and other playground equipment, it is not the safest landing surface. Here are some of the reasons:

• Grass isn’t soft enough to soften landings
• While grass is (to some extent) springy, it does not provide appropriate support for children who fall
• When the earth is moist, it compresses and becomes more dangerous than when it is dry
• When wet, grass is extremely slick
• Eventually, the areas around playground equipment go bare, revealing hard, compacted earth
• Kids can easily slide on bare sections of ground, and mud that accumulates on playground equipment can make it harder to keep their grasp

Natural grass also has other drawbacks, such as causing pollen allergies, housing hazardous weeds and insects, and concealing holes and lumps. To summarize, natural grass is not a good surface for playgrounds, parks, or other places where children play.

What Alternatives Do You Have?

There are a variety of materials that may be utilized as playground surfaces, such as rubber mulch. It’s advantages include the fact that it softens the impact of falls, reduces noise pollution, and keeps surfaces from becoming slick by absorbing moisture.

On the other hand, if swallowed, it can cause choking in little children. Over time, it may fade in the sun and it might become matted and difficult to clean.

Rubber crumbs are safer than using genuine grass and they are long-lasting and durable. Some people find it unappealing in terms of aesthetics (the black color may be undesirable) and when exposed to direct sunshine, it may get quite heated. It requires more upkeep than other materials, like as applying a sealer on a regular basis.

Advantages of Choosing Synthetic Turf

The finest synthetic turf improves the safety of playgrounds in various ways. Its shock-absorbent characteristics that are second to none, the foam padding on playground turf makes it significantly softer than other surfaces, even real grass. Artificial turf’s shock-absorbent characteristics assist to lessen the danger of harm to youngsters when they fall, especially from a great height (e.g. from the top of jungle gym equipment).

It doesn’t become worn out when it’s in close proximity to playground equipment. Not only does playground turf offer exceptional shock-absorbent characteristics, but it’s also designed to withstand regular wear and tear. Artificial turf is meant to retain its quality and safety over time, but natural grass surrounding play sets will be quickly worn down by the movement of heavy play structures and foot traffic.

It also meets the standards for fall height. The ASTM F1292 safety standard is the minimum requirement for playground turf to be declared child-safe. This standard stipulates that any playground surface must be able to resist a particular impact force without causing harm. This criteria has been tested and proved to be met by ASTM F1292 artificial turf.

Do you want to learn more about artificial turf options? Contact Green Turf at (951) 656-4150 and we will be happy to help.