Are safety mats for playgrounds something that is purchased by overly sensitive parents? We think not. Playground injuries do happen and are far too common. Raised structures, climbs, jumping platforms, slides, and monkey-bars can all be dangerous areas if a child is left unattended. Let’s face it, you cannot be there watching your kids every minute of the day. Soft play mats designed as safety floors will be there when you can’t be!
Parents often take extreme measures to ensure their children’s safety! I haven’t even had kids yet and I’ve already heard a whole spectrum of stories that involve protective parenting. One mom forced her son, who was just naturally on the smaller side, to use the booster seat until he was actually over the weight limit just to be safe. Another mom refused to let her child buy ice cream from truck vendors for fear that they might be of bad quality and cause stomach aches. My mom kept me from hot-dogs and burgers for years! As crazy as it may sound, there is definitely some merit to extreme parenting because it shows how much they care about their children’s safety.
However, there is definitely a reasonable middle ground for childcare and safety concerns! These happy-medium parents are the ones that find a reasonable balance between fun and safety. It’s unreasonable to restrict your children from playing outside—they are actively learning despite the fact that they may get scratched knees and dirty hands! Children will not develop as well if they are missing the element of exploration gained from outdoor play.
A good way to let your children have fun outdoors while still ensuring their little limbs stay protected is to install safe playground equipment and surfacing. Made of rubber, this type of surface is easy to install, offers quick cleaning, and resistant to all sorts of natural outdoor weathering; but above all, it is proven safe for children’s playgrounds. All equipment has to fall within certain height ratings and standards, including safety mats for playgrounds. Those mats have to meet ASTM standards for fall height, meaning that children who accidentally fall from a given height onto these mats will be safe from serious injury. When made of rubber, these mats provide impact-resistant padding that can cushion falls. Not only is a soft play mat safe and fun to play on, parents will also love that it is solid and clean… so their kids will not be bringing home messy sand, wood chips, or any other traditional playground materials!