
So, don’t be afraid to top it up to 20 inches deep or slightly more than that because it will provide additional cushioning.

It is still okay to use extra fill to make the surface much more comfortable.
#Best outdoor playsets install
It is relatively cheap to install and maintain sand /pea gravel compared to other surfacing materials. Your children need loose-fill material to cushion them, not a hard surface. Compacted sand or pea gravel is hard and will most likely cause more pain in case of a fall. If your playset is less than eight feet high, you need approximately 12 inches of sand or pea gravel but avoid compacting it. However, you will be required to build some form of barrier around the surface play area’s edge to keep the pea gravel and sand in place. Sand/Pea GravelĪlthough sand and pea gravel are not perfect surfaces to keep your little ones unharmed, they are relatively cheap, reliable, and natural, which might fit your backyard garden décor. So, what are some of the best surfacing materials to put under your playset for cushioning the impact in case of a fall? Let us find out. Best Materials to Put Under Your Outdoor Playset Compacted soil is hard and can cause severe injuries to your little ones. Unfortunately, natural grass and dirt can only do little to soften the impact of a fall.Īnother issue with natural grass is that constant use can easily wear it out and compact the soil. You should also avoid installing the outdoor playset directly on the grass and assume that the grass will serve as a good surfacing material. You may also find some people using concrete below their playset, but the only winners in case of a fall are the local medical centers who are forced to attend to very young clients. Even a minor fall has the potential to be very painful and cause severe injury. Although you may have sufficient space to create concrete under your playset, you may end up regretting your action if your child falls on it. The obvious materials that you must avoid are concrete and asphalt. Now that you understand the work of the primary function of the material you put under your outdoor playset, let us highlight some of the materials that people frequently use with the mistaken assumption that they are safe and can absorb impact. When your kid falls off of a playset, you want the surfacing material to absorb as much impact as possible to cushion the blow to the kid’s body as much as possible. Certain playground surfacing materials tend to absorb the force and impact of a fall much better than others, minimizing the impact that a kid’s body has to absorb.

However, what is less obvious is the impact of the contact surface. Playground surfacing offer cushioning for the kids and minimize the injuries as they while playing. Two critical factors usually affect the severity of a fall the height of the fall and the surface material the kids land on during the fall. Obviously, the higher the fall, the more dangerous it will be to the kid. Why Do I Need a Surface Material Under My Playset?īefore we dive into discussing the different options you’ve got, let us figure out why it is essential to have surfacing material under your playset. In this post, we discuss some of the best materials to put under your outdoor playset while highlighting the pros and cons of each one of them. Your primary goal is to have a surfacing material that looks nice, easily accessible, and relatively inexpensive. Some of the common playset ground coverings include pea gravel, playground sand, rubber mulch, shredded rubber, poured-in-place rubber, and many more. The right surfacing material can prevent thousands of injuries from happening, which plays a critical role in keeping your outdoor playset safe. It means that you should really spend time figuring out the best surfacing material to put under your outdoor playset. Kids will always take risks and try to push themselves into play even when it isn’t safe. No matter how well the playset is constructed, you cannot guarantee that there won’t be any falls. However, before you allow them on it, you want to make sure everything is safe.


Adding an outdoor playset to your backyard is one of the most exciting things for your children.
