For a safe environment for children to play, use playground mulch. Ohio offers many materials to use as playground mulch in their local recycling centers, including rubber from tires. While there’s no documentation concerning every benefit of using rubber as a mulch for playgrounds, the reduced risk of serious harm or injury makes using rubber a great alternative to traditional sand or gravel in parks and playgrounds. Additionally, rubber mulch is a lot softer than other materials and is relatively inexpensive, especially recycled rubber products. Basically, rubber mulch is just shredded tires turned into a feasible alternative to comparable playground mulches.

Before any playground equipment is set up, you need to ensure a proper foundation is laid down to reduce the risk of injury and protect children at play. Because the type of mulch you use will affect how safe the playground is, you’ll want to use a material that will work at preventing serious harm. Children are notorious for falling off swings, slides and other equipment. As such, concrete and asphalt are not ideal materials for playground mulch, because they have little to no shock resisting ability. Shredded tires (rubber mulch) is by far the best typePlayground Mulch of playground mulch you can use, followed by wood chips, pea size gravel and screened sand. Also, never install these materials over an existing concrete or asphalt foundation.

Playground mulch offers a great way to protect children from harm when using swing sets, slides and any other playground equipment. While rubber mulch is the ideal material for a protective surface, you can use a variety of materials that absorb shock and create a safe foundation for children should they fall. While there’s no surefire way to protect a child from harm, use playground mulch. Ohio recommends it, and it will work to reduce the risk of injury to your child.