The right playground surface to put underneath your playground equipment, even from play structure pricing, is a big deal!
The surface you put under a playground structure like slides, seesaws, and swings need to make sense and protect kids from injuries when they fall or jump!
You will also want to think about installation, cost, cleanliness, upkeep, and life expectancy.
In this article – We’ll provide you with a complete assessment of the different kinds of playground surfaces. We will go over how effective they are along with the pros and cons of each!
We’ll cover:
- Grass
- Sand
- Bare earth
- Pea Gravel
- Wood chips or mulch
- EWF – Engineered Wood Fiber
- Rubber mulch
- Tubber tiles and poured rubber
- Turf or artificial grass
Read on to find out information about each surface type to help you make your decision.
Grass
Many people have grass below their playset. Often this is simply because the grass is there, which means there are usually no costs at all. However, there are considerations you need to keep in mind.
Safety is an important consideration regarding children playing.
Many assume that grass is a good surface for a play area, which it is, but it is absolutely not the best material for a play area surface as we explained in the article about what to put under a swing set.
Ultimately, grass is better than concrete or paving, but from three feet it provides minimal protection.
Maintenance and cost of grass
Maintenance could be problematic since you’re going to wear out areas.
Additionally, if you place playground equipment on the grass, it will make it hard to mow it.
Grass, on the other hand, is fairly cheap, but you may have to address bare spots.
Grass also needs a lot of water in the summer months when there is little (or no) rain.
Advantages and Disadvantages of Grass
Advantages
- Looks good when it’s maintained well
- If you use existing grass, there’s no cost upfront
- Doesn’t get hot in the sun
Disadvantages
- It isn’t as safe as some of the other playground surface options
- It wears down easily underfoot
- It needs regular maintenance, which isn’t always easy
Sand
The use of sand is not common, although it is acceptable as a play area surface.
From a safety standpoint, as long as the depth of the sand is twelve inches deep or more, it is considered a safe surface.
This means that the sand will offer better fall protection compared to concrete – and even grass and bare earth as well — especially in the open area of a playground.
However, there are issues with sand, especially if has an open area and is not a sandbox. For example, sand can have a lot of insects, microbial organisms, and animal waste.
Maintenance and cost
Sand can also be a low-cost playground surface option, costing approximately $0.50 per sq. ft.
As indicated above, it should be twelve inches deep to be considered safe. This might mean shredding and raking it every so often to keep it level.
It is also important to make sure there is good drainage so that it won’t hold standing water, as this would create a breeding ground for bugs such as mosquitoes.
You also want to check regularly for other items that may occasionally be left in the sand such as toys as these can also pose a risk.
Advantages and Disadvantages of Sand
Advantages
- It’s easy to find and install
- It’s low cost
- It provides good cushioning at 12 inches
- It’s not a choking hazard
Disadvantages
- It tends to shift a lot
- It requires maintenance
- It can become hard-packed
- It could contain foreign objects, microbial organisms, and animal waste
- It will end up in clothes and in the house
Bare earth
When people consider the best material for playground surfaces, this option is usually not the first one to think of, yet some people will “settle” for that if it is all someone knows to do, or if it is a last-minute make-shift option.
Most often, if people end up with bare earth, they have attempted to use grass, which suffered too much wear and tear to be any good any more!
When it comes to safety, bare earth covers little to no protection to falls, and should entirely not be considered to cover playframes, or swing sets, or seesaws.
Maintenance and cost
In terms of bare earth, there is no maintenance and no upfront cost.
However, when rain does come, you’ll end up with a bunch of mud that will be tracked into the house, and also into the rest of the yard, which will lead to much more cleaning.
Advantages and Disadvantages of Bare Earth
Advantages
- It’s free!
- There’s no maintenance
Disadvantages
- It’s not very safe
- Mud and dirt will be tracked around the yard and into the house
- It’s not aesthetically pleasing
- Might contain sharp objects and insects
Pea Gravel
A favorite playground surface option is pea gravel that is less problematic than sand.
It is also easy to install and inexpensive!
There are a lot of advantages and disadvantages to pea gravel, and just like sand, it should also be poured to a depth of 12” for safety.
However, when it comes to safety, pea gravel is not a suitable surface option when there are children under 5 years old.
This is because pea gravel poses a choking hazard.
Pea gravel does not act as home to insects, animals, or micro-organisms as sand does.
Maintenance and cost
Pea gravel is one of the cheapest playground surface options available.
You can even get it for around $1 per square foot.
The maintenance side of using it is also appealing because it doesn’t settle as much as sand does, and it keeps its drainage abilities.
Advantages and disadvantages of pea gravel
Advantages
- Easy to find and install
- Low cost
- Provides cushioning at 12 inches deep
- Drains well
- Won’t transfer easily
- Most insects, animals and microbial organisms will stay away
Disadvantages
- It’s a choking hazard for under 5s
Wood chips and mulch
You’re more likely to see these in smaller public parks, although they aren’t as popular as engineered wood fibers (EWF) or pea gravel.
There are some pros and cons to wood chips/mulch.
They provide excellent shock absorption at 12 inches deep, but they aren’t an option for under 5s, and can pose choking hazards for young children.
Maintenance and cost
Wood chips are among the least expensive playground surface materials, though you will pay more than sand or pea gravel.
But when it comes to a playground for children, you will want to spend a little more and make sure you get chemical-free wood chips that are free from foreign objects or materials.
This usually comes to around $3-4 per square foot.
Wood mulch or wood chips will require regular maintenance because it is lightweight and will easily be moved around when kids are playing on it, meaning you will often find it outside of the boundaries you designed for it.
Advantages and disadvantages of wood chips and mulch
Advantages
- They’re readily available
- They provide good cushioning (12 inches)
- They look natural in your backyard
Disadvantages
- Wood chips can potentially be a choking hazard for children under five.
- You will need to consider regular maintenance (to keep wood chips in place).
- Wood chips can retain moisture and lead to possible mold growth, especially in wet climates.
- Wood chips can attract insects.
- It will need to be refilled regularly.
EWF – Engineered Wood Fiber
This is a playground surface material that is still relatively new but gaining in popularity.
It resembles mulch and wood chips in many ways and is even a little better.
This engineered wood fiber is really good with shock absorption for safety.
It is also sustainable and slip-resistant. However, similar to wood chips and mulch, it presents a choking risk for younger children.
Maintenance and cost
EWF is pricier than wood chips, pea gravel and sand, especially considering high-quality EWF from sustainable sources which can reach upwards of $7 per square foot.
However, when it comes to maintenance you can expect some savings as EWF typically stays in place better than mulch or wood.
Advantages and Disadvantages of EWF
Advantages
- Installation is easy
- Natural and sustainable
- Great cushioning (when 12 inches deep)
Disadvantages
- It’s a choking risk for under 5s
- Needs maintenance
- Can contain insects and foreign objects
- Can go moldy if it gets wet often
- Needs replenishing
Rubber Mulch
This playground surfacing material is made from recycled tires and a great way to reduce landfilling.
However, some rubber material contain carcinogens and harmful chemicals, so you will want to choose carefully.
On the positive side, rubber mulch is a great shock- absorbing surface and easy to install.
When looking at safety, rubber mulch has great shock absorption properties, but it can be a choking hazard for younger children.
Maintenance and cost
Typically, this is pricier than sand and pea gravel, but it won’t deteriorate and doesn’t require replenishing any time soon.
Advantages and disadvantages of rubber mulch
Advantages
- Easy installation
- Great cushioning (12 inches deep)
- Good drainage
- Won’t transfer easily
- Insects, animals, and microbial organisms aren’t usually a problem
- Doesn’t need replenishing often like wood chips
Disadvantages
- Choking risk for younger children
- Can contain chemicals
Artificial Grass
Synthetic sod has emerged as a contemporary choice versus real sod.
Synthetic turf is not ideal for some falls unless it has padding down.
People tend to select synthetic grass instead of real sod because they think it doesn’t require maintenance, which is incorrect.
Synthetic grass will still need to be cleaned and maintains a slippery surface when it rains or let heat in the sunshine.
Maintenance and cost
This is one of the pricier options for playground surfaces, and you can be paying as much as $10 for a square foot, especially if you go with Smith Padding underneath.
In terms of maintenance, you will need to manage some sweeping of the surface and hose with a water. You will probably have some weeds growing on it too.
Advantages and disadvantages of artificial grass
Advantages
- It provides great cushioning
- It drains well
- Won’t get transferred onto other areas or into the house
- Very clean (as long as it’s hosed down)
Disadvantages
- Needs maintenance but not a lot
- Expensive
Final thoughts on the best material for playground surface areas
There are lots of options when it comes to a playground surface material.
It really comes down to budget and what you prefer personally. Plus, safety always has to be considered regarding our littles.
While spending a lot on the initial cost could save you in the long run.
Also, choosing the best playground surface material that you can afford lessens the chances of injury from trips and falls.
As this article shows, there is no one best material for playground surface, but you have a lot of information to help you decide now!