When considering the ideal surface for playgrounds, the degree of safety of a given material is usually the first thought that comes to mind. Flooring options like concrete or grass should be immediately eliminated from the prospective list of playground surfacing options. Next, one might consider the cost of the flooring: “Is this flooring option efficient, keeping in mind my budget?” The final factor that may determine which flooring solution to use for playgrounds would be the difficult issue of maintenance.
Before you flip through the Yellow Pages or frantically click through Google, playground rubber matting turns all such factors into a nonissue! Here are some features rubber offers that make it the ideal surface for playgrounds:
Safety from falls: Rubber flooring is a great playground surface because of its impact-absorbing qualities that safeguard children in the event of a fall. Rubber mulch, sand, and wood chips offer similar impact-absorbing qualities; however, these products shift and move as kids play on them. The more travelled a path, the more probable that loose-fill material has moved from the area. This limits the effectiveness of rubber mulch or wood chips.
So, why opt for rubber playground mats? Loose-fill playground materials, like sand or wood chips, also pose a choking threat to children who, in their curiosity, may try to ingest the materials. Such loose-fill materials are also prone to concealing harmful objects within its layers of filler. Rubber mats stay put under their weight and won’t move around so children won’t be able to lift them up and they will not become ineffective like a loose-fill material. The mats also make it easier to spot foreign objects that may threaten the well-being of children.
Rubber flooring is hands down the ideal surface for playgrounds. The degree of safety rubber offers is an invaluable quality that certainly won’t burn a hole in your wallet. Maintaining the playground mats is a cinch and, as the cherry on top, they’re pretty easy on the eyes!