Play area base? Bark/rubber/sand?

[dirty harry]

hi there, been tasked with sorting out a proper play area for the kids, just wandering what base substances folk have used successfully?
Bark & rubber seem v expensive & thinking along the lines of sand maybe?
Experience/advice welcome!!
Cheers dh

 

[Midnight plough boy]

Wife’s just insisted on bark - one of those situations where she obviously knows best and any suggestion to sway her from it is cut down.

So far under the swing and at the bottom of the slide is bare where the kids have shifted it all out the way. The local cat population isn’t interested at the moment, but I can see it turning into the village cat latrine. I guess the same would be a true for sand.

I would have just preferred grass.

 

[Highland Mule]

Dairy cow cubicle mats. The ones with the holes in them do the water can run through. Lay them on fine loam and then sow grass seed on the top.

 

[nick...]

Have put artificial grass at a local nursery.stays clean all year round too
Nick...

 

[Wilkster]

Dad used builders sand for mine when I was little. Mum wasn’t best pleased when all my clothes ended up stained red...

 

[icanshootwell]

Dad used builders sand for mine when I was little. Mum wasn’t best pleased when all my clothes ended up stained red...

What was he thinking, yellow would of been so much better.

 

[Chae1]

Best I've seen is shredded tyres at blair Drummond safari park, no idea on cost or source.

 

[nick...]

Shredded tyres are ok as long as the wire is removed.sometimes aircraft tyres are used as they have no wire in them
Nick...

 

[Doing it for the kids]

Been here in Jan.

Decided against it all though getting some reinforced plastic mesh to help the grass out.

Sand will end up all over the lawn, as will most materials with my offspring. Chip \ bark looks great for a while but then breaks down and needs raking all the time.

I bought a massive climbing frame, the swings and slides are they most dangerous but the kids seem to bounce well and no claret spotted yet!

 

[Dave6170]

Ive been told i have to make a play area aswell im going for bark with geotextile underneath!

 

[Doing it for the kids]

Ive been told i have to make a play area aswell im going for bark with geotextile underneath!

Make a play area - I priced up the materials, it’s impossinle to build something for the same ££ as a bought one I found

 

[Dave6170]

Bought a climbing frame from costco. There has to be a wooden fence around it to keep them in. Im making that.
I suggested a electric hot wire but that didnt go down well.

 

[Doing it for the kids]

Costco are good.

Yeah sometimes mother’s fuss so, just buy a weaker energiser surely!?

 

[kiwi pom]

Local playground has a rubber matting on the ground, not that good really and gets bloody hot in summer.
The playground for the 5/6/7 year olds at the local primary school has a deep pea gravel base. Surprisingly good, doesn't get dirty, keeps itself level, cats don't like it and it moves enough to take shocks out of jumps and falls. It needs to be nice and deep though, with reasonable sized round stones.

 

[Hesston4860s]

What’s wrong with grass or concrete like we had when I was little ?.

 

[ollie989898]

I would not use rubber as disposing of it when they outgrow it will be a PITA.

Bark you can scoop up and put on borders etc. Find a friendly tree surgeon.....

 

[Doing it for the kids]

I would not use rubber as disposing of it when they outgrow it will be a PITA.

Bark you can scoop up and put on borders etc. Find a friendly tree surgeon.....

The tree boys have chip which just sits heavy then grows weed, you either want graded screened chip or bark which is a harder and more expensive to get hold off

 

[Farmer_Joe]

just use grass, we had all these ideas, eneded up with grass and glad we did.

 

[dirty harry]

Trouble with grass is the faff cutting round everything & moving toys etc & moving the trampoline to cut under it each time (which after blowing away a few times- upto 200yards once!!) is now weighted down with 4 railway sleepers !! Just thinking one no maintenance area will reduce time?
Quite fancy the pea gravel idea?
Cheers dh

 

[FonterraFarmer]

What’s wrong with grass or concrete like we had when I was little ?.

We only had grass, dirt or concrete, but your not allowed to have children learn from experience (ffs) they must be told or educated, and any structures must also cater for the mitigation to prevent the possibility of injury.
Ever wonder why the current youth are so soft?