Children’s outdoor play areas should always prioritise keeping children and infants safe during play. Therefore, safe playground design is essential. Allow all children to play, run, and explore in secure spaces designed for inclusivity and accessibility.
Playground ideas for schools, nurseries, and public playgrounds need to consider playground safety regulations in their surfacing choices. This enables playgrounds to remain safe and secure for kids to enjoy for years to come.
Shock Absorbent Flooring in High-Risk Areas
Young children love to play and challenge themselves on playground equipment, but this can create safety risks when not given the right amount of protection. Our playground surfacing therefore meets Critical Fall Height protection standards under BS EN 1177. So, our surfaces provide a softer fall from maximum heights of the equipment.
For natural playgrounds wanting to provide safety without sacrificing green grass fields, rubber grass mats are an ideal option. PlaySmart’s EcoSmart Grass mats with SmartPlay shock pad underlay system are non-disruptive to existing surfaces. This is because they require minimal groundwork for secure safety flooring. Additionally, they provide a maximum critical fall height of 2.9m (when tested on a good quality grass base).
Children’s outdoor play surfaces may require different flooring types that work in smaller areas without grass or play equipment yet still require safety surfacing to ensure all play remains safe. We recommend Artificial grass shock pad underlay combinations, rubber mulch pathways, and even EPDM wear pads for high-impact areas. This is because we specially desig them to provide the best quality protection. Additionally, these surfaces provide a uniquly vibrant surface solution suitable for a wide range of accessible playground.
Loose Fill Surfaces Create Choking Hazards
Traditional children’s play bark is a functional playground surfacing with shock-absorbent qualities. Natural bark playground surfacing is a loose fill material consisting of bark flakes that can be up to an inch long. Therefore, this poses a choking hazard when used in a play area for young children such as in a nursery.
Bonded rubber mulch surfacing does not have this problem. Our team bonds the mixed-size rubber pieces are firmly into the flat surface. Therefore, creating a natural-looking bark-like texture for the area. Additionally, unlike loose-fill surfaces, bark pieces do not scatter over time to cause choking risks for children. We especially recommend EPDM rubber mulch in areas most used by small children. This is because the virgin rubber has the additional benefit of not fading over time or producing carbon residue.
Accessible Playground Design
Children’s outdoor play areas should be fully accessible for wheelchairs and buggies. This is because it is important to allow everyone to use the facilities and move around freely. A strong solid surface with minimal joins between adjoining surfaces makes moving around outdoors easier for those using mobility aids, encouraging an inclusive shared space to play.
We can install Hybrid grass rolls on open fields or grassy areas to maintain the natural aesthetic of a site. This also helps the grass and soil to remain firm and accessible. Many clients come to us with complaints of muddy, boggy ground that reduces accessibility to mobility aids, bikes, and buggies. The netted backing of hybrid grass provides the support needed for safe access. Air and water can circulate naturally into the soil while protecting the ground below. This therefore prevents subsistence and puddling that can cause issues.
The expert installation of our surfaces uses recessing and edge-securing techniques to connect disparate elements of the play space without steps or gaps. PlaySmart’s patented grass mat installation techniques ensure that our team produces a flat, stable surface! Additionally, some cases may require mini edge-ramps to ensure full accessibility and avoid trip edges.
PlaySmart provides the Best, Safest Materials for Children's Outdoor Play Projects
Are you looking for inspiration and information on how PlaySmart surface design is optimising outdoor safety across the country? Then you can check out our latest projects using a mixture of different materials for the best kids’ playgrounds,
Do you have any questions about PlaySmart, or want a Quick Quote on a job from us? We encourage you to start a dialogue by filling in our contact and quote forms available from our Contact Page.