Fake Playground Turf Means Bye - Bye to Bumps, Bruises and Breaks
By: Dave Hartman
Every child loves the freedom and thrill of the playground, but parents and educators know this carefree wonderland is not without its risks. The harder kids play, the harder they fall, which can lead to bumps, bruises, and sometimes even broken bones
According to a study by the Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC), it is not at all uncommon for fun to run afoul on the playground. More than 200,000 children visit hospital emergency rooms each year due to playground-related injuries. Seventy-six percent of these injuries occur on public playground equipment, with 45 percent of those injuries occurring on playgrounds at schools.
Faced with such data, an increasing number of schools, child development facilities, daycare centers and community parks are finding new ways to minimize the risk factors associated with playgrounds falls by investing in an appealing new option for playground surfacing material - synthetic turf.
Professional and collegiate athletic teams have been playing on the latest generation of high-tech turf material for years in stadiums around the country. Now, the same product has been adapted to address the specific needs of children's playgrounds, with multiple layers of rubber and tar foam padding that can cushion falls from up to 12 feet.
Synthetic turf is environmentally friendly, non-toxic and safe because of its extreme shock absorbency and resistance to bacterial growth. It also eliminates the need for pesticides and is well-tolerated by kids with grass allergies. Synthetic turf products are also low-maintenance, easy to clean and require no water.
"We were very pleased with the way the turf serves our needs. It requires virtually no maintenance, yet always looks attractive, and many of our parents comment about how much it has added to the yard," said Kathy Farthing, assistant director of Rancho Bernardo Community Presbyterian Church Preschool in San Diego .
"The children enjoy playing on it and we have experienced no injuries, even when they fall," she continued. "The drainage during the winter storms has been great. There has been no puddling or flooding"
Adequate drainage is an integrated component of synthetic turf. Even after heavy rain showers, the turf material drains rapidly, so children can quickly resume play.
At U.S. Marine Corps Base Camp Pendleton, five child development centers were tired of the hassles of messy playground materials, which is why they chose to install synthetic turf.
"The ground cover at these centers was mostly sand," said Shaun Dechicchis, administrative support specialist.
"There were sanitary issues, and the kids always had sand in their shoes," she continued. "Now our teachers and parents are much happier. The kids are cleaner and they can be outside more often."
And, synthetic turf is wheelchair accessible, so no one is excluded from playtime fun.
What does synthetic turf cost?
The cost will vary from product to product and with playground size and the amount of cushioning required. The initial investment may sound high, but synthetic turf pays for itself within a few years through significant water and maintenance savings. Its price is comparable to pour-in-place rubber with numerous added safety advantages, including a higher fall zone and resistance to slips and falls after a downpour.
Paula Ries, director of the University City United Church of Christ Pre-School in San Diego , where synthetic turf is also installed, was wary of the initial investment required to install synthetic turf.
"Then we looked at the cost of replacing sod every three or four years and knew that, in time, we will have completely recouped our costs," she said.
Synthetic turf can last at least two to three times longer than any other materials out there. There are other cost-saving factors to consider, such as synthetic turf requires no watering, no mowing, no fertilizing and no aerating.
What kind of maintenance is required?
Quality synthetic turf requires very little maintenance. There is no decomposition, no fading, no weeds, no bugs and no rodents. It is really more a matter of keeping it clean than maintaining it, such as removing organic materials from the surface using a rake or a leaf blower; a standard garden hose can wash away tough stains or spills. More importantly, parents and teachers won't have to worry about the children tracking materials into homes or classrooms.
How does playground turf stand up to rain?
Synthetic playground turf materials are designed to drain quickly.
Joanne Tranchina, the director of the Solana Beach Community School in Southern California , where synthetic turf was installed more than four years ago, has been extremely impressed by how quickly and completely the turf drains.
"The kids were able to play again as soon as the rain stopped," she said of a recent Southern California downpour.
How does it look?
If the words "synthetic turf" call to mind the tacky plastic AstroTurf (sometimes referred to as "fuzzy cement") from the 1960s, then you will be pleasantly surprised with the new generation of faux lawns. Rich in color and texture, today's synthetic turf products are so real that they fool even the most educated gardener. Most people don't realize it's artificial until they walk on it. It's like real grass, only better.
"Parents are often surprised that it isn't real," said Trachnia, who frequently gives tours to parents of prospective students.
Is there really a difference between playground turf and other synthetic lawn products?
It is important to differentiate between playground turf and other types of artificial turf. Regular artificial turf may not provide adequate cushioning required to protect children from falls.
When planning a playground, your manufacturer will calculate the area's use zone, which includes all surfaces under the equipment as well as the distance outside and around equipment where a child may fall during the normal course of play. The use zone is the minimum area that surfacing should be placed in, though some play environments extend the use zone to increase the play area or enhance the surrounding environment.
Your manufacturer will also help you decide on the appropriate depth of surfacing required based on the height of the play equipment in your playground. The No. 1 concern is, of course, safety.
Synthetic turf is changing the face of playgrounds across the country, earning praise from kids, parents and educators alike. Next time you go to resurface your playground or re-sod your play yard, you may want to consider this high-tech option as a way to save time, energy and money, while protecting your students from many of the dangers that have plagued playgrounds in the past.
Dave Hartman is president of Easy-Turf, Inc., www.easyturf.com, the official western United States distributor of FieldTurf Playground and the Southern California distributor of FieldTurf synthetic turf and putting greens.
